The Four Darters!

Fort Worth Stock Show

2012-01-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

We took the kids to the Fort Worth Stock Show last week for the first time. Neither Matt nor I had been ourselves in a while so it was fun for us all! The kids liked seeing all of the animals and riding a few rides. It was a fun family outing!

I miss the days that Zade was obsessed with tractors. Now it's motorcycles and monster trucks, He still thinks they're cool and still bugs the tar out of Papaw to ride it.

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The Borden Calf

Hmmm.....a Pig petting a pig.......

(Don't tell him I said that! But, you gotta admit that was funny!)

We didn't spend much time in the poultry barns because I have a bird-phobia.....along with a cat and squirrel phobia!

Well, have a great Thursday, peeps! Until next time............

My Kind of January!

2012-01-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

This kind of weather makes me happy! I could be perfectly content year round! Any weather that the kids can go outside and play is good weather!

It was truly a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2011-12-30T21:43:00.001-08:00

I don't know about you guys but we had such a great Christmas! My favorite part of it all is spending time with my family! Each year we spend Christmas Eve at my parents' house and Christmas Day at my inlaws. The kids have so much fun playing until they're plain tuckered out with all their cousins! It's such an exciting time.

Matt and I had a lot of fun playing Santa this year - I mean we always do but this year was our funnest so far. See, we had Christmas all taken care of thanks to Walmart bringing back lay away! Then at the last minute Zade pulls a fast one and asks for a "blue. motor.cycle" on the preschool Christmas program video. Well, me? I was fine with him not getting it - I mean, we can't give them EVERYTHING, right? But Matt? Uh, no. He was a little heartbroken that he couldn't fulfill this request - especially since it was a motorcycle. But, the money for Christmas was spent and there really wasn't time to come up with a motorcycle. But- nevertheless, one very kind man happened to have a blue motorcycle brand new in his shop and gave it to us for $30! It was a miracle! Matt was so excited, I thought he was gonna do a cartwheel! He and the guys at the station switched out the stickers and turned it into a police motorcycle - since Zade is a clone of his father!

But another problem arose, what do we get Gracie that is just as exciting to her but not a million dollars? Everytime we asked her what she wanted she'd say new markers. That's so Gracie. So we decided to give her a little table/desk where she could do all of her writing, cutting, drawing, and gluing.

Christmas morning was not a let down! The kids loved all of their things and were just so happy!

Here are some pics of all of our Christmas gatherings, plus a bonus pic that you might want to brace yourself for. :) Hopefully, you haven't just eaten because you might lose your lunch.

This is at my parent's on Christmas Eve. That's my nephew Tristan in front, Zade and Gracie, my sister, Crystal and my Uncle Doug in the back.

This is Zade and Tyson, my oldest nephew, being sweet!

These are the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Darter kiddos on Christmas morning!

Before the chaos ensued!

Gracie just loooooves having her own space to be as creative as she wants to be!

And mommy just loves that all that creative mess stays in her room instead of the kitchen! lol!

And this is the famous motorcycle!

This is my inlaws with all of their grandkids.

Check out the rolls on the table - those suckers didn't last long at all.

We could just hear them calling to us -"eat me! eat me!"

In spite of all the fun......there was a little sickness going around. Me and Gracie both fought our allergies! But - I think we've won!!! Yay!!!!

Okay - brace yourself....................

Are you ready? ......................

I knew you weren't ready! How could you be!? It's pretty disgusting, right!?

So my sister and I talked my mom into buying matching shirts for our husbands. We thought it'd be so funny! Well, the joke was on us! They thought they'd be funny and take these nauseating pictures in front of the Christmas Tree. They could barely keep a straight face..........................dorks!

Anywho, we spent the Christmas vacation spending playing outside and having as much fun as we could! We rang in the new year with our church family as we always do. It's a tradition I couldn't imagine doing without!
And tomorrow.......back to reality! Gracie goes back to school, Matt goes back to work and Zade and I go back to our routines!

Until next time, friends!
Myra

Our Christmas Traditions

2011-12-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, y'all! We are really getting excited for the big day here at our house! Since having kids Christmas has gotten more fun each year! This year, so far, has topped them all!

I've had a lot of fun creating fun family traditions that I hope in years to come my kids will look back on fondly. Here are a few of those traditions!

This is our tree just after we got it put up! We always put our tree up on the Saturday after Thanksgiving! And yes, it is a Texas Longhorn-themed tree because we are still fans no matter how bad they are! Bevo is our tree-topper!

On top of Bevo, is Taurus, our Elf on the Shelf. This is our 3rd Christmas with Taurus (Zade named him when he was 2, so.....)

For those who aren't familiar, the Elf on the Shelf is a book that comes with a story. The story is that this elf needs a family to adopt him. He shows up each Christmas and keeps an eye on the kids for Santa. Each evening when they go to sleep he goes back to the North Pole (cause he's magic and can do that) and reports to Santa on how the kids are doing. The point is to keep the kids from misbehaving during the Christmas season - it doesn't work - but a nice thought.

On this particular evening Taurus, "landed" on Bevo's head. We've found him in the oddest spots - like the candy basket with a lollipop in his hand, inside a bird cage, hanging upside down from the ceiling fan, etc. The kids love waking up in the morning to figure out where he is. The problem- sometimes Mom and Dad forget to move him - or once he fell from the spot he was in. That was a dilema since you're not supposed to touch him.

It's been a lot of fun!

Every year the kids make applesauce ornaments to put in the stockings of their grandparents and aunts and uncles! It's super easy and fun! They smell GREAT!

Gracie got to go to see The Nutcracker with her Girl Scouts group!

She loved seeing all the pretty ballerinas! They even got to go back stage and meet a ferw of them!

Matt was working the Christmas Parade for Irving this year so the kids and I decided to go and watch it while he worked. He was leading it so he had us park right up front where he was. When we got out of the truck a man approached him and asked if we wanted to be in the parade with the State Representative. The kids loved throwing candy to all the kids and riding in the antique fire truck! They had a blast! It was definitely a first for all of us!

