The Corners of Our Life

Snowmass, Colorado

2012-02-12T21:52:00.005-06:00

WHAT A WEEK!

Our Globetrotter

2012-02-02T20:37:00.004-06:00

Thought I'd post a few pics of our Globetrotter to follow the last post. There are 2 weeks left of basketball season and it's been a lot of fun. Carson is quite the player and his team has been tearing it up. They are 6-0 so far going into their last 2 games.

Pretty Intense

I love this picture of Carson shooting, and the awesome effort by #1.

This picture is a bit blurry, but that looks to me like a foul by Carson...oops!

Defense

Update on Hunter....THE CAST IS OFF! It's been killing him to sit out of his basketball games. He's been patiently going to all of the games and practices to be a good teammate, and now he's so excited to get in on the action. Hopefully he's learned his lesson with the broken arms!

The Harlem Globetrotters

2012-01-28T14:10:00.010-06:00

Being that the boys are in the middle of basketball season, we jumped at the chance to take them to see the Harlem Globetrotters this weekend. They were looking so forward to the game and were thrilled to be there.

Pre Game warm ups

At the Erwin Center

Even though the Globetrotters do lots of silly things for show, these guys do have some mad basketball skills and we loved seeing all of their amazing dunks.
The kids laughed hysterically the entire time! This is what Hunter looked like for most of the game. He has never laughed this hard, and his cheeks must have hurt by the end.
And what do you know, the Globetrotters beat the International Elite in the last minute of the game. I don't think they've lost a game in 40 years!
A highlight for the boys was getting a Globetrotters basketball for the players to sign. They got Biggie's signature. He's 7 feet tall...literally head and shoulders above anyone else.
Hunter insisted that we get Ant's autograph on the ball too. He's the shortest player at 5'10", but this guy could make almost every shot from half court.

The team was really entertaining to watch, and we know that this will be a memory the boys will have for the rest of their lives.

Texas Stars

2012-01-22T17:18:00.007-06:00

We took the boys to their first ever hockey game last night and it was F-U-N! Where else is it socially acceptable to cheer when a player gets body checked into the glass, to root on a fist fight until someone gets slammed down to the ice, and to watch a guy get sent to a penalty box for slashing!?!

The Texas Stars are the NHL Dallas Stars minor league team. Hockey is one of those sports that you must see live. It's incredible what these guys can do on skates.

Carson has never played hockey and has only seen a few games on TV, yet he has claimed for the past year that hockey is his favorite sport. Not sure how that came about, but they were both excited to see their first game.

Their good friends Whitney & Griffin and their family came to enjoy the action with us.

Rooting for the home team...

We couldn't have chosen a better game to attend. It was tied 3-3 after regulation and went to overtime, where neither team scored. The game had to be decided by a shoot out. It came down to the last shot, and the Stars' goalie made a great save. They won 3-2 in the shoot out.

If you have never seen a hockey game, add that to your bucket list!

Farewell

2012-01-16T21:24:00.006-06:00

Today we traded in our trusted Toyota Sienna minivan. I had tears in my eyes when we bought it out in California and I had tears in my eyes when we left it at the car dealership this morning. The first because I felt way too young to be getting a minivan(!), and the second because I have grown to love that van over the last 8 years.

Why is it so hard to say goodbye to a car? It has became so much more than just a vehicle that drove us around. It is the memories of the many conversations we've had in the car, the strapping in of car seats and driving babies home from the hospital, the loading up of the dogs to take on hikes, the sticky seats from little hands and feet, and the many family road trips and time spent together in the car. And even more than that, it is a statement of the time period in our lives when we owned that car. It's like saying goodbye to the kids' younger days and all of the wonderful things that have happened over the last 8 years. It's moving on and it's change, and that brings about a lot of nostalgia.

Our next vehicle will most definitely carry us into the next phase of our lives and we will grow to love it as well. But there will always be a fond place in our hearts for our trusty Sienna and all the wonderful memories she carried around. And I can proudly and publicly say that I loved that car and it was great to be a minivan driver!

New Year's Eve "Fun"

2012-01-13T14:49:00.005-06:00

We bid farewell to 2011 and rang in 2012 at the ER!!! It started out as a fun party with friends, took a wrong turn with a fall from a tree house, and ended sadly with X-rays and a fractured elbow. The funny thing was that Chris had to work that night and was bummed he couldn't spend New Year's Eve with us. Well, Hunter must have felt bad because he came up with a reason to go see Dad at the hospital.

Let's see...to date our new count is 4 sets of stitches and 3 broken bones between the two boys. We really ARE good parents...REALLY!
Actually, it's a bit of a badge of honor for young boys to sport a cast. Hunter is proudly carrying around signatures from most of the kids in 3rd grade at his school.

Here's hoping for better luck in 2012!

Old Tucson

2012-01-01T12:59:00.007-06:00

While in Arizona, we visited Old Tucson Studios. It's an old frontier town right outside of Tucson that has been a set for over 300 movies and TV shows (ie. Three Amigos, Young Guns, Tombstone, Gunsmoke, Little House on the Prairie). It was fun being transported back to a time when six shooters ruled the Old West.

The boys were immediately held up by the sheriff, but since they were unarmed, he let them pass.

Stagecoach rides

The one room school house

A visit to the jail

There were several great gun and stunt shows which the boys loved watching!

We also caught a show at the saloon.

Panning for gold

Horse Thief Shot Dead Jan 10, 1876

The boys used some of their Christmas money to buy cap guns and holsters and had a grand old time running around and pretending they were in a shoot out.

Mom got caught in a hold up.

Thanks Nonna and Papa for a wonderful trip and a great holiday spent in Arizona.

Christmas Day

2011-12-26T19:23:00.006-06:00

We celebrated a blessed Christmas Day this year in Tucson, Arizona with Chris's family. The boys were a bit concerned at first about Santa finding them there. When they mailed off their Santa letters, they made sure that he knew the exact address where we'd be this year. And sure enough, Santa was on the ball and got all the gifts to them successfully!

Tearing into presents...

There's nothing like the joy of a child on Christmas morning.

The prized gift this year was NFL jerseys from Santa. Frank Gore of the 49ers for Carson (it's his favorite team because he was born near San Francisco), and Arian Foster of the Texans for Hunter (his favorite because he was born in Houston).

NFL mini helmets...

The boys love playing with their sweet baby cousin, Stella, who is now 7 months old.

It was wonderful to spend Christmas day with Nonna, Papa, Uncle Eric, Aunt Georgia, and Stella. We hope everyone had a very merry Christmas filled with all the blessings of the season!

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas...

2011-12-22T21:24:00.004-06:00

We've had a wonderful December and we are enjoying all of the special things that happen at Christmas time! The boys got to sit with Santa and tell him what they are hoping for on Christmas morning.

We went to a gingerbread house party and had a fun time putting one together. It's been the centerpiece on our kitchen table all month.

The boys always get excited for their school Christmas parties. At Carson's, we made several crafts and decorated cookies.

At Hunter's, we had a contest to see who could wrap their partner up as a snowman first and complete the outfit with a scarf, sunglasses, and a kazoo in the mouth!
We visited the Zilker Park Christmas tree and had a good ole time making ourselves dizzy while spinning underneath.

A friendly family game of Peter Pan golf earlier in the month...

It's been a great December so far with lots of fun activities and good quality time spent together. And the big day is still yet to come! We wish you all a very blessed Christmas.

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Christmas in Tyler

2011-12-20T11:08:00.008-06:00

We always head to Tyler the weekend before Christmas to celebrate the holidays with my dad and stepmom and our large, crazy, blended family! Between them there are 7 kids and 15 grandkids. This year we were all able to be there, so they hosted 30 of us at their home! It was 2 days of fun, excitement, chaos, food, gifts, family, and sleeping bags.

Here are Pop Pop and Grandma Sue with as many kids as we could get to sit still at one time.

With 15 kids, we can pretty much field any sports team. There was soccer...

...basketball

And money ball of course. The kids cleaned Pop Pop out of all the change he had been storing up this year.

There were games of Simon Says, Christmas caroling, and a special performance by the kids to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree".

The boys with my Dad

And for the second time in a month, all of the first cousins on my side together.

My Dad, Sister, and Brother

It was a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas week by spending time with loved ones.

Soccer

2011-12-12T20:26:00.006-06:00

The boys both chose to play soccer again this fall. It is Hunter's favorite sport and he is quickly developing into a great player. He graduated from the Rec league and has been in a soccer academy for the past 3 seasons. It's been an awesome experience for him and we've enjoyed watching his skills improve over the past year.

