Day Out with Thomas the Train

For anyone that has been around Keaton, you quickly learn that he is in LOVE with Thomas the Train. In September, we discovered the Austin Steam Train would be presenting a day out with Thomas at the train station in Burnet. We had a fabulous time visiting with Sir Topham Hatt, riding Thomas the Train, and playing games. Thankfully Sydney likes Thomas as well so it was a wonderful day the entire family enjoyed!

We're having an Elephant (according to Keaton)

As most of you know, Kris and I are expecting Baby #3 May 11!! We are very very excited and cannot wait to add more joy and love, wonderful craziness and chaos to our little family! Sydney is extremely happy but insists that the baby be a girl. We will be finding out the gender of this baby sometime around Christmas so Sydney will be keeping her fingers crossed! We had a sonogram earlier in the week. When I showed the picture to the kids, Sydney asked why the baby's belly wasn't white like hers? And Keaton just flat out said it was an elephant! So....be it a baby or an elephant, this little being will certainly have two older siblings that will keep life anything but boring! :)

I told Sydney to quickly take off her (velcro) shoes the other day and she slowly said, "Hold on, you've got to be careful. You've got to craaaaack them open." Okay yes ma'am!

Tippi Toes

Sydney started dance class today and was beyond excited both before and after class. During class was a totally different story! She mostly did alot of watching and observing. Our fabulous babysitter is actually one of the instructors so we may need some after class tutoring! But we know this will be such fun for her and we think she is the prettiest little dancing queen ever!

Pay bills Girl

Sydney and Keaton had their first day of Mothers Day Out yesterday! For the past two years, Sydney had gone to a preshool twice a week, but we decided to move across the street to Messiah Lutheren Church and have both kids attend their awesome Mothers Day Out program. The kids did great and we look forward to a fun year! Since Sydney has been in school over the past two years, she always asks me what I will be doing during the day while she's at school. I tell her everytime that I pay bills, clean house, do laundry, & go grocery shopping. So after picking her up from MDO yesterday I said, "Hop in the car big schoolgirl." She asked, "Keaton's a schoolboy and you're a pay bills girl?" Yes I am.

Our schoolgirl who grew like a weed over the summer!

Both are getting too dog gone big!

Mow Yarders

Our yard people arrived today on their normal weekly schedule. Sydney looks out the window and says, "Well I guess the mow yarders are here again." :)

Jesus Loves Me.....and Keaton Loves Jesus!

Quick story I just had to share and didn't ever want to forget. As I was reading "Baby's First Bible" to Keaton last night, I pointed to a picture of Jesus and said, "Here is Jesus. He loves you very much." Keaton leaned down and kissed the picture! Oh my heart just melted! And he continued to kiss every picture of him in the book. My sweet boy. Moments like that just reminding me children are such a gift from above!

Concan 2011

I can't believe I am just now uploading Concan Pictures. We had our annual voyage the second weekend in June and now that it is almost September well......I just really needed to get my rear in gear before I got further and further behind. Despite low water levels..... the lowest I have ever witnessed in my ten years of going to Concan, we had a fabulous time. Our house was situated right on the water and we had a great spot for the kids to splash around and for us to sit our tushies. We had to get creative with fun this year since we couldn't float the river, so ahead of time, Kris and I schemed of many practical jokes to keep the fun level high. Let's just say we will need to watch our backs next year!

The youngsters with our fabulous kiddie pool that has survived the entire summer!

Camron and Lane doing what they do best

Spike it Granny!

Concan cuties....Sydney and Ashlyn

Cheesy smiles with Granny & Pa

The cuties with awesome Cousin Jace

Oh my sweet Keat!

Bring on the water balloons! The most awesome water balloon fight ever! Four adults against about 15 kids! Kris and I had to shelter our own kids from the chaos! I so wanted to be part of it!

The 15 & 16 year old boys got their toenails painted. Priceless!

Checking out the view with Pa

My little family I love so much!