Tonight we will be making our Santa cookies and getting ready to go out to the sticks to my Ma and Pa's house on Christmas Eve! We're having fried catfish! (Odd, I know!)

I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas!

Hello, Gracie!

2011-12-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

Well, My Gracie Mae turned 7! Can you believe it!? I do not know where the time has gone! I still remember the day she was born like it was yesterday! She was such an easy and sweet baby, too! But she has grown up and is such a sweet young lady who works so hard everyday to be her very best! You can search the world over and you'll never find a girl quite as sweet and that smile of hers is just priceless!

We were all about Hello Kitty this year! When she woke up on her b-day the kitchen was decked out in Hello Kitty decorations! She, of course, was the first to get up and seeing the decorations made her day! "Mommy it my birthday!!!" It was so sweet! We ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast then we went to the movies to see "Arthur Christmas" It was a fun day!

Gracie and Kennedy have birthdays 2 days apart so we celebrated it together while we were out in Johnson County for Thanksgiving. There was a bounce house, hot dogs, and lots of fun friends to play with!

Then on Sunday evening she got to celebrate her birthday with her other cousins at McDonalds. She loves being with all her cousins. They are her best friends!

We are getting ready for Christmas. Next post will be some pics of our family Christmas traditions. Hope all of you are having a great Holiday season! Stay warm - and dry!

My trip to Holland

2011-11-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

I found this story in a book my grandmother sent me, knowing life wasn't turning out the way I was wanting it to for my little girl. I thought today would be a good day to share it.

" I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this... When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Micheangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?" you say. " What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy!"

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't take you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around...and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills...and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, " Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever, EVER, go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that your didn't get to go to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely thing...about Holland."

That was written by Emily Perl Kingsley and I couldn't have said it better myself. It's so true. When I look at Gracie I'm reminded that God is in control and I am not. There was definitely a change in our flight plan. But we have tulips, windmills, and Rembrandts. Things that parents in "Italy" won't get to experience. I'm so thankful to be a part of this little girl's life. I don't know what the future has in store for her but I know God's got a great plan for her. I look forward to celebrating her 7th birthday. Not only will we be celebrating her 7th year of life but 7 years of some major accomplishments that this sweet girl has acheived!

Matthew 6:28 "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lillies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin."

Fall Fun!

2011-11-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm a little late posting the fall and halloween pics! Sorry! We've stayed pretty busy with school, church, soccer, and other activities. Zade's last soccer game is tomorrow. His team did really well this season. They are playing for the championship! He's going to be so excited to get his trophy. But we'll miss the exciting games every Saturday. Can't wait until Spring!

Gracie is enjoying Girl Scouts. They got to go to the Pumpkin Patch in Flower Mound. That was a lot of fun - but a little crazy, too!

She had fun getting her picture made with all her favorite characters! This Friday they get to have a Thanksgiving Feast!

Little brother gets to tag along on some of these fun Girl Scouts outings!

He actually thinks it's all about him - it doesn't occur to him that it's not. In fact, there's not much about life that he doesn't think is about him! Ha!

Gracie wanted to be D.W., Arthur's little sister, for Book Character Day at her school. Her Aunt Karina graciously loaned her these ears to wear! She loves watching Arthur and reading the book, too. Arthur is pretty much the only cartoon that she will sit down and watch the entire way through. Needless to say, we have SEVERAL on DVR for those times we get desperate for a few moments of peace! :)

For several weeks before Halloween I told my kids over and over that I was not buying them a new costume for Halloween since they each had dozens in their rooms to wear. Well - I caved. We just so happened to find a "black batman" costume (The Dark Knight) that Zade has wanted "his whole life" - according to him. It just so happened to be on sale and they just so happened to have a Barbie princess costume on sale as well. Call me a sucker!

So, Batman and Barbie came along to the church's Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat.

This was a fun night for them. Zade was busy hanging out with his cousins - Captain America Keegan and Captain America Levi. Gracie was in constant motion going from one bounce house to the other -back and forth, back and forth - or sneaking candy out of her bag! We won cupcakes and cookies at the cake walk and came home with pounds of candy. (No comment)

Mrs. Sue had the busiest booth painting faces. Zade of course needed his batman mask painted on.

I can honestly say, I was one tired Mama after that night! But the kiddos had fun and that makes it all worth it!

Well, hope everyone is staying warm and cool - whichever temp this crazy weather decides to be! I'd prefer a little cold so we can eat soups and corn bread - yum!

I'm getting so ready for the holidays. My sister and I have already been planning our Black Friday tradition with Mom and Nanny! We can't wait!
Plus, Gracie Mae's 7th birthday is just around the corner. I'll post pics of the birthday girl soon afterwards!
Have a great day!

Soccer and Super Dad!

2011-10-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Zade started soccer a few weeks ago! He was so excited! He's been beggin me to play since he was 2 and we are finally letting him do it! He woke up at 6:30a that first Saturday morning, crammed his breakfast down, brushed his teeth, made his bed, and got completely dressed - 2 hours before we had to be there! It was cute!

The kids got to come up with their own team name. They decided on The Big Brown Dogs! I have no idea where that came from! Ha!

It's so funny to see all the different personalities when it comes to sports at this age. There were a few shy ones who didn't want to leave their parents, a few kids who lost interest and wandered over to find a snack - and then there's Zade....

He's taking this pretty serious! He told me the night before, "Mom, I'm not gonna let the bad team get the ball!"

GOAL!!!!! He made the only goal that day! He was so proud of himself! He was fist pumping and everything! It was so cute! "Did you see that, Dad? It was awesome!"

Every week someone wins a medal for displaying the character trait of the week. Zade one this time for listening! He was so proud of it. Now he's obsessed with soccer - the ball has moved into the house and there are many make-shift goals in the living room.