He's a lefty like his mom!

His team was named Xavi, after Xavi Hernandez (a famous soccer play who competes for Barcelona).

Carson is in his 3rd year playing in the Rec league. They play 4v4 and it's very fast paced and exciting.

Carson is fun to watch because he's super aggressive and will fight with every last once of his might to win possession of the ball. Trust me when I say you wouldn't want to get in this guy's way on the field!

I present to you the 'Cookie Monsters' (a name chosen by the boys as you can guess). There's Coach Dad on the left.

...now on to basketball season.

Birthday Fun

2011-12-03T13:49:00.007-06:00

Carson had a blast celebrating his 7th birthday yesterday. We tried to make it an extra special day that was centered around him and all of the things he loves. He started with a pancake and sausage breakfast...

...then mom brought him Chick Fil A to school and read to his class after lunch.

He was the Superstar this week and made this poster about himself to share with the class.

After school he opened his gifts...

...and his good friends Evan and Edward came over to play and have pizza and cake.

...followed by a movie (Cars 2).

Evan stayed to spend the night and Carson loved having his first sleepover on his birthday.

He went to bed tired and happy and proud to be 7!

Seven Today

2011-12-02T07:58:00.004-06:00

Dear Carson,

Happy Birthday today! We are trying not to be too sad that you are turning 7. We've had a year to prepare, so today we'll focus on celebrating all of the wonderful things that make you special.

One of the best things about you is your smile. When you smile, you smile with your whole face, and your eyes have been known to disappear altogether. It is irresistible and contagious. Many times we've wanted to say no, and all you have to do is flash that smile and we can't resist. You are also very loving and affectionate, and have no shortage of hugs and kisses for us. Every night after dinner you somehow end up sitting on Mom's lap (which she loves!)

You are so perceptive. It is hard to hide anything from you or slip anything past you. You are full of questions about anything and everything and you possess a wonderful curiosity about the world. You are very strong willed and opinionated, which isn't a bad thing. Those personality traits will take you far in life and will most definitely work to your advantage someday (even though it makes it harder for Mom and Dad right now)!

It's been fun to see you blossom in first grade with your reading and schoolwork. You are a great student and your teachers always love having you in their class. School is fun for you and you love running off the bus and telling us all the details of your day.

You are an amazing little athlete and sports come very naturally to you. You don't like to lose (like your mommy) and you most definitely approach every competition with your serious game face on. Right now baseball and basketball are your favorite sports, but you also play soccer, tennis, and compete on swim team.

You fill our life with so much joy and we are proud of the little guy you have grown in to. Being 7 is going to be great!

We love you,

Mom & Dad

Party!

2011-11-30T20:39:00.005-06:00

The boys' birthdays are 6 days apart, so we had a combined swim party to celebrate their special days. Their classmates dug out goggles and beach towels and joined us for some wet and wild water fun!

Carson with his buddies

Hunter's school friends

The party was at an indoor swim school and it was nice and warm...the perfect place for 22 rambunctious boys to let off some steam!

Carson blowing out his candles

Then it was time to sing to Hunter.

It was a really great party, and the boys had an awesome time swimming with friends and celebrating their birthdays together.

Birthday Day

2011-11-27T20:17:00.007-06:00

We had a great time celebrating Hunter's 9th birthday yesterday and we tried to make it extra special for him. After all, you only turn 9 once!

It all started with a waffle and sausage breakfast...

...followed by presents.

Then we rounded up all of his best buds...Carson, Meghan, Griffin, and Whitney. Hunter wanted to go visit the Capitol, so off we went. They played tag out on the grass for a while...

Then climbed to the top of the dome...

And stopped for a visit in the Senate Chamber.

Then it was off to Home Slice for some root beer and pizza.

And we ended it all with a pit stop at Amy's Ice Cream.

Griffin stayed to spend the night, and they got to root Stanford to victory over Notre Dame in their matching #12 Andrew Luck jerseys.

It was a special day for our special 9 year old.

Nine Today

2011-11-26T14:34:00.005-06:00

Dear Hunter,

Today is your 9th birthday. We are so excited for you to be growing up, learning new things, and having new experiences, yet we can't help feeling sad when every birthday rolls around. Time is going by way too fast, so we are doing our best to savor every moment we have with you in these childhood years.

You are such a delight to us! You are extremely easy going, kind hearted, and sweet natured. We never have to ask you twice to do something, and you are always so eager to please. Even though you are a big 3rd grader now, you still give us lots of hugs and kisses.

You LOVE to read and can always be found with a stack of books on your bedside table. In the past year you have read through all 7 Harry Potter Books, no small feat for a 2nd/3rd grader. Your other favorites this year have been 'Origami Yoda' and 'Darth Paper Strikes Back'. You get up and read every morning in bed, you read on the bus and at morning assembly, and we often find you late in the afternoon curled up with a book. Thank goodness for library cards!

Soccer is your favorite sport, with basketball a close second. While tennis is not at the top of your list right now, you are really quite good at it and definitely show alot of potential (mommy is keeping her fingers crossed!) But, you understandably love team sports and being around your buddies.

You are our social butterfly and always want to be out in the neighborhood playing with friends. You are a wonderful big brother to Carson. You always include him in everything you do and with everyone you play with. He doesn't know how lucky he is to have you. He is your best friend (with Griffin a close second).

Math is your favorite subject and you are so incredibly smart in it, just like your daddy. You ask us to give you algebra problems and extra challenges after your normal homework is done. You can do math in your head amazingly well (I have been hiding a calculator under the table to check your work!) School is the highlight of your day and we are proud of all the great work you have done.

You are destined for great things we know, and we couldn't be prouder of the student, friend, athlete, and son that you are.

We hope the next 9 years don't go by nearly as fast.

Much Love,

Mom & Dad

Fall

2011-11-21T21:51:00.009-06:00

While it is hard to conceive that fall is here with temps in the 80s for the past week, we do know that it must be fall because the leaves are falling in our yard. Today the kids wanted to rake a leaf pile. One rake and 3 tennis racquets did the trick quite well.

And we know it's fall because all the Thanksgiving festivities are in full swing. Carson's class presentation was Friday. It was fun to see all of the work the kids had done and the parents loved listening to their special program.

And sharing in their Thanksgiving feast!

The table setting he made.

And this is just a fun picture for all of my crafty friends. Someone brought these clever little Oreo, Hershey Kiss, and Candy Corn turkeys. Looks like a cute and easy craft/food idea.
Carson also lost his 1st tooth this fall (back in October). It is a momentous occasion for any child to lose their first tooth, so we must give it due diligence on the blog. He was very excited because Hunter didn't lose his first tooth until the end of 1st grade, and he beat him by 6 months. Sibling rivalry!
This has nothing to do with fall (other than Carson being a turkey), but was too cute not to post. Nonna and Papa are here and they brought the boys an airplane dopp kit that they got on a recent international flight. We just went upstairs to check on the kids, and found that Carson had gone to sleep with blinders on. Gotta love this kid...

Happy Fall to you all!

Surviving the Week

2011-11-19T15:57:00.010-06:00

What most definitely was a crumby week (think one dentist visit, 3 endodontist visits, and 2 trips to an oral surgeon crumby)...

....became a little less miserable today when we were able to go to San Antonio to meet up with my brother's family. They live out in West Texas, which is pretty much as far as another state, so we don't get to see them too often. We jumped at the chance to meet up with them for my niece's soccer tournament down the road. Allison is a 7th grader and an awesome select soccer player.

The boys were fired up to hang out and play with their cousins. Peyton is in 2nd grade, right between Hunter and Carson.
And these cuties are Callaway and Cooper, twins in kindergarten. They were good cheerleaders on the sidelines. Actually, they played football and tag the entire time and didn't even see one minute of the game, but they had fun!
And for the first time ever, all 8 of the grandchildren together (my sister's girls Avery and Madison are in the middle).
That's about all of the pictures we could muster up between the chaos of the tournament and all of the kids, but we had an awesome time hanging out with them and actually ended a not so great week on a high note. (-:

Citizenship

2011-11-11T16:04:00.017-06:00

Each month at school, the faculty and staff emphasize a different life skill for the kids. This month with the occurrence of Veterans Day and elections, the life skill that they are learning about is citizenship. The kids have been studying about what it means to be a good citizen of their country, their community, and their school.

The third graders performed a special ceremony today at assembly to honor friends and family who are Veterans of our country.

