Spa Day

Finally our girls spa day arrived!! Tanna, Laura and I all spent Saturday at the spa. We started with a massage and then moved to lunch and then our pedicures. It was nice to be able to just walk around in our robes all day and not really rush to be anywhere. We would come back to this living room type area in between each service and just talk and it was such a nice atmosphere. We always try to get together at a restaurant or someone's house and it was just nice for it to be quiet and secluded and have no kids or time schedule. I think we sat in those chairs just talking for over an hour on several occasions!! I think we all agree this will be an annual event for us, it was just what we all needed!!

MBR

My boyfriend rocks...




because he is great with the boys. It's one thing to be a great dad with your own kids, but to play and get involved with other kids is something completely different. He loves to play and be physical with the kids. He also takes the time to explain things that they encounter, which I think is important in teaching them about the world we live in. And he listens to their thoughts and actively participates in conversations with them. I am so lucky to have Chris in my life...and so are my boys!

Superpalooza

This weekend we had our annual youth retreat called Superpalooza. It's a weekend long retreat with scavenger hunts, service projects, lessons, and a lot of fun!! I love these kids like they were my own!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Birthday Fun

My birthday was so much fun this year!! As my birthday gift to myself I decided I wanted to go back and visit Lubbock. So the boys and I took off early Friday morning and headed to Abilene. Grandma had a huge birthday lunch with cake and ice cream and we stayed the night there. Then off to Lubbock on Saturday morning.


We had lunch with Rachel and Leann and their families. I love how we can all get together after 3 years and still talk like no time passed by at all. We all stayed with Rachel and Scott and their two girls. Troy and Teague loved playing with Reece and Rynn and they were so sweet to share their room and their toys.



It was Homecoming weekend so we wandered around campus and took some pictures and bought t-shirts and I got to show Chris why I love Lubbock and Tech so much.




On Sunday I went back to my old church and felt so blessed to still have a church family there even though I am so far away, and it made me miss Lubbock even more because of the friendships I still have there.


I got a ton of great things for my birthday; a necklace from Grandma, boots from mom and lotion from the boys. Chris had gotten me a purse a few weeks back that I fell in love with so I thought I had already received my gift from him but then he and Tanna surprised me with a spa day with the girls in a few weeks so I will be getting a massage, lunch with Tanna and Laura and then a manicure, but then on top of that he showed up with this huge Victoria's Secret bag. I didn't know whether to be happy because I am spoiled or mad because he did WAY too much for me!!

Inside the bag was this suit and top along with more workout clothes. Chris was so funny as I was going through all the things inside he would tell me why he chose it, either it went with my eyes or it looked comfortable or it was practical or it was my favorite color. I told you he was a GREAT gift giver!! This birthday was so special for so many reasons and I am glad I could share it with so many people I love.

Halloween

We had so many Halloween festivities this year!! Troy and I both got to dress up for school parties. Daniel came and participated in Pumpkin carving with Dads at school and Troy really enjoyed that, although he didn't help much. We also had a costume contest at church and then we all went trick or treating that evening. Troy and Teague both looked so cute in their costumes and this was the first year I really got into dressing up and had a lot of fun with it!!



Troy and his teacher Mrs. Katha




Thing 1 and a vampiress

My youth girls!!

Iron Man and a Pirate (Cade and Troy)

Smile

Over the last 6 months or so I have received a ton of compliments on my smile. It has been weird and it has been so often that it got me to thinking. My first thought was why now? Am I too old and nothing but my smile looks good anymore? Chris told me it was just men hitting on me, but I noticed woman made the same compliment. I wondered if it was because of Chris, but I have been in love before and my smile didn't seem to catch people's attention...so what is different about me now?

And then it hit me...

I am more of who God created me to be at this moment than ever before.

I have been in love. I have been happy. I have been content. I have been satisfied. I have been fulfilled. But never before have I been so in tune to God and His plans and how I fit into that as I am now. And what people are seeing isn't me, but Christ within me making me beautiful. Funny how just a smile can draw people in.

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch with Aby and McKinley last week and the kids had alot of fun running around and choosing their pumpkin to buy and pretending to ride the tractor. The weather is still very warm here and hardly feels like Fall or Halloween, but despite being in the 80's we had to go on our annual pumpkin patch outing.

MBR

My boyfriend rocks...

because he is a great gift giver. Chris is one of those people in which you don't want to tell him what you want as a gift for your birthday or Christmas because what he will come up with on his own will be better than what you could have asked for. He takes the time to listen and observe and he knows just what to get to make a gift more than just a gift. And it doesn't just go for me, he did great in picking out Troy's birthday gift too...so good that I thought his ex-wife did it!! :) He knows it doesn't matter the price tag amount or the brand name, but he always thinks about the receiver and what they would really enjoy.

I collect fun socks and here are a pair he surprised me with one day!!

Party!!

Troy had his birthday party over the weekend. We went and toured the fire station. It was a lot of fun and the firemen made it so special with the hats and goodie bags and letting the kids get in the truck. Troy received a ton of great gifts most of which consisted of Lightning McQueen or Thomas the Train, two of his favorites! It's so hard to believe he is 4, but everyday I realize he is growing up just in the way he talks and thinks. He is very articulate, but sometimes a bit shy. He loves the outdoors and anything to do with bikes or skateboards or scooters and racing them. 4 years ago I was nervous about having a boy and didn't know if I would be able to connect with him, but I realize now that was a silly thought. He is very much like me and in that way alone we are able to connect...and also butt heads, but he is a precious gift and I am so glad to be growing him into who God has created him to be.












And, of course, Teague LOVED the cake!!

Stop growing!!

Today Troy is 4...I wish he would just stop growing!!

More birthday festivities

Troy's birthday is still a week away, but Sonja and GG came into town to celebrate early. We celebrated by having the dinner and cake of Troy's choosing and, of course, gifts. Troy got a Leap Frog Tag Pen and different books to go along with it. It's basically a pen that reads the books to him and at any point he can stop on a word and it will re-read that word. He has been playing with it non-stop. It was so nice to spend some time with Sonja and GG, and Troy and Teague loved showing them all their toys. GG kept saying she couldn't believe Troy was turning 4 and really neither can I...only 5 more days with my 3 year old!