The other exciting thing that's been going on at the Darter house is Matt's birthday. He turned 34 on the 2nd. Zade wanted to make it a Superman birthday party so we went to town with the idea. We had to make our own birthday decorations because no one sells Superman party supplies anymore. But we had fun doing it! We turned it into a SuperDad theme because we found tons of things on different blogs/pinterest. Zade and I made a banner for him that said "Super Dad" and we printed the Superman logo to glue on his gift bags. We also printed some coloring pages of Superman that the kids colored, then we cut pictures of Matt's face out and glued them on top of Superman's face! We also found these cute tags in the picture below that we used to embellish his birthday banner and to add to scewers and stuck them in his homemade cinnamon rolls.

So when we woke him up for breakfast, we all had on Superman pjs, or t-shirts. I downloaded the Superman theme song and had it playing when he came in the kitchen. The kids got him 2 movies he's been wanting - Superbad and Super Troopers - I do not recommend these movies, by the way. And I gave him Superman undies (hee hee!) and a nice new shirt.

He seemed surprised and seemed to like it! The kids had fun making his day special for him. The hardest part was keeping their little mouths shut for a whole week! Whew! But we made it! I'm glad Zade chose Superman because that truly is what he thinks of his dad! He thinks his dad hung the moon and I hope he always feels that way. I know I do! Matt really is a great dad and a great husband. He'd give me the world if I asked for it . The kids and I are really blessed to have this man in our lives. I hope he knows how much we adore him!

Well, that's all for now - next post I'll probably have some pics of Matt's Police rodeo this weekend. I also have a great story I want to share! Y'all have a great weekend and Hook 'em Horns!!!!!!!

Shakin' His Groove Thang to Pre-K!

2011-09-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Zade and his "Tot" aka Tatum at the museum celebrating their last "official" day of summer. They are 2 wild and crazy kids. Lord help their teachers! Haha!

Well, preschool finally started! We have been waiting for this day for several months now! Zade has asked me about his new school all summer long!

This is how Zade would like to dress for preschool. Um, no! Actually, if it were completely up to him there would be a cape attached to each shirt!

This was at Meet The Teacher.

I have no idea why he was acting like this but this was the best we could do to get him to take his picture with them. I mean, I had to go pry him out from underneath the table. It was a little embarrassing. Not a great first impression. But totally Zade!

Now he's all dressed in his skateboard shirt and ready for school! He was so excited!

He's such a goofy kid! He keeps life interesting.

He told me I didn't have to come in and that he could take himself. Um, I work here Zade! Haha! He acts like it's his first day of junior high or something! Oh you just wait buddy, I'll be in full-on moo-moo, with curlers in my hair and no make up that day! Ha! I can't wait!

It just made his day that he was in the KI Sports Class and that his name was on a soccerball and a baseball for his seat and basket!

Now this is what I'm talkin' about!

He hasn't been this tired since school last year! We had a hard time wearing this kid out all summer and Mrs.Watkins and Mrs.Peterson did in 5 short hours!

He had a great first day! He said his favorite thing was playing on the playground and playing with play-doh! He made lots of friends but he can't remember their names!

I know he misses his HCP friends but I know this is the best place for him and me! We're gonna make lots of new friends! We're so excited!

The Luckiest Gal in the Whole Wide World!

2011-09-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

These 3 people right here are why I'm the luckiest gal in the whole wide world! They made my birthday so special! I can not tell you how much I love them!

This is the amazing weather I woke up to today! Thanks, for the bday weather, Lord!

Matt made me yummy eggs and bacon for breakfast and served them to me in bed! Ahh, that's the life! There was also a tall glass of Diet Coke. Not a bad way to start my day!

He also got me this YUMMMMYYY cake from Woolley's Frozen Custard!

It's a chocolate cake with chocolate frozen custard inside topped with chocolate butter cream icing. Soooo fattening but soooo good. As my sister says, "What a way to go!"

This is the inside of the birthday card the kids got me. You can see their little scribbles on it. I tell ya what, I have the greatest kids. I used my birthday to steal kisses from Zade all day today. He's already too big and tough for kissin' his Mama - (tear). Gracie will always be willing to snuggle with me. She's my sweet girl!

This is the front of the card Matt got me. The inside says, " From someone who still wants it!". Such a typical card from my Honey! But let me tell ya, that butt is definitely bigger after that yummy fattening cake! But "What a way to go!" Ha!

Matt asked me what I wanted to do today. Since the weather was so amazing I decided we should go fishing. It was so nice out! The kids like to fish and Zade is really good at it. Gracie likes to dig around in the dirt nearby. I love the peacefulness of it all. We didn't catch anything but it sure was nice to get some fresh air. I think it made us all much happier people!

When we realized the fish just weren't bitin' we went to the playground.

Look at that smile! Those front 2 teeth are coming in. It kinda makes me sad. She's not a little girl anymore. :(

This one isn't very little anymore either.

But I tell you what, these 2 kids make me so happy! Yes, they are rotten to the core - but I wouldn't have them any other way.

Thank you to Matt, Gracie and Zade for making my birthday so special! I love you 3 more than words can say! This was such a great day!

ABC, 123 !!!!

2011-08-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well, school is finally back in session! You have no idea how happy Gracie Mae is about that. I don't think you'll ever find a kid who loves school as much as she does!

On Sunday she had fun getting everything ready to go. She's old enough and getting more mature so that she can help me do things like this and understand that it isn't happening right now - but, tomorrow. So as we were getting things ready she would say, " I'm gonna take my lunch?" And because I wanna make sure she understands it's not going to happen today I'll say " Yep! Tomorrow!" So eventually, she went around the house singing " Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow!" It was pretty cute!

First thing's first, though - you gotta paint your toe nails before you go back to school! Duh!

Then she helped me make some muffins for the Tears and Cheers PTA breakfast! Such a good helper!

Over the summer, Gracie turned into a "sleeper inner"! So Monday was a little rough at 6:30a!

Eventually, though, My Happy Girl woke up and was ready to go! She ate her waffle as fast as she could!

And here she is all dressed and ready to go. I've taken a picture of her on this fireplace for the 5th time now for the first day of school. She used to be so little standing there and now she looks so tall and grown. Makes me sad!

She was the first to arrive and sat at the table in the cafeteria so patiently waiting for her friends to show up.