They were encouraged to share pictures, stories, and mementos of special people in their lives who are Veterans. Hunter told about his Papa who is a 2 Star General in the Arizona Air National Guard and is a fighter pilot. We are very proud of his service!

A few classmates sharing their mementos.

In addition to the Veterans Day program, the third grade held Bug Elections. Each student had to create a 3-D bug, attach it to a poster, come up with a slogan, and give an election speech to the class. They held mock elections to determine the Bug Class President.

Meet Hunter's bug, Hairy 'S'pider Truman

Hunter came up with the following speech that he presented to the class during the campaign. It was a great activity and learning experience for all of the students as they studied about citizenship.

"Hello! My name is Hairy 'S'pider Truman and I would like to be President of Ms. Lee's 3rd grade class.

I have lots of qualities that would make me a great President. I always know everything that's going on, and because I'm a spider, nothing will get past my web. I have 8 helping hands to lend to a classmate in need. Don't worry, I'll also keep all 8 of my eyes on the issues going on in our classroom. I'm a predator, so I promise to hunt down all of the things that could get in the way of our learning. My style is always silky smooth!

If I am elected your bug President, I will spin a great big web to keep us all connected. I promise to protect the class by keeping bugs and problems away. I can easily juggle lots of work with my 8 hands. For example: I can carry 8 backpacks at once, sharpen 8 pencils at once, or help 8 people with their homework.

If you elect me, you will not be disappointed. Thank you for considering me to be your President, and please vote for Hairy 'S'pider Truman. I'm good in sticky situations!"

Hairy presented a great speech, but he lost out in the elections to John Firefly Kennedy, who promised no school on Fridays and Hat Creek Burgers for lunch every day. Sounds like empty campaign promises if you ask me! (-:

Happy Veterans Day!

Halloween Fun

2011-11-01T13:05:00.006-05:00

Halloween is always a fun and eventful holiday when you have kiddos around. The boys have been reading the Harry Potter books over the past year, so there was little doubt as to who they would be for Halloween this year (Harry & Ron). We did get some black and red temporary hair spray, but just before we were going to apply it noticed that it said do not put on light blonde hair. We decided not to risk it, but they still make great little Gryffindor wizards!

My nieces came over to our neighborhood Halloween party, and here are the boys with Avery and Madison.

Having fun with neighbors.

Setting out in search of candy (almost as good as visiting Honeydukes, for you HP fans!)

Let the the indulgence begin! We were actually 'Boo-ed' by Hunter's best friend and he left the boys a goodie bag with candy, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. A cute idea!

Chris and the boys carved these pumpkins, a haunted house and scary face.

We went to a friends' Halloween party over the weekend as well, so Chris and I got to dress up. We were a doctor and bloody patient. It's been a fun, festive holiday.

Hope you all had a spooky Halloween!

Stanford Part II

2011-10-14T20:02:00.007-05:00

In addition to hanging out on campus, we also enjoyed showing the boys around our old hood and hang out spots. This was our house on Newcastle Dr. We loved this place and have lots of fond memories there.

Hidden Villa was one of our favorite hiking spots. We spent a fun morning taking in its beautiful vistas...
...and searching for these slimy things along the way. Banana slugs can only be found in the Pacific Northwest, and they are actually the mascot for UC Santa Cruz. We saw 40+ of these guys along our hike!
Chris had to pay his last respects to Steve Jobs at the Apple Store in Palo Alto. He truly was a great innovator and icon and he has brought so many amazing Apple products to people worldwide.
The boys wrote their own post it notes thanking him for all of the Disney Pixar movies! (-:
Loved this cartoon....Steve Jobs at the Gates of Heaving saying 'I have an APP for that!" while an Angel thumbs through the huge Book of Life.
And no trip to Palo Alto is complete without dining at our favorite pizza joint, Pizza Chicago. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
We did venture a bit farther from Palo Alto and spent a day in San Francisco. It was hazy and misty, quite common for the city, but we made the most of it. Here are the boys taking a stroll down Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the world.

We walked around Pier 39, ate lunch, and visited the sea lions there.

From there, we boarded a ferry and took a cruise to Alcatraz.

Alcatraz Island

The tour of the jail was pretty cool. The prison closed in 1963, but it still seems cold, dank, and creepy in there.

We threatened to leave them in jail if they didn't behave!

Afterwards, we drove through China Town and across the Golden Gate bridge, but it was too misty to get any photos. All in all, it was a great day and a good introduction to San Francisco for the boys.

Stanford Part I

2011-10-12T20:20:00.009-05:00

Our family took advantage of a long weekend for the Columbus Day holiday to go visit our alma mater, Stanford. We've been wanting to take the boys back there for some time now. They were only 2 and 4 when we moved, so they don't really have any memories of us living there.

We have been excited about this trip for so long. Stanford is such a special place for Chris and I. It's where we met, where we studied hard, and where we had tons of fun. Where we 'grew up', where we made our best friends, and where we were shaped into the people that we are today. It was so special to take the boys back for a visit to campus.

As many times as we've been there, the beauty of the campus still takes our breath away. This is the Oval leading up to the front of the campus.

Outside the Quad

Clowning around...

In front of Memorial Church

One of the main reasons for our trip was to take the boys to a Stanford football game. They are way into football these days and were thrilled to attend the game. Here they are pre game, watching the band and the famous Stanford Tree pass by.
Chris and I were fired up to see this guy, Andrew Luck, our super stud QB. Runner up for the Heisman last year, he's the top prospect for the NFL draft and has led the team so far to the longest current win streak in college football (14 in a row and counting) and a national ranking of #5. Stanford isn't exactly known for its football prowess as you can imagine, so this is very exciting for the Stanford community!

It was fun to see them rout Colorado 48-7!

Go Cardinal!

I found this photo of our last Stanford game 5 years ago. (-:

We also took the boys to a soccer game against Cal Berkeley, our big rivals. The boys are big soccer fans and were in awe of the players. It was a double over time game that ended in a tie 1-1...lots of fun!
We had such an awesome time hanging around campus and reliving old memories. More fun from the Bay Area to come...

Family Pictures 2011

2011-10-05T18:47:00.004-05:00

We had our family pictures taken last weekend with our good friend Tanya at Cozy Impressions Photography. She always does a fantastic job! Here are a few of our favorites:

Still Here

2011-09-17T18:26:00.002-05:00

We're still here! With the start of school, our life has been pretty routine and there hasn't been much exciting to report on. Early mornings, long school days, homework, after school activities, and weekend soccer games are what keep us busy these days.

So, for lack of any other pictures to post, here is our last swim of the season today. It was pretty cool, but these die hard swimmers braved the water one last time.

Taking the plunge

Pushing Dad in the pool

Back to School

2011-08-31T14:06:00.006-05:00

School started back up last week and we have been busy trying to readjust our clocks and get back on a schedule. While we were sad to see summer come to a close, the boys were very excited about the start of school. 1st and 3rd graders...wow!

Carson is off to a great start in 1st grade. His teacher is Mrs. Iles and he seems to have a sweet class. Carson was really excited about having his very own desk this year and his own box of school supplies. With a year of elementary under his belt, there were no surprises this year and he fit right back into the school routine nicely. He's looking forward to all of the new challenges that first grade has in store for him.
Hunter is an upperclassman this year in elementary (gulp)! He has Ms. Lee for a teacher (she moved up with them from second grade last year) and his best bud Griffin is in his class, so it's going to be a really great year for him. He brought home a questionnaire about himself the first week, and here are a few of his answers:

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite food: Grilled Cheese

One person you'd like to meet: Lebron James

Favorite books: Harry Potter 1-7

What do you do in the afternoons after school: Play with stuffed animals

If you could go anyplace in the world, where would you go? Hawaii because I like the beach

If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for? All the legos ever made, 100 more stuffed animals, more school

If I could change one thing about school it would be: to stay longer in school

If I could call the president I would say: make kids do more school (not likely to win him a popularity contest with his peers!)

If I were teacher I would: make the kids do alot of math (again, better keep that one under wraps)

If I could be any person in the world I would be: Barack Obama

If I could make a wish for the world it would be: I would make there be no more big wars

What would you like to do when you grow up: Play basketball

Here's hoping for an awesome 1st and 3rd grade year!

The Greatest Show on Earth

2011-08-20T14:57:00.011-05:00

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was in town this week so we thought it would be a fun evening out to wrap up our last week of summer. The boys had never been to the circus, and it was a wonderfully magical night for them. They were literally glued to the edge of their seats the entire night.