Rodeo Time

The kids and I headed to Llano the first weekend in June for the annual Llano Rodeo and Parade and meet up with Jima and her kiddos. As you can tell from the pics, our kids are extremely close in age AND size so when these four munchkins descend upon Gigi's house it's the most wonderful kind of chaos! The girls absolutely adore each other and are the best of friends. The boys are still trying to figure out who's in charge. And we've decided littlest Keaton should wear a helmet the next time he tries to play with the other three. It's rough out there buddy!



Checking out the cows in the South Pasture from Gigi's front yard. Cull or keep?


And as any parent knows, you don't go anywhere without some snacks!

Cole and our favorite cowboy, Popo


A few of the spectators. Our childhood friend's Casey and Mark and Clarie's kiddos, Avery and Owen who were also visiting from out of town.

All duded up for the rodeo!


And look at our future Llano Country Rodeo Queen! Ow ow! That would make a 3rd generation queen!

CC Aquarium

It had been awhile since the kids and I had visited the Corpus Christi Aquarium, so we decided to venture out one morning. Both Sydney and Keaton LOVE fish, so the aquarium is always a guaranteed hit!

Trying to get these two look and smile in the same direction is impossible!

Beach Visit

We visited the beach on a GORGEOUS day in March. It was a tad bit chilly especially when the wind picked up but nonetheless the kids had a great time! We love going to the beach in the spring and fall when its not quite so hot and there are far less people! Uncle Matt and Cousin Collin joined us to do some fishing, but I have no pictures of trophy fish to show you so that tells you how well the fish were biting.

Sprinkler Fun

And this is what we've been up to!!

Yard Work

With the gorgeous weather, I have had the itch to do some yard work and spruce up the joint with some new plants. So, today during Keaton's naptime, Sydney and I headed outdoors ready to work. We had three plants to place in a flowerbed by our garage. After the first hole was dug and the plant had been placed, Sydney began filling up her purple bucket with the potting soil. She was doing a great job filling up the hole with the soil and had been such a big help with the first plant I figured she was loving "yard work." It was at the end of putting the last of the dirt around the plant that she announced she would like to go paint her toenails and fingernails!

Two Girls

Lately, when having a conversation with Sydney, she points out how many girls or boys are involved in whatever we are doing. For example, I fixed Sydney and I a cup of water today and she asked, "Two girls are drinking water?" With the four of us sitting down to eat supper, she announced, "Two boys and two girls are eating supper." It's hilarious AND interesting to see her wheels turning. Sounds like we are preparing for the TAKS tests!

Visiting the Grass Farm

These are pictures from our recent visit to the grass farm to keep things in check and a test run on our new automatic grass harvestor! I think our son is going to like driving tractors and our daughter will just like to look pretty!

Christmas and Holiday Hats

Christmas 2010 was by far the best Christmas we have ever had! The kids were so much fun and the holidays were filled with lots of activities with family and friends. We took a ton of pictures and although I'm sharing alot, this doesn't even come close to the total taken! For some reason, we seemed to have a" hats and acessories" theme going on throughout the holidays which you can totally see in the pictures below. Sydney is still talking about Santa Clause and we are slowly weaning her off her favorite show, "Mickey Saves Santa." Keaton is still waddling around the house saying "Ho ho ho." It may be Christmas all year around our house!

Visiting Santa! Sydney stood but did not want to sit!


Making gingerbread cookies with Granny and the Havelka Cousins


Santa visited our house!

Christmas morning....Keaton with cousin Collin. These two boys have the rosiest cheeks!

Family pose on Christmas morning at Granny's house. Typical pose....Sydney frowning and Keaton being mischievious.

Keith, Neisha, Camron and Paityn. We don't claim Cam sometimes.

Santa Clause ????

Our attempts to get pics of the kids at Gigi's house.

Cole and Keaton...future singers.

I think this could be the funniest picture EVER! This might show up at a future wedding someday.

Showing off winter hats.

They played with their personlized suitcases for hours!!

Wanna be a cowboy???




Sydney and Graycie bumping their trikes from Papa.


Sister and Brother! The best smiles around!


Finally got a picture with my beautiful daughter!