This is her buddy, Gerardo. While I was helping with the PTA breakfast I got to watch those two interact together. They cracked me up. They had to show each other their backpacks, then try them on, then trade and try them on again! So funny! They are double trouble!

This is my lunch date! Isn't he cute!? We treated ourselves to lunch at Chick fil A. He's a good shopping partner!

All in all the first day of school went great! Gracie was so excited to go and couldn't wait to go back today (Tuesday). She had gymnastics after school Monday and so by the time she got her bath and got in bed she was plain tuckered out!

Zade and I start our new preschool Thursday - we both have butterflies! Yikes!

Here's to new adventures!

Four and Oklahoma!

2011-08-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

This summer we went on vacation with my parents, my sister, brother in law and all the kiddos! We rented a beautiful cabin just outside of Broken Bow, Ok. It was such a nice and relaxing vacation. The cabin had a private stocked pond that we spent many hours fishing in. The kids all had fun doing that! We also celebrated Zade's 4th birthday while we were there. I know, 4...can you believe it? Where did my baby go?! Although, if you know Zade at all you know that something like his age is just a small detail. He sure thinks he's a big boy! We had a great vacation and were sad to leave! Here's some pics!

Zade was/is quite the fisherman! He loves it!

Mommy's not so bad herself. Although, I don't have the patience of a fisherman so I gave up pretty quickly. But I do love it! It was so nice and peaceful! (Until the bugs start biting you, or the snakes come out)

We took a little train ride through some of the Beavers Bend State Park. I guess Dad and Gracie are checking out the "safety features" of the train.

Matt, Ashley and the kids rode bumper boats in the river. Gracie rode with Ashley. That's Kennedy behind them. I'll always remember our adventure at the bumper boats. Gracie knocked our truck keys off from the bench onto the deck and they slipped right through the crack and into the river. I might have spazzed out a little cause I could just see us having no way to get back home because we had no keys to our truck with us. But - between Matt, Ashely, and some nice stranger we were able to fish them out. Phew!!!!

This is a front view of the house! It was perfect for us! There was a pool table upstairs and a hot tub outside. We cooked every meal in the nice kitchen or out on the grill on the deck! We had so much fun! The kids brought their bikes and scooters. The deck was big enough for them to ride around on. Unfortunately, Gracie didn't understand the concept of the stairs. While we were in the kitchen fixing dinner Zade came running in looking as white as a ghost and crying, saying something about Gracie and her bike. A few seconds later in comes Gracie crying saying "I fall! I fall!" She had a bloody lip and everything. Once we got them both calmed down Zade told us she rode her bike off the deck and down the stairs. I later found her bike nose down on the steep stairs. It's a wonder she didn't hurt herself worse! You gotta love Gracie - she keeps it real!

She also jumped out of the hot tub chasing after a frog! Like I said -keepin' it real!

We forgot candles so we improvised by sticking matches in his Transformers Cake. We're so redneck sometimes! LOL!

Hope you enjoyed our pics! School starts next week for Gracie Mae so look forward to seeing pics of that grand event!!!! Have a fantastic weekend!

Sum, sum, summer time!

2011-08-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics of what we've been up to this summer!

My neice and I after we scored some Mavericks NBA championship t-shirts!

That was a fun late night PJ wearing, shopping trip!

Gracie won the visitor contest at our super fun VBS this year!

She got a $25 gift card to Toys 'R Us!

Fun VBS!

It's always fun when cousins come and hang out!

Tristan spent the night with us so we went to the pool.

Zade has since taken swimming lessons and no longer needs those pesky floaties!

Now he's a fish!

When Keegan came over we had to make some s'mores! Yum! (messy!)

We got the whole family together and went to the Fort Worth Cats game!

It's always so much fun and worth the sweating!

Zade loves Dodger!

Our favorite thing to do in the summer is go to The Brazos Drive - In movie!

Zade playing catch with his Daddy while we wait for the movie to start!

The kids getting cozy watching Kung Fu Panda 2 and Thor!

Zade helping his Daddy direct traffic at Irving's 4th of July parade!

Gracie's had a good time going to her gymnastics class every Monday! It's been very helpful for her and a lot of fun! She likes it even more now that we found her a really cute leotard for her to wear!

Well, next post will be about Zade's 4th birthday! (I know, I'm playing catch-up -deal!)

Have a happy rest of the summer - less than 3 weeks left! Stay cool!

What A Wonderful World!

2011-08-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last Day of Kindergarten!

Toothless!

Zade with Mrs. Jennifer and Mrs. Teri, his fabulous teachers!

Zade and his partner in crime, Ramsey!

(I don't know why my pics always post first - sorry!)

Wow! It has been a long time since I've posted. My excuses are as follows:
1. Matt broke my computer
2. I'm a procrastinator.
Now - moving on......
Here's the latest on the Darter family. We had a busy school year! Gracie finished her Kindergarten year with a bang! She gained alot of things and lost a lot of things in this school year. Some things she gained were new friends. She loves her Life Skills class and came home everyday telling me about what Kaylee, Gerardo, Adalia, AJ and Derek did. And yes, you read it right she TOLD me all about those things. Which brings me to the next thing she gained - a bigger vocabulary!!! She will talk your ear off now! If you've been keeping up with Gracie's progress you know what a blessing that is! We're so proud. We love to hear her talk! Her speech still needs lots of work but her vocabulary is a big one! In fact, she doesn't hardly ever STOP talking. But Matt and I refuse to complain! We just laugh! Now on to things she's lost - TEETH! Four teeth in one school year! Now her smile has totally changed but is still just as beautiful as ever! She's growing into a gorgeous little girl! Another thing Gracie has lost is her box. If you've spent anytime at all with Gracie you know what a spaz she is about her paper, markers, colors, pens, scissors, etc! Well, this was getting in the way of her education and basically everything else and her teacher had had enough and decided it would be best to eliminate this problem all together. Oh my - you would've thought she lost a limb! She was devestated!!!! And poor Ms. Belcher - she had to take the heat for it. Everyone had to know that "Belcher throw my box away!" Ms. Belcher has become famous in our family! This sounds cruel but it brings me to another thing that Gracie has gained - an imagination, concentration, focus, more to life!!!! She's done so good playing and focusing at school knowing they'll be no paper or colors! It's been the best thing for her! So kudos goes to Ms. Belcher for that brilliant idea!
Gracie and her fellow Kindergarteners put on a sweet little program at the end of the year where they sang songs about the sun, rainbows, and rain! Gracie came home singing "You Are My Sunshine" but at the end where it says " Please don't take my sunshine away" she will always add "Don't throw it in the trash". (Still a little bitter over the box incident! Ha!) But it is so nice to hear her singing songs and retaining things like that! Her class actually sang, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head". So we downloaded and have been playing it a lot. I think it's a very appropriate song for Gracie because it talks about how things just don't go our way sometimes but we can't stop the rain by complaining. I see that characteristic in my girl. She's got the sweetest smile inspite of all her difficulties. But it doesn't stop her from living life and having fun. She doesn't care that other kids aren't too crazy about playing her version of things or think she's different! She's having fun! I hope she always keeps that perspective on life!
The whole group of Kindergartners ended the program singing Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" which I also downloaded. As it was playing this morning Gracie was just singing away while she was on the floor playing. It made me stop and just start crying my eyes out. Just to hear her sing makes me stop and thank God for her and what she teaches me about life. I know she was brought to this world just for me - I'm so thankful God gave me her!