A college friend of mine is touring with the circus as the flying trapeze catcher. A bit random for an Econ major from Stanford, but wow, how cool!

Who doesn't have a soft spot in their heart for these guys!?!

And this guy is just plain crazy...in a cage with 7 tigers!

7, yes 7, motorcycles circled around the INSIDE of this tiny ball of iron (or the Death Star as the boys call it). It was pretty cool!

And the trampoliners were awesome...looked like so much fun jumping around on those.

Nothing screams circus like cotton candy...

or a sno cone in a Dumbo cup!

Hunter's favorite things at the circus were the trampoliners, trapeze and tight rope walkers, motorcycles, and acrobatic pirates. Carson's picks were the elephants, motorcycles, pirates, and trampoliners.

I'm not sure who enjoyed it more...Mom and Dad or the boys. It was a really fun night out and we're sure glad we had the opportunity to experience the greatest show on earth.

The Beach

2011-08-17T16:50:00.008-05:00

Besides the day spent at Legoland, we devoted most of our time this year to hanging out at the beach. Hunter and Carson could stay there for the better part of a day building sand castles, jumping waves, collecting shells, and splashing in the water.

Beach Bums

The boys can boogie board by themselves now and they had the best time riding waves together and racing on their boards.

Smash ball was a huge hit as well.

Rockin' the surf board...

Both boys got up for the first time this year, much to Dad's elation! He's been eager to surf with them for years, and it was a good sign of things to come.

Carson

Hunter

and Mom!

We played lots of games out on the grass and enjoyed the nice, cool ocean breeze.

The annual Thu boys' football game.

Now we're back home, rested, and ready to brave the school year.

It was another great end to a great summer!

Legoland

2011-08-15T20:19:00.009-05:00

We are back from our annual summer getaway to Southern California! First up, Legoland...

This was our third time visiting the park, and it hasn't lost any of its luster for the boys. Legoland was the part of the trip they were most looking forward to.

Enjoying the rides

With Nonna & Papa on a roller coaster

Hunter & Dad on a crazy ride

A family challenge race

Our favorite part of the day was seeing the display of Washington DC in Miniland USA. Since we had just visited there, the boys were able to identify all of the monuments and they thought it was so cool. This is in front of the 'lego' Capitol...

Behind them are the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials

(complete with lego paddle boats in the Tidal Basin)

To get an idea of the detail they have in their displays, here are lego people in front of the Vietnam Memorial Wall, holding flowers and touching the wall.

This year there was a new addition...six large battle scenes from the different Star Wars movies. Of course this was a huge hit and they spent lots of time looking them over.

The Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco are behind us to the left, and New York to the right.

Mount Rushmore made out of Legos

If you have lego fanatics like we do and are ever in the So Cal area, a stop at Legoland is a must! It's a wonderful place to visit for both kids and adults alike! More adventures coming up...

Outta Here

2011-08-04T21:46:00.009-05:00

Leaving this...

Highs

Fri 107

Sat 105

Sun 105

Mon 105

Tues 106

Wed 105

Thur 104

Fri 103

Heading to this...

Highs

Fri 72

Sat 73

Sun 72

Mon 73

Tues 72

Wed 71

Thur 71

Fri 71

Hallelujah!

Summer Days

2011-07-31T20:38:00.015-05:00

As the days of summer dwindle away, I have been reflecting on how much fun we have had with the boys this summer. Now that they are both in full time school, it makes us enjoy the lazy summer days that much more. I love having them around all day, listening to them play with each other, and taking them to do fun activities. I'm definitely lamenting the fact that we are on our last 3 weeks of summer. Yikes....where did it go? Looking back, here are a few things we have done...

Today was our 47th day this year over 100 degrees (yes, it's been miserable here)! All outdoor activities pretty much involve water. We've had lots of friends over to swim which is always fun for the boys.

We have worked on some 300 piece puzzles over the summer. I forgot how fun and addicting puzzles can be, and we loved doing it together as a family.

We have a great library near our house that offers all sorts of weekly summer classes and programs. Here the boys are enjoying a Lego Robotics class.

They also participated in the summer Chess Club that meets on Monday afternoons. They have had some fierce battles with these two sisters!

They did a Vacation Bible School one week...had to include this picture of Hunter on crazy hair day. It was a thrill for me to actually put pigtails in one of my children's hair. (-:

Enjoying a picnic with neighbors on our front lawn.

Visiting Hop N House to bounce and play.

They competed in a Tuesday evening basketball league over the summer. Here's Carson taking a shot.

Hunter is doing an all day basketball camp this coming week and is really looking forward to it.
While the days have gone fast, we've filled them up with lots of fun activities and have loved our family time together. We definitely plan on making the most of our last 3 weeks of summer days!

Swim Team 2011

2011-07-19T21:10:00.007-05:00

Over the weekend we wrapped up another year of summer swim team. The further we get into swimming, the more I realize how great of a sport it is for kids. It's phenomenal exercise, a great life skill, and a fun opportunity to compete. They have always participated in team sports, so it was cool to see their competitive side in individual competition.

Last year Carson refused to do swim team and this year he reluctantly agreed to do it with LOTS of prodding and bribery. And what do you know...he became an incredible swimmer over the course of the season and racked up tons of blue ribbons and heat winner ribbons.

Ready, set...

Go!

Carson won every race he entered in freestyle and butterfly!

Butterfly - He broke the league record in fly for the Lake Travis Swim League and now he is the reigning record holder for the 6 and under age group! We are so proud of how hard he worked and the effort he put into swimming in his first season.

Hunter was a veteran this year, as it was his 3rd time to do swim team. He loves swimming and happily went to practice every morning for the past 2 months. He competed in the 7-8 yr old age group.

Sizing up the competition

Breaststroke is Hunter's favorite. He won the blue ribbon at every meet and was chosen to swim breaststroke on his team's medley relay.

Backstroke

The season concluded this past weekend with the Championship Medal Meet, and the boys racked up lots of bling. It was a fun season and we couldn't be prouder of their efforts.

Family Vacation

2011-07-11T20:44:00.005-05:00

Each summer we get together with my Dad's side of the family for a reunion, so this past weekend we headed to Possum Kingdom Lake for a few days of fun. Four generations of our family were there and it was a great time spent together.

Nothing says summer like eating watermelon while rocking on the porch....

...Or a lazy morning spent fishing

...or a mid day water balloon fight

...or a pickup game of money ball

...or candid moments between brothers.

With Pop Pop there is never a dull moment.

Pop Pop and Grandma Sue with the grandkids

My nieces

My sister and Dad

We are thankful for a great family and good times spent together!

Washington DC - Part II

2011-07-03T20:09:00.016-05:00

On to more fun in DC...

One day we had a scheduled tour of the Capitol. It really is an impressive building and was cool to see up close.

Inside the dome of the Capitol. After the tour, we checked out the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court, both of which are just across from the Capitol.

One of our favorite parts of the trip was visiting the Smithsonian Museums. They really are amazing. The boys were very excited about the Air and Space Museum. There were lots of cool planes and rocket ships to see up close.

The first Apollo shuttle to land on the moon

We toured the Museum of Natural History, which is another great one for kids. There was everything from fossils and dinosaurs to oceans and sea life to rocks and the Hope Diamond.

Carson with a giant grasshopper on his arm

The American History Museum is a must see. Chris and I LOVED it, and there was lots for the boys to see as well (like C3PO's original costume in all 6 star wars). They have artifacts such as the Star Spangled Banner, George Washington's trunk, Abe Lincoln's hat, the student sit in counter at Greensboro, Julia Child's kitchen, Dorothy's shoes, all of the 1st ladies' inauguration dresses, the 1st light bulb, the 1st desktop computer, many Civil War artifacts, and the list goes on and on.
We did a tour at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the boys got to see how money is made. Here they are standing by $1 million dollars.

Chris has a cousin who is the director of the National Aquarium, and he got us a back stage tour of the aquarium. Hunter is petting a sea turtle and Carson is checking out a sea star.

Lastly, we visited the Archives Building where we saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It was pretty moving to see them in person. It was my first visit to Washington, and I really went away from it with a newfound appreciation of the greatness of our county and its history. We have so many freedoms today that are easy to take for granted, and it was very grounding to get a refresher course in how our nation came to secure those freedoms. We all left very prideful to live in such a great nation.

As much as we loved touring the monuments and museums, the highlight of our trip was getting to meet and spend time with our new 6 week old niece, Stella. It was great hanging out with Eric and Georgia and doting on their sweet new baby girl.