And not to be outdone - there's good ol' Zade. Zade has grown to be such a big ol' boy this year. He finished his 4th year in preschool! He had such awesome teachers that were able to love him for his rough and tumble self! You wanna talk about a talker?! Woo, Lordy! That boy'll talk your ear off! He keeps Matt and I laughing all while he makes us just as crazy. We've figured out we don't know near as much as our super smart 3 going on 30 year old! He's just like his dad - rough, a smarty pants, athletic, and cute! :) Next year, he and I will be going to a new preschool. We're both excited!

Well, this post turned out to be a lot longer than I intended. Next time I will post about our goings on this summer! Sorry there are no pics! I've lost the USB cable to my camera and it makes it really inconvenient to get pics on my computer. But next time there will definitely be pics. In fact, you can expect another post real soon of our summer fun!

Oh wait! It's your lucky day! I found a few!

Just another day in paradise.....

2010-09-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

We went to a Wild West Show in the Stockyards for Labor Day
Zade, of course, was scared of them!

Then we watched them herd the cattle! That was fun !

Gracie at her dentist appointment! She did so good this time compared to the last few times!

And this is what we're doing today! He's so handsome when he cleans!

Batman having an afternoon snack of chocolate pudding! Yum!

Kindergarten is a lot of work and deserves a yummy treat!

Staying home with mommy has its privileges!

Well, life has certainly been interesting the last few weeks. Week 2 of Kindergarten didn't go so well. I think my baby girl was still feeling a little lost in her new atmosphere and wasn't taking to it too well and so ensued a few melt downs at school. She also began acting out in other ways that I could never divulge to anyone, just for the simple fact that Gracie deserves a little privacy. But with Matt now being him most evenings, we were together able to hone in on the situation and get it under control as well as her behavior at school. So now, things seem to be going a little better.

However, in addition to all of this she's shown a different side to herself. Last week, she got a toy stuck in her nose and we had to go to the Urgent Care to have it removed. It was a tiny Tinker Bell shoe that she had put in there. Why? Who knows!! It's Gracie, she insist on keeping life interesting.

Then this week she got to use the scissors. I've always been able to trust her with them. But - not anymore! She took a little chunk out of her hair as well as giving her doll a little hair cut, too. It isn't near as bad as it could have been so I was feeling pretty lucky about that.
Now this one takes the cake - We were at a church softball game and the Hurst Athletic Complex where apparently people can bring in beers and just leave them sitting on the tables right by the playground!!!! So we think Curious Gracie took a sip of one! My neice saw her with it to her mouth but didn't see if she drank it or not. Hopefully, she didn't but that was a disaster!!!! I'm able to laugh about it now but at the time I was upset.

So that's all the interesting things going on with Gracie Mae. Everything else is going pretty good. I am taking Intro to Psychology (boring and stupid) and English Comp II which is interesting but both classes are really time consuming. And so are my kids so, there ya go! Time consumed!

I'm enjoying preschool this year. Courtney and I have a great class this year and are having a lot of fun with them!

Kids Club is off to a great start this year too!

Matt is now a Motor Officer which he has really wanted for a long time. It isn't official until the beginning of next year since he has to wait for a guy to retire. We are praying really hard that the Captain will change his mind about this so that Matt can be home every night to help with the kids (Gracie) more. In the mean time, he is on days Mondays and Tuesdays which is great! It will be nice when his shift will be Monday through Friday and on days - like all the other regular people out there!

Not much to report on Zade! He's a good boy and hangs out with Mama all day when he's not at school or Mamaw's house.

Well, I have some chilli on the stove that I can't stand to smell any longer and am dying to eat!

Oh, pray for Gracie - she's having some dental work done on Monday - they will be putting her under in order to do this.

Have a great weekend!

And School has begun......FINALLY!!!!

2010-09-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

Gracie outside of her Kindergarten class at Meet The Teacher night!

Breakfast as a Kindergartner! Ready for school!
Gracie had a great first day at Kindergarten! She came home and played "class" with Zade and her Barbies! She has since begun having a rough time, therefore, her and her teacher's need your prayers!

And Zade is quite as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the mornings as Gracie!

Froot-Loops do help a little, though!

Now he's got his clothes on and feeling a bit sassy!

Ready to be a Lion!

All ready!

Summer Vacation in Red River, NM!

2010-08-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Fun at the Sand Dunes!
We had the bluest skies that day!

An old abandoned cabin in the mountains!

At the top of the mountain....

after a long, and sorta scary Jeep ride

At the playground! Their fav place the whole trip, the one just like they have in their backyard!

RRrrrroooooaaaaarrrr!!!!

We took a fun trip to Red River, New Mexico! We had a blast! Here are the pics. I'm not writing much because I'm minus a thumb and this is weird! So, enjoy the pics! (Less than 2 weeks until school starts!)