Washington DC - Part 1

2011-07-01T21:23:00.011-05:00

We just returned from a fantastic trip to our nation's capital! Chris's brother and wife have lived there for several years and we have always wanted to go visit them. We were finally able to make it happen this summer.

For Part 1 of the post, I'll list all of the monuments that we got to visit. Their house is less than a mile from the National Mall, so we were able to walk to everything. We must have covered 4 or 5 miles a day, and the boys were such troopers. They were as excited as Chris and I to learn about the monuments and sightsee around the city.

Taking in a view of the White House (we didn't plan it, but we look very patriotic in our red, white, and blue!)

In front of the Lincoln Memorial

The Washington Monument

WWII Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial

The Vietnam Memorial

The FDR Memorial

We took the metro to Arlington National Cemetery and spent some time wondering around the grounds. The kids really got a sense of how many great men and women have sacrificed their lives so that we can enjoy the many freedoms that we are accustomed to today. It was very moving for all of us.
We visited the Tomb of the Unknowns and got to see the changing of the guard. It was really cool. This tomb is guarded 24/7, 365 days per year, and has been since 1937.
One of our favorite parts of the trip was being able to share some of our great nation's history with the kids as we visited the monuments. From walking around, they learned some fun facts such as...George Washington was our first president...Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration of independence and that is what we celebrate on July 4...Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president and he helped free the slaves...our country has fought many wars to give us the liberties we have today. Basic stuff, but a great start to understanding our country's past. One day they'll study it in school and hopefully will be able to remember what they saw and learned on our trip.

More to come...

The Look of Summer

2011-06-22T18:35:00.008-05:00

All of these were taken along a casual stroll of the house today...

Not exactly the tidy, clean, organized look that my Type A personality yearns for.

The culprits...

But I must say this...I wouldn't have it any other way. It means that it's summer, the boys are home, and life is good. There will be plenty of years in my future to have that tidy, well kept home.

New Look

2011-06-21T13:18:00.006-05:00

The dust has finally settled on our bathroom makeovers and we are enjoying our new look. We are the first to admit that we are complete novices when it comes to decorating, so having to choose everything from floor/bath tile, to granite, to light fixtures and faucets was a big stress/headache. But once all is said and done, we are happy with our choices and how it turned out. And most of all, glad it is over!

Hunter's vanity before

After

Carson's vanity before

After

Boys shower before

After

Guest vanity before

After

And for the grand finale, the guest bath before

Remember these fellas

After! We took out the tub all together and framed it out for a walk in shower. Ah, much better.

Dare I say kitchen remodel is next on our list?!?

Why I Love These Boys

2011-06-11T19:26:00.005-05:00

Because I can root like crazy while they both win blue ribbons at the morning swim meet...

...and then I can catch them later in the afternoon playing a quiet game of chess together.

Life is good!

Beating the Heat

2011-06-09T16:33:00.017-05:00

Our first week of summer was fun and we had one mission to get through it: beat the heat. Chris's parents were in town and we wanted to show them a good time, so we decided on some fun water activities to get us through the blistering hot days.

We picnicked and enjoyed a lazy afternoon at Hamilton Pool, a swimming hole outside of town. It was formed when the dome of an underground river collapsed thousands of years ago. It is beautiful and a perfect place to cool off. I highly recommend a trip if you haven't had a chance to check it out.

Nonna & Papa

Dad and the boys braving the freezing water

Another place to beat the heat is Schlitterbahn, the hottest coolest place in Texas! It's one of our favorite outings each summer, and we always have a great time there.
Nonna and Papa get 'The Coolest Grandparent Award' for trekking around a water park with us for 8 hours!

What are some ways you plan to beat the heat this summer? We'd love suggestions on ways to fill up our hot summer days!

French Open - Stuffed Animal Style

2011-06-05T20:40:00.004-05:00

After watching Nadal and Federer in the finals today, the boys recreated their own version of French Open tennis...

Wrapping Up The School Year

2011-05-27T20:53:00.010-05:00

Today was the last day of school for the boys. I always get nostalgic at the end of every school year...thinking back about how much the boys' learned in their classes, saying goodbye to friends and teachers, knowing that they will never be in that grade again and fretting that they are one year older. The elementary school years are so, so sweet and they are going by way, way too fast.

Both boys absolutely LOVE school. Hunter came downstairs this morning and climbed into bed with me and I noticed he was crying. They have both been saying for weeks that they do not want the last day of school to come. He was OK throughout the day until he got off the bus, and then he broke down again. Carson welled up too seeing him so emotional about school ending. It was so sweet and heartfelt. I love that they enjoy school so much and am so proud of their desire to learn. Hunter actually asked me if I could homeschool him over the summer. I have promised them they can do the reading challenge at the library this summer and we can get some math and reading workbooks at the teacher supply store, so that seemed to pacify them for now.

Hunter with his 2nd grade teacher Ms. King

Here is Carson with his kindergarten teacher Ms. Plevich. Both boys had her in kinder and she was a fantastic teacher. Leaving kindergarten makes me really sad. It is such a special and memorable year.

In lieu of a kindergarten graduation, Ms. Plevich has each of the children do a science presentation in front of the parents on a topic that they have studied during year. Carson chose the heart and did a great job researching it, presenting it, and making a game to go along with the presentation.

On another note, the kids have created a 'club' all around our front yard with our neighbor Meghan. They play school and one of the rooms is the reading room. They have been working on making books for the past 3 weeks to go into their reading room. They worked every day after school to write and illustrate 16 2-page books to put in their library.

A few examples of their books....

Wrapping up the year with an end of school party at the lake...

It was a busy, emotional, and fun filled day for the boys. Late afternoon I was calling for Carson all around the house and couldn't find him. Just before I really went into panic mode, I found him tucked inside the covers of his bed taking a nap. He had worn himself out and put himself down for a nap without telling anyone.

Spring Academy Soccer

2011-05-20T11:00:00.006-05:00

Hunter wrapped up Academy Soccer last week after a fantastic spring season. We really enjoyed watching him grow as an athlete and soccer player over the past year. Gone are the days of every single kid on the field chasing the ball around anywhere it goes, with a few off to the side daydreaming. These guys can now skillfully hold their positions, pass, power kick, punt, head and chest the ball, and work as a team unit. They play 7 fielders and a goalie on a full sized field. Hunter's favorite position is center mid, as he enjoys both offense and defense and being able to stay in the center of the action. His team capped off the season by competing in their first soccer tournament and it was a great experience for all of them.

Team Forlan (named after Diego Forlan, a famous professional soccer player)

Up next for the boys...swim team.

Little Slugger

2011-05-17T15:56:00.007-05:00

Carson just wrapped up his first season of coach pitch baseball playing for the Angels. This kid LOVES baseball and touts it as his favorite sport, and it is really fun to watch him compete. He is a great fielder and hitter, and he wrapped up the season with a pair of home runs in his last two games! He was really sad to see the season come to an end. We anticipate many more baseball games in this kids' future though.

Our Angel

Ever ready in the field...

Playing first base

At bat...

Team Angels

School Fun

2011-05-13T20:04:00.007-05:00

What's loud, crazy, and wet all over? MAY MADNESS

The awesomest day of the elementary school year!

30 stations, 6 minutes each, loud music, relays, obstacles, slip n' slides, dunking booths, and lots and lots of wet and wild fun with friends.

Carson loved his much anticipated first experience with May Madness.

And the third time for Hunter was just as exciting as his first.

It's hard to believe we only have 10 days of school left until summer!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:44:00.006-05:00

Lovin' life with my two favorite boys...

They brought me breakfast in bed this morning and made me lots of special cards and artwork at school. Here's what they had to say about me in their cards:

CARSON

My mom's name is: Joolee

She is __ yrs old: 35

She weighs __lbs: 33

She likes to: do stuf on the cmpooders (computers)

Her favorite food is: codij chees (cottage cheese)

If she had $100 she would buy: a rilee rilee rilee frajl theeng (really fragile thing)

I know she loves me when she: hugs me

HUNTER

10 reasons I love Mom...

10. She reads me Harry Potter

9. She helps me do my homework

8. She makes me laugh by doing funny stuff

7. She taught me how to ride my bike.

6. I love when she sings 'we need two girls'

5. She finds time to do fun stuff.

4. She knows to take care of me.

3. She is smart and helps me do my homework.

2. She works so hard at chores.

1. She's the best mom ever.

M agnificent

O oustanding

T errific

H ot

E xcellent

R ocks (by Hunter)

Sweet sentiments from my sweet boys. I've worn many hats in my lifetime, but there is nothing more wonderful, fulfilling, and special than being mom.