Tuesday Ponderings

2010-07-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

These pictures always post out of order! UGh!

This is Zade's first bottle! 3 days old!
We've finally gotten to hold him at 2 days old

A happy Mama!

I came back from the OR empty handed. I was sad.

This was right after he was born.

Today, is Tuesday, July 13, 2010.....2 days before my baby boy turns 3! That's amazing to me. You see, July 15, 2007 it was a Sunday morning. My alarm went off at 7am like it normally does and I got up to take my shower and begin getting dressed for church but I realized something wasn't right. I had an eery feeling my water had broke. I woke Matt up and told him and we called the doctor since I was a month from my due date. We didn't want to call any family in case it was a false alarm but I packed my bag just in case. We got Gracie dressed and off we went to the hospital. By about 10:45a they had determined that my water had broken and I was dialated to about 2 cm so they began to prepare me for a c-section. We were frantically trying to get a hold of family. Matt's parents were on vacation in Montana or somewhere far away (against my warnings, I like to add!) Everyone else was at their church without their cell phones except my brother in law who was able to tell my parents and they all rushed up there. Eventually, people got there before they took me back to the OR and were able to stay with Gracie so that Matt could be present! The C-section went off without a hitch. At 12:21p Zade Gail Darter was born! But he wasn't responding like he should. His weight was great for an 36 weeks gestation ( 6lbs. 14oz) but he was crying so hard he wasn't breathing properly. It turns out this one of his lungs was a little under-developed and they took him to the NICU immediately. After they finished me up, before taking me to my room they wheeled my huge bed into the NICU to see him. He was so pitiful looking. He had a central line in his belly button so we couldn't hold him, otherwise the line would move, puncture a vein and cause him to bleed out. He had a tubes through his nose for oxygen, IVs running on his arms and contraptions hooked to him in all sorts of places. I was devestated. I remember being completely numb - I literally had no feelings about it at all. By the time I went back to my room my family was there and my baby girl Gracie, and we really didn't know when Zade would come out of the NICU - we were still waiting on the NICU doctor to come tell us what was actually going on. When he finally did he told me that Zade would probably be in the NICU for 7 to 10 days and that I would probably be discharged long before Zade would be. That hurt. There was no way I was going home without my baby. I already decided I would send Matt home with Gracie and I'd stay. The very thought of just being in a Post-Delivery room at the hospital and having no baby in my arms was already hurtful.

By Monday morning I was able to get out of bed and boy did I! I wanted to go see my baby! I remember being wobbly legged and fragile after my first C-section - but this time I hopped out of bed and bent over to get my socks on, too! The nurse who was wheeling me down to the NICU was impressed! I still wasn't able to hold Zade nor feed him. His breathing wasn't slow enough to even be fed from a bottle so they were feeding him through a tube. I had lots of visitors come by and see me and I loved it! In fact, I hated being alone. When I was alone I had time to think and I didn't want to think because I would think about my fears. Fears of losing my baby. Later Monday afternoon, I got an awful headache caused by my spinal block and had to have an epidural of blood placed in my spine and that forced me to lay flat on my back for several hours. I was so upset because they didn't give me a chance to go see Zade before they did this so Matt went down and took video of him for me. I would love to share it with you but I can't seem to get it to work....grrr. Take my word for it, it's the sweetest ever!

On Tuesday, I was allowed to carefully hold him. I couldn't believe that finally 2 days after he was born I was able to hold him. I have to admit, I was scared, too! But I finally got over that fear and the mommy instinct took over. He was so sweet.

On Wednesday, I got to feed him a bottle for the first time! Each day, my OB doctor would come in and ask me if I wanted to stay since the baby was still here and I would say, "Yes, please!" So he would arrange it.

But, Thursday morning the nurse came in to warn me, that they would be sending me home that day. I wasn't happy about leaving my baby so, I marched myself down to that NICU and refused to move from the wheelchair until Matt came to pick up my stuff. Well, as luck would have it, the NICU nurse told us they were ready to release Zade on Friday and would allow us to stay in the family room with him that night. She told us to go eat some dinner, pick up some snacks, and come back and they would have him ready to spend the night with us in the family room. So we did! We brought family with us, too! Gracie got to see Zade for the first time. She liked him, too.

Our sleepover went smoothly so we were allowed to take Zade home on Friday afternoon! I can't tell you the sigh of relief we both sighed. On the way home, we both admitted, finally, just how scared we were and just how hard we had been praying for our baby.

Needless to say, our Zade is perfectly fine, now, and has never had any difficulties since - except maybe difficulties keeping his mouth shut! Ha!

It's interesting to me as to how my kid's personalities were revealed even before they were born. Gracie was super uneventful in the womb - she never turned and had to be removed from my tummy! And as she's grown she's taken her sweet, precious time doing anything, whether it be developmentally or things like cleaning her room! Zade on the other hand, came a month early left the NICU 3 days sooner than we were told he would, and has done anything and everything he's wanted to as soon as he wants to ever since. He is a great kid! Where I find myself stressed out about things Zade can bring the giggles out of me. For instance, I was trying to get him to hurry and go potty before bed and he kept goofing off so I gave him on of those loving thumps on his sweet little head and his reply to me was, "Girl, you better watch it!" and I lost it. I made the mistake of laughing and he knew he had me so I really didn't get a chance to correct him so - if you're ever wondering why my son's a brat - that would be why.

I'm so happy that God gave us Zade. He really is a great kid, he's easy going and comical. He worships the ground his Daddy walks on and that makes me love him even more. In fact, when I tell Zade that I love him he'll usually say, " I not love you. I love Daddy." This doesn't break my heart like I make out like it does, because I know he does love me.

I'm so thankful that I serve a Lord who has complete control of the situation and answered my prayers that week 3 years. I know there are people out there that have gone through things with their children that are far more tragic this that we have. It makes me realize what a blessing I have in these 2 kids. I know God has a plan for each of my kids and that plan involves me as their mommy. That's a big job, that I can't do alone. I have to put my trust in Him, to guide me each day, to guide them down the path He wants each of them to go down.