More Updates

2011-05-05T21:40:00.012-05:00

After getting the front of our home updated to the style we liked, it was then time to tackle our side yard. This area has been a problem every since we moved in. We planted grass initially, but it quickly died. There is a huge oak tree that covers this whole area preventing it from literally getting any sun at all. While our mud pit was low maintenance, it wasn't really the look we were wanting.

We decided to make a walkway and turn the rest into a bed with asian jasmine. The jasmine is a ground cover and it will eventually fill in all of the area in the bed and line the sidewalk.

Mud Pit

New Look

We also made a little seating area as well to sit under the tree, enjoy the shade, and watch the kids in the pool.

Now onto the next big thing...our two upstairs bathrooms are both completely gutted right now. Yikes! It's been kind of a pain, but I know it will be worth it when we're done.

There were many issues with these bathrooms, but I'll give you a small sneak peak as to why these needed to be gutted. Let me introduce you to the decorative tile that adorned the guest room bath. Seriously, could this have ever really been in style!?!

DISCLAIMER--we did not choose or endorse this (it was inherited with the house), and we sincerely apologize to our guests who had to shower while looking at this band of playful little boys. (-: I promise it will be much better the next time you come to shower at our home. Pictures soon to follow...hopefully sooner rather than later because we are already getting tired of our upstairs construction zone!

San Antonio

2011-04-26T14:17:00.007-05:00

Last Friday Chris and the boys had the day off work and school, so we loaded up the car and headed to San Antonio to spend the night. Since moving back to Austin, we had always wanted to sneak away for a quick trip there, and we were finally able to make it happen.

Our first stop was the zoo. San Antonio has a great one and we spent the morning and early afternoon checking out all of the animals. It had been a while since the boys have been to a zoo, and they loved it.

The most entertaining by far were the gibbon apes, known as the acrobats of the jungle. We happened to catch them at a very active time and it was really amazing to see how they could swing from rope to rope all the way across their huge enclosure.

After the zoo it was off to the hotel to cool down in the pool.

And then on to the Riverwalk for dinner. We had a great time walking along the banks and eating outside at a mexican food restaurant.

After dinner we took the Rio San Antonio barge cruise around the Riverwalk and learned some of the history of the city.

We ended the evening with a stop at the Alamo for pictures.

Saturday morning we went to Lulu's Bakery and Cafe for breakfast. We had heard about their 3 1/2 lb cinnamon rolls that were featured on the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food, so of course we had to get one. Let me tell you, these things were enormous!

We put up a valiant effort, but in the end food definitely won!

We had a great time in San Antonio and it was fun to spend quality family time together.

Happy Easter...

2011-04-24T15:06:00.003-05:00

...from our clan to yours.

Luke 24:1-12

(1) But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. (2) And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, (3) but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (4) While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. (5) And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? (6) He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, (7) that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (8) And they remembered his words, (9) and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. (10) Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, (11) but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. (12) But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

2nd Grade Musical

2011-04-19T20:29:00.005-05:00

The second grade kids at Hunter's school put on a big musical last week titled 'Bebop With Aesop'. They have worked really hard on it over the past month and it was a great production. The kids acted out various skits that had to do with Aesop's fables, such as the tortoise and the hare, the boy who cried wolf, and the milkmaids who spilled their milk.

Hunter got a speaking part in one of the skits. He was Antonio the ant. The ants were busy getting ready for a long, cold winter while the grasshopper was playing away and not preparing himself. Hunter's at the mic, and that's Aesop off to the right (aka his good buddy Keeton!)

The ants were packing suitcases for the winter. Hunter did a great job with his lines and we were so proud of him.

Singing in the chorus...

Antonio the Ant

It was such a cute musical! On another note, the second graders also took a field trip to Sea World in San Antonio today. They had just finished up a unit on beaches and the sea, and the field trip was a great hands on learning experience for them. It's been a busy week in 2nd grade.

Curb Appeal

2011-04-13T16:38:00.007-05:00

We have lived in our house almost 4 years now. We love our home, but we have always wanted to change it up a bit to improve its curb appeal. We finally decided to do something about it this spring.

I love before and after pictures, so I thought I'd share ours. Take a good look at the green shutters, unsightly green trim, and redwood color of the front stoop (not to mention the accent colors around the dormer windows). Way too much going on...

All toned down now....bye bye cottage look! We are excited about a more contemporary look and are happy with how it turned out. We will definitely not miss the green!
Another huge eye sore was the yard off to the side of the front walk. There was once grass there (we think!) but the neighborhood kids quickly trampled it all away. Two huge oak trees prevent it from getting much sun, so grass was probably never going to make it there.
Our new look...a nice bed with stepping stones and plants that will survive in the shade.

Out with the old...

And in with the new.

Next up we are planning on doing some updates inside the house, so I'll post those before and after ones as well.

READY...

2011-04-11T20:53:00.003-05:00

SET...

SWIM!!!!

As of today, the pool is officially open!

Spring Carnival

2011-04-09T20:15:00.004-05:00

We had our school spring carnival, the Bobcat Fest, today. The boys look so forward to this every April. What's not to love....rides, games, friends, tickets, music, snow cones, prizes, cake walks, face painting, and much more. I tried to snap a picture here and there as the kids sprinted from booth to booth.

Hunter on a ride with his friends (elementary school carnivals have come along way...there sure weren't any rides like this at mine growing up!)

Carson on the rock climbing wall

Hunter scaling it up to the top

Basketball...always one of their favorites.

Strong Man

Bean bag toss

The carnival is always a right of passage into spring, and we are looking forward to a great one!

Heli Skiing

2011-03-25T21:25:00.007-05:00

Just before spring break, Chris set off with a good college friend to Nelson, British Columbia for a heli skiing trip. He's been wanting to do this for a long time, and was finally able to make it happen this year.

Can you imagine riding to the top of an unchartered mountain in this...

and getting off to find that you are skiing down in this?

To get an idea of the amount of powder at the top, this is his guide without skis on.

And the icing on the cake...skiing down every single run making fresh tracks in the snow.

Chris and Yves had a fantastic time! Of course he pitched it as a once in a lifetime experience, and now he's already planning a return trip for next year. But from the photos and what he's told me about it, I can't say that I blame him. (-:

Enjoying Spring Break

2011-03-19T20:33:00.006-05:00

Our goal for spring break was to be outside as much as possible and enjoy the great Austin weather. Mission accomplished! We had a wonderful spring break taking in the outdoors and enjoying some of the fun things Austin has to offer.

We went to 3 of our favorite parks this week. Taking them to parks is one of the things I miss most from their toddler days. With school and activities, there are never enough hours in the day.

They were also outside for hours every afternoon playing with the neighbors. Within the 4 houses surrounding ours, there are 3 kindergarteners, 1 first grader, 4 second graders, and 1 third grader. They spent hours making forts, playing guns, shooting baskets, and running around.

Taking a family hike

We enjoyed eating outside at some of Austin's wonderful trailer park eateries, including an indulgent trip to Gourdough's Gourmet Donuts (good thing we did that hike).

We ventured downtown to Book People to catch the national touring production of Jack and Annie from the Magic Tree House book series. The boys LOVE these books and were so excited to see Jack and Annie perform in person.

They signed a Magic Tree House book for us and posed for a picture.

It wasn't all fun and games for mom and dad. We spent countless hours raking leaves and pulling weeds in an attempt to get the yard back in shape. But we did accomplish the goal of productive time spent outside. It's back to school and our regular routine next week, but we are so thankful for a great week off.

Kite Day

2011-03-12T15:08:00.007-06:00

There couldn't be a better way to usher in spring than by flying kites. The boys had 'Kite Day' at school yesterday. It always occurs the day before spring break begins, and the kids get to bring a kite to school and fly it during their PE time. We had a beautiful, windy day to help things along. Chris and I were able to come and see the boys in action...

We are excited to be on spring break now. No big plans...just hanging around Austin and looking forward to not having a schedule. We plan to spend lots of time outside and enjoy the great spring weather.

Copper 2011

2011-02-28T21:04:00.009-06:00

We took an early spring break last week and headed up to Copper Mountain, CO for a family ski trip. This is our 7th straight year to ski Copper and we just love it. It's a huge mountain with any kind of terrain that you could want to ski.

This was our best year yet. The boys have really taken to skiing and are both doing great. They skied all 6 days and loved every minute of it!

Hunter has really become quite the skier. He has the parallel turns down perfectly now and loves to be adventurous on the mountain. This year he skied his first black run with us! He also loves moguls and skiing in the trees (much to mom's angst!).
Carson really caught on this year and became a solid blue run skier. He has learned fast in an effort to keep up with older brother and the rest of us. He was finally able to stay out on the mountain with us for the whole day and it was nice to be able to ski all together as a family.

Chris's folks have come with us every year to Copper. We always enjoy our time spent with them in the mountains.

We came across a run this year called Julie's Vision!

Messing around in the snow...

It was a great trip as always and we're thankful to all be back in one piece!

School Days

2011-02-17T13:41:00.004-06:00

The school days are ticking by ever so fast this year. Both boys absolutely love school and are excited to go every day. Here's a few things they've been up to:

Hunter - 2nd Grade

Carson - Kindergarten

We recently had Science Day at the school. It is an entire day devoted to exploring the joys of science and learning. The kids are allowed to choose their own classes and they rotate around throughout the day.

Hunter chose volcanoes...

Lego Robotics (programming legos robots using a computer)...

...and 'No Bones About It' (all about the role of bones in the human body). I volunteered in this class and spent the morning putting casts on kids (a big hit for them). Here I am putting on Hunter's cast.

Carson chose Bubble-ology, Catapults, and Laser Lights.

Enjoying his first science day.

Carson at his Valentine's party this week.

Hunter just finished up his first big school project. They had to research a shallow water or sandy beach creature. He chose jellyfish and worked really hard reading books about it and searching on the internet. He typed out his own 1-page report about them. He also had to make a shoebox diorama to go along with his research. We were proud of all of his hard work.

That's all for now...hard to believe spring break is right around the corner!

Heart Day

2011-02-15T14:37:00.005-06:00

Enjoying a Valentine's Day picnic with the loves of my life...

And soaking in the fabulous 77 degree weather!

Snowmass

2011-02-06T15:56:00.008-06:00

Chris and I spent the past week in Colorado enjoying our annual trek to the mountains. It's one of the things we look forward to the most each winter. The beauty of Colorado is unparalleled and we had a really great week soaking it all in together.

The cold front that swept the nation last week brought BITTERLY cold weather to the mountains. One day when we set out for the slopes it was -10, and it only warmed up to 2 for the high! It was the coldest weather that we have ever skied in (and everyone knows how much I 'love' cold weather). But, when you're there, you gotta ski. So here's my survival guide for skiing in sub zero temps, in case anyone is crazy enough to try it:

GEAR FOR THE DAY

A minimum of 3 pairs of long underwear piled over each other (I would have worn more pairs if I had them)

2 North Face fleeces

Ski Jacket

Ski Pants

2 Gators

Hand Warmers

Foot Warmers

Goggles & helmet

STRATEGY

Ski a maximum of 4 runs and make a stop for hot chocolate just before frost bite sets in to your fingers and toes.

After warming up, come out for 3-4 more runs and go back inside for lunch. Make the lunch last really long and procrastinate going back outside as long as you can.

Come out for 2-3 more runs and then stop for hot cider.

Ski home and get directly into the hot tub.

FUEL

Hot oatmeal for breakfast.

French fries are a must (every day for lunch).

Lots of chili and hot soups.

Hot chocolate and hot cider (anyone seeing a theme here?)

Despite the freezing weather, we still had a great time and were out on the slopes every day. And the good news is that I saw you can burn 400 calories an hour just by shivering. Maybe that will take care of all the french fries I ate.

Our favorite late afternoon activity after a day on the slopes...

Our Colorado pals, Jen and Todd, met us for part of the week and we had a great time skiing with them. Here we are out at dinner one night in Aspen.
While we were away, we missed all the excitement of the big snow storm in Austin. Chris's folks stayed with the boys for the week and got some photos for us. Here they are in our front yard.

Hunter 'snowboarding' down the hill

Carson sledding

And Leia not quite sure what to think.

Luke

2011-01-27T13:01:00.014-06:00

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our beloved golden retriever, Luke. Two weeks ago he was diagnosed with cancer. We had started treatment and were so hopeful that he was going to get better and we'd have more time with him, but he got to the point where he couldn't eat anymore.

Letting go of Luke was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do. We got Luke right after we were married and he has been with us for our entire married life. He truly is woven into the fabric of our family history, and our hearts are aching with his loss.

Luke was the best companion we could have hoped for. He was so sweet and mild tempered, great with the kids, and extremely loyal to Chris and I. We couldn't have wished for a more wonderful dog, and he has blessed our lives immeasurably for the past 10 years.

Luke at 8 weeks

He and Dad always had a special bond.

Sweet Luke would just lay there and let the kids crawl all over him and love on him.

Fun times at the field

His last day

We were able to take him to the field yesterday on his last day. It was a beautiful and sunny day, and we were so thankful for one last good memory with Luke. He even looked like he was smiling out there.

Part of our hearts left with him, but we are comforted in knowing that he is not suffering anymore and that he is resting in peace.

Hoops

2011-01-23T18:28:00.005-06:00

The boys started basketball back in December and are enjoying playing this season. Hunter still says it is his favorite sport and can often be found shooting hoops either out in the cul de sac or on our little hoop inside. He has been playing with the same group of boys for 4 years and they have really melded into a great team. It is very exciting to watch them compete. Hunter has embraced the roll of point guard, as he is an exceptional ball handler.

Defending

Should we get this kid a haircut?

Carson is playing on a team with all first graders and is getting some great experience. He hasn't been intimidated at all and is definitely holding his own. Carson is very scrappy and will fight tooth and nail to get the ball from his opponent. Don't let that sweet smile fool you...this kid is a competitor!

Loving his form on this shot!

Defending

The season rolls on until mid February so we're looking forward to lots more action out on the basketball court.

The more things change...

2011-01-16T20:39:00.003-06:00

...the more they stay the same!

4 yrs ago

today

Mother Son Date Night

2011-01-09T13:42:00.009-06:00

Our church hosted a Mother Son Date Night at Main Event on Friday and I was lucky enough to have two of the most handsome dates around to take with me. It was such a blessing to have a special evening for me and the boys to spend quality time together. Dad always seems to be the 'fun' one, so it was my chance to shine and show them a great night!

After a pizza dinner with our friends from church, we laced up our bowling shoes and hit the lanes. We had lots of fun and laughs watching each other bowl.

Next it was on to video games. Their favorite one was this Star Wars Podracer game. They could definitely pass for a young Luke and Anakin Skywalker.

After games, we played a very cool round of glow golf. It took all of about 10 minutes to play 18 holes because the boys were so excited and practically running through each hole.
All in all, it was a fantastic night spent with my two favorite little guys. And hopefully I earned some points on the coolness scale to close the gap with dad! (-:

Holidays 2010

2011-01-01T21:56:00.008-06:00

Christmas day came with much anticipation and excitement, as always. The boys had been on their very best behavior all month hoping that Santa would not pass them up. They were so excited to come down that morning and see that Santa had indeed stopped at our house.

Checking out their stockings

The big hit from Santa this year was Harry Potter legos. We just finished reading the first Harry Potter book to the boys (and they LOVED it)!

One of my most favorite times of the year is the week after Christmas. With all of the business of the days leading up to Christmas behind us, we were able to enjoy spending quality time together as a family. We did the usual things (like sleeping in, wearing PJ's until noon, and watching movies), but we also ventured out for some fun activities. We spun underneath the Zilker Tree and then we saw the Christmas light show at Mozart's.
The Thus were in town for Christmas and the following week, so we had lots of great meals together (dining out one evening on Congress Ave).
We were blessed this holiday season by the birth of my sister's baby girl, Madison, the day after Christmas. I've enjoyed spending time with Claire and her newest addition.

A fun afternoon spent at Ski Shores eating lunch, playing, and roasting marshmallows with school friends...

Chris spent some time teaching Carson to ride his bike without training wheels...

...while I taught Hunter how to hit a serve from the baseline.

And finally, we toasted in the New Year with our Martinelli's cider and a quiet evening spent together at home. It was a great holiday week and a perfect end to 2010!

Many blessings to you and yours in the coming year.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2010-12-20T18:45:00.011-06:00

Even though the holidays can get busy and chaotic, they truly are the most wonderful time of the year. Seen through the eyes of a child, there is nothing better. Carson brought home this picture from school....My favorite time of the year is 'winter' because 'SANTU KOMS'.