My prayers go out to those who are dealing with ill children or for those who have lost a child in one way or another. I know how much my kiddos mean to me - so I can not imagine the struggle and hurt these parents go through.

If you're looking for an uplifting, yet heart-wrenching blog to read go to www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com It is the story of a member of the group Selah. I've included some of their songs on my playlist. They rock.

Well, I've rambled on enough. Thanks for letting me gush over my baby boy!

10 Things That Make My Life Easier!

2010-07-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's a weird little post. I got to thinking about things that make my life easier and thought I'd share. (This'll probably be a boring post to read. Pre-apologies)

1. On-line Bill Pay! It rocks! I can not tell you how inconvenient it is to buy stamps plus it's an added, albeit minimal, expense. I never remember to buy stamps and I don't have to write checks! Awesome!

2. Pre-cooking! On grocery day I like to come home and cook my ground beef or pre-grill my chicken. Then I put it in freezer bags and double wrap it with foil, label it and put it in the freezer. When we decide we want to have some tacos or a grilled chicken salad I just pop it in the freezer and add whatever seasonings we want! Super easy! It makes grocery day a little long but so worth it in the end!

3. Portable DVD Player! Ok, this is gonna make me look like a bad mom - but that's okay - judge away. I am known to keep my portable DVD player in the car so the kids can watch cartoons while we're driving around town. This keeps me from having near-accidents to keep the peace in the back seat.

4. DVR! Hello! It is so awesome! I don't have to be home when my fav show comes on or I can wait until the kids go to bed so I can hear it! Love it!

5. Labtop PC! What would I do if I couldn't sit here in bed and surf the net, blog, or watch movies.

6. Sonic! Anyone who knows me at all knows I loooove me a Diet Coke and I especially love a Diet Coke from Sonic! Happy Hour at Sonic makes it even better!!!!

7. Text Messaging! I HATE to talk on the phone and will avoid doing so if at all possible. This hate may have come from working for Delta for 7yrs on the phones. So anytime I can get what I need via text message, you bet your boots I will! I will NOT say how many texts I had last month. Thank goodness it's unlimited!

8. Iphone! It's the best! It literally never leaves my side. It's the ultimate of convience.

9. Crock pot! I use mine even in the summer so I don't have to stand in a hot kitchen and sweat! Also, the new crockpot liners are awesome!

10. Email! What I can't say in text message, I'll say in email!

Hope y'all had a great 4th of July! Sorry to bore ya to tears!

Just Hangin' Out!

2010-07-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer everyone! We are just hangin' out around town to keep busy! That is the theme of this summer - keep busy! We've finally gotten into a groove and neither of the kids have mentioned school unless we pass it! However, they have been spoiled rotten. They think we have to go somewhere everyday. We have been taking advantage of all the free or close to free things that there are to do around town. Here are some pics of some of the stuff we did this week!

In front of the Police and Firefighter Memorial in Fort Worth
Matt and Zade in the Water Garden.

We had to have some ice cream before playing at the mall.

Our spoiled dog, Big, is an indoor dog again.

Thanks to the Masseys we have lots of entertainment in our backyard now!!!!

Leapster learnin'!

He's still workin'.....

2010-06-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

Zade likes to lick the spoon and bowl when we make brownies! He's just like his Mama!
Isn't she just Fabulous, Dahling!!!!

Handsome and Honary all in one.

She looooves her brother, can ya tell!?!

My preschool graduate! Tear.

Zade with his Caterpillar teachers, Mrs. Jennifer and Mrs. Carie

Gracie with her Zebra teachers, Mrs. Andrea and Mrs. Stephanie

Matt playing with the kids during Field Day at Bluebonnet Elementary! He's such a good Daddy!

All the kids got smart and just plopped themselves down in the pool!

A few weeks ago I was given a CD with different songs on them that I could use for various slide shows I've been working on. At the time, things were so busy that I didn't get a chance to listen to it until one day in the car. This particular day was not going so good. I was, as usual, having trouble getting Gracie to listen to me and was just feeling frustrated. So we were on our way to get this Mama her much needed Diet Coke fix from Sonic when a song came on that I haven't heard in YEARS!! It was "He's Still Workin' On Me". And suddenly I burst into tears. All I could think was, " I've just been slapped in the face by God Himself" He was saying, "Would you be patient?!" The minute that song came on all I could think was how amazing of a child Gracie already is and how far she has progressed in her speech and development. Why can't I be patient with the rate at which she develops?! It's so hard as a Mama to balance my desires for my kiddos with my faith and trust in the Lord. So many times I see things in Gracie's eyes that no one else sees. I feel like I can understand the things she isn't able to say. Then there are times where I feel like I'm not at all in tune with her.

That being said, I'm seeing a new look in her eyes and my heart breaks when I see it. Gracie is starting to really enjoy socializing. She'll see a child her size at the store and just randomly say "Hi". I think that is so sweet. I can tell she so desires to have friends. The only problem is that she's still limited in her speech. It's to the point that kids her age can't understand her completely and she doesn't completely understand them. Because of that the other kids give up and move on to someone else. There are certain children she gets so excited to see and they just aren't that excited to see her. So when she doesn't get a reaction to a greeting she's given them or something she's said to them she gets this look of disappointment in her eyes. IT KILLS ME! That's why she plays by herself a lot or instead of playing will hang with me. People think it is because that's just what she's content to do but in reality it's just her way of coping - it isn't her preference at all. It's so sad to see that kind of thing in my child. I pray for her all the time that God will continue to work on her and bridge that gap so that she'll be able to socialize a little better someday real soon. It's a good lesson to remember - that children no matter what their limitations are have feelings and those feelings get hurt. This is just something that has weighed heavy on my heart today I needed to get it off my chest.

We're off to a pretty good summer. We're not doing too much exciting except making sure we're doing a little "school" everyday. That has been tough but is getting better by the day. My kitchen looks like a preschool! (It's kinda fun!) Here's some pics of end of the year activities we had going on! Have a great weekend, y'all! Let's hear it for the summer!

These are a few of my favorite things.....

2010-03-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

In the tractor we made for Zade for Drive-In movie at preschool!

Gracie lookin' distinguished in some fashionable glasses!

Serious gamin' at Putt-Putt!

See?! All snuggled up in Mama's bed!

Don't judge me! This pic is just too cute to not post! It's just his hiney, so get over it!

(This was while we were camping. He had to pee!)

My boy made longhorns with his suction ammo!

Then he put it in his nose!

about my kiddos!

It's been a rough week in the 'hood this week - the Mommyhood, that is. Gracie is going through a phase she goes through ever so often where she likes to battle it out about EVERYTHING she is asked to do. It has spilled over into school as well. So it's been a little tough finding joy in being the Mommy here lately but I have some awesome friends that are always willing to listen to me and make me gigle ALOT, and about the most inappropriate things, too. (You know who you are!) But I thought since I've had a hard time finding joy in life I thought I'd make a list of all the things I love about my kids. So be prepared to be completely annoyed by this mom bragging on her rotten kids!

1. I love it when my kids get excited when I tell them I'm going to church as if I just said we're going to Chuck E Cheese!

2. I love it that Zade knows no stranger. That boy will talk to anyone - and that's a big deal for me because my life motto has always been "Stranger - Danger"! Ask my sister!

3. I love it that my kids like to play outside. In fact, they usually aren't happy when they are indoors.

4. I loved it when I gave Gracie some cake after eating her dinner and her response was "Yum! Rock 'n Roll!"

5. I love letting the kids say the prayer for dinner and listening to all the random things they pray for like that "Papaw and Grandad will fix the tractor" or Gracie's "Thank you my God. Amen!" So sweet!

6. I love spending time with Gracie (when her body hasn't been taken over by some grumpy, stubborn monster) at night alone. She's a snuggler and will let me watch whatever I want to watch and is perfectly content as long as I keep on snuggling.

7. I love love love how well Gracie is speaking lately!

8. I love scaring Zade with the vacuum cleaner! (I'm giggling just thinking about it)

9. I love it that the kids like to watch old cartoons like Scooby Doo, Tom and Jerry, or The Flinstones.

10. I love that my kids love me even when I'm not the nicest mommy I can be.

Aren't I lucky? Thanks for listening. That was good therapy for this Mama!

A bunch of Happy Campers!!!

2010-03-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Ft. Richardson again with some fabulous friends this Spring Break! The weather couldn't have been more beautiful! The kids all got a long great and everyone had a wonderful time! We left on Wednesday and stayed until Friday night. It was so nice to get a way and just relax. My kids are so happy when we're out camping and so are Mama and Daddy! It was great to get to know the Munsons and Baldwins even better. I can't wait until our next trip. Here are the pics!

Four Days Late

2010-01-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

I'm lying (laying?) here in bed with a heavy heart and got to thinking about something so I thought I would share with whoever (whomever?) still reads my boring blog. A few years ago, (about 7) my sister and I shared a secret. It was a fun secret, too. My crazy sister was pregnant for the 3rd time. It was so exciting to be in on the ground floor of this secret. I had the privilege of going to the drug store to buy the pregnancy test and be there when it confirmed what we already knew. It was just a few weeks until Christmas so she decided to keep this a secret so she could surprise everyone at Christmas. We had so much fun plotting ways to break the exciting news to everyone, my brother -in - law included. However, only a few days later she miscarried. I could not for the life of me figure out why God was doing this to her. My heart hurt so much for her. I just couldn't figure this out. Finally, I read a story in the Bible about Lazarus. Lazarus was dying and his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent for Jesus, who was not just their friend, he was also a miracle maker. These ladies knew Jesus could heal their brother. So they sent for him but he waited 2 days before coming. By the time he arrived to Bethany where they were, Lazarus had already died. When Martha saw Jesus she ran to him she sort of questioned Jesus' judgment for not coming soon enough but quickly digressed by saying she knew God would do whatever Jesus asked of Him. Mary on the other hand, fell to his feet saying "Lord, if thou hadst been there, my brother had not died." Now these ladies had a lot of faith in Jesus Christ. Both of them knew that Jesus could've prevented their brother's death and miraculously healed him. But, their faith was still limited. Jesus did something even better than preventing a death, He raised this man from the dead! By doing this He showed just how powerful He really is. Not long after studying this story I heard this song. I have no idea who sings/sang it but it's called 4 days late. The song was written about they very story I just mentioned. It was about Mary and Martha telling Jesus He was too late to perform a miracle for their brother. But Jesus showed them that that wasn't the case at all. The chorus of the song says, " When He's four days late, He's still on time." This story just proves that God is always on time in our lives. Even when we think he's late. Things in life don't work out like we think they should because God has something way more awesome than the measely thing we asked for. We don't see the big picture like he does. This realization was such a comfort to me while my sister was going through her miscarriage. A month later, my sister became pregnant again, and gave birth without complications. I know my sister has 4 kids - one just happens to be living his or her life in the heaven with our Father. I can't wait to meet them one day. I never knew what a comfort this passage of God's Word would be to me until I had Gracie. There's so many stumbling blocks that we've come to concerning her. And we've always prayed for certain things specifically. For instance, why doesn't God just give her the ability to speak clearly. God is so powerful - why wouldn't He just do it? It should be an easy request to fill, right? But - maybe that's not the way it's supposed to be. Maybe God wants to do something even more amazing in her life. Maybe He wants to use my Baby Girl to show all of us how wonderful and might He is. And I know He will! There's a kids song I have on CD and I tear up everytime it comes on...it says " Our God is a great big God and He holds us in His hand. How wonderful to be a part of God's amazing plan"
Well, I said all of that to say this to my sweet friend who is mourning and hurting tonight. God's still on time! He won't give up on you!

10 is in!!!!!

2010-01-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful CHRISTmas season. I know I did and am a little sad it's all over now. Today is the first Monday of the New Year and I've been sitting here trying to get my thoughts together enough to figure out what I need to do this morning. It's a little weird today because for the past 3 years I've gotten up