We've been enjoying lots of the annual events that happen in December. A few weeks ago we went to a gingerbread house party with some school friends. Each family got to decorate their own to take home. The boys and I had a great time making and decorating the house, and of course eating the candy too.
The boys are still believing and get excited to see Santa each year. We had a few opportunities to say hi to Santa at different events and to tell him our wish list.

We usually head to Tyler the weekend before Christmas to celebrate the holidays with Pop Pop and Grandma Sue. It's always a good time! Pop Pop has been collecting leaves again since Thanksgiving for his monster pile. The kids enjoyed jumping off the picnic table into all of the leaves.

This year football in the yard was a big hit. I had to post a few of these sequences because they turned out really cute. Carson and Pop Pop took on Hunter and their cousin Colton.

I hope you all are enjoying this magical time of year and wish you the best over the holidays.

New York

2010-12-15T17:10:00.004-06:00

Chris and I returned yesterday from a fun holiday trip to New York. We had always wanted to go to the city during the holiday season, and this year we decided to make it happen. My mom kept the boys and we headed off to Manhattan for 4 nights.

The city was very festive and decked out in holiday decorations. This is the tree in Rockefeller Plaza. It was so beautiful lit up at night.

This was a fun fountain we passed. You could literally see cool Christmas decorations at every corner. I had the best time window shopping and looking at all of the fabulous store fronts on 5th Ave decorated for the holidays.

It is so much fun to be in a city where you can walk everywhere. We put lots of miles on our shoes over the trip and enjoyed exploring different areas of town.
One of our favorite things was ice skating in Central Park. We hadn't been ice skating since college. Luckily, we came out injury free!

We saw 3 shows while we were there...

Wicked - Fabulous (our favorite)

Lion King - Awesome props and costumes

Rock of Ages - Loved, loved, loved it! (had us dancing in the rows and we didn't want it to end)

We knocked out our Christmas shopping for the kids at FAO Schwarz. Good thing the boys weren't with us, or we would have never made it out of the store. It was pretty cool!
A highlight for me was going to Rockefeller Center to see the Today Show. We were able to see Matt, Ann, Al, and Natalie out on the Plaza as well as through the windows while they were doing interviews. Chris and I even got on TV when they panned across the crowd. We record it daily and were able to see us when we got back home. The boys got a kick out of it.
Chris's New York trip was complete with a trip to the Apple Store. It really is a cool place. The storefront is the glass cube seen behind Chris. You go inside the cube and down a glass elevator to the store.
It was a treat for us to have this time together in a fun city. We had a great trip and made lots of memories. Being gone for 4 nights hasn't helped relieve the stress of all the things we have to get done before the holidays, but I'm sure we'll manage...it was definitely worth it.

Holiday Traditions

2010-12-08T12:51:00.004-06:00

Hunter had his very first oral presentation this week. The assignment was to write about his favorite holiday tradition and to present it to the class. Hunter chose reading the Polar Express every year as his favorite tradition. He researched the tradition and wrote and typed the paragraph all by himself. We have the book on CD, so he played the CD for the class turning the pages of the book as it went along. Then he read his paragraph and led the class in making their own bell from Santa. I filmed him practicing the night before, so turn up your volume and listen to my little speed reader if you can understand him!

He was really excited about his presentation, and his teacher said that he did a fantastic job leading the class.

Turning 6!

2010-12-02T19:44:00.006-06:00

Today, our 'baby' turned 6. I'm sure I say this every birthday, but I can't believe how grown up he is. Especially since starting kindergarten this fall, he has matured in so many ways. We are not going to be sad though because every year seems to get better than the previous one. I'm sure in his 6th year we will have lots of great things to look forward to.

Happy Birthday, sweet Carson!

We celebrated his party on Tuesday after school at the gym with his classmates. Gym parties are the best...easy, fun, and the PE teachers do all the work! (-:

Singing Happy Birthday

8 and 6 (their birthdays are 6 days apart)!

Turning 8

2010-11-26T19:25:00.002-06:00

Can't believe our boy is 8 today!

We love you with all of our heart and are so proud of the little gentleman that you have become.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T21:44:00.003-06:00

Happenings

2010-11-21T17:37:00.005-06:00

We took the boys to the UT game this weekend against Florida Atlantic. Although it hasn't been the best year for Longhorn football, the boys don't care about win/loss records or bowl eligibility and they were just fired up to root on their favorite team.

All I have are my iphone photos, but I thought this picture turned out neat with the band streaming by right in front of them.
And this cheer leader came over and ruffled their hair. Had they been a bit older, they may have appreciated that! (-:

It was nice to see the Longhorns win 51-17 after a string of tough games.

On Sunday we headed to San Antonio to see my niece play in a soccer tournament. My brother and his family live in Lubbock and we don't get to see them too often, so it was a treat to watch her play. Allison (6th grader) is a soccer stud and is on a great select team. They won the tournament!
It was fun for the boys to play with their cousins too (Callaway, Cooper, Hunter, Peyton, and Carson).

That's about it for now...a busy but really fun weekend!

Hunter's 8th Birthday Party

2010-11-19T16:14:00.005-06:00

Hunter had his 8th birthday party yesterday after school at the gym. The awesome PE teachers put on a great party where they lead the kids in all of their favorite PE games. Hunter invited his classmates and was very excited to celebrate turning 8 with all of them.

The ceremonious dumping of the balls on the birthday child's head...

'Snookie', everyone's favorite game (it's basically like dodge ball)

Another game with the scooters called 'Medic'.

Singing happy birthday...

Getting ready for 'Rocket Attack' with some of his buddies...

VICTORY!

It was a really fun party for Hunter and all of the kids. I can't believe that he is about to turn 8 next week. He's growing up way too fast!

U8 Academy Soccer

2010-11-17T13:34:00.004-06:00

This fall Hunter participated in the U8 Westlake Youth Soccer Academy which competes in the citywide Lonestar Soccer League. This was a huge change from his past seasons of soccer. He went from playing 4 v 4 last year to playing with 7 players and a goalie. They had professional coaches and 2 practices/week. It was a big commitment, but we definitely saw great results.

The entire season was a big learning curve for the kids...figuring out positions and how to hold them, playing on a larger field, learning offsides and strategy, ball handling and teamwork. It is amazing how much the team progressed from day 1 (clueless!) to their last game this past weekend (World Cup ready!).

Hunter quickly settled into the positions of left forward and center mid, and his coach would rotate him between the two each half.

Hunter and his long lost twin brother...I had to do a double take to see which one was Hunter, but the arm brace gave it away!

He had a fun group of boys on his team with a great coach and we were sad to see the season come to an end. He'll definitely be back for more academy soccer!

Claire's Shower

2010-11-15T11:12:00.005-06:00

My sister Claire is having another baby girl and she is due on Dec. 25! Her two girls will be just 18 months apart, which will be crazy and lots of fun at the same time.

I threw her a shower on Saturday at Galaxy Cafe on West Lynn. I almost had a heart attack when a Groupon came out on Friday for the same restaurant. All I could think about was that all 5,000+ people who purchased the Groupon would show up at that same location right at 10:30am during the shower! But, my fears were an overreaction and we secured a great corner table just perfect for our group.

Some of the gang...

Claire with her sweet girl Avery....Madison is her soon to be sister.

My mom and sister

The shower went off without a hitch and we all had a yummy brunch and a good time visiting and watching Claire open her gifts. My Dad and Mary Sue came in for the shower, as well as to watch the boys play in their final soccer games of the season.
As always, Hunter and Carson had a great time hanging out with Pop Pop. He kept the boys for us Saturday during the shower and they loved playing with him all morning. Pop Pop is definitely still a big kid at heart!

Who Would Have Thought?

2010-11-08T19:35:00.003-06:00

With football season in full force (and living with 3 boys), there is no shortage of football mania around our house. In some ways, it's been a disappointing season. Everyone has all but given up on UT, and don't even get me started on the Cowboys.

But there is a REALLY BIG silver lining. Check out this week's BCS Standings. Yes folks, you read that right. Stanford, our alma mater, is ranked #6!!!! They are 8-1 (in a tough conference), with their only loss coming to #1 Oregon in a close game. I don't want to jinx them, but we have our eyes on the Rose Bowl. In a sport where Stanford rarely gets recognition on the national stage, it's been so great to see them cleaning house this season and to see their games nationally televised. So, here's to the Cardinal...keep up the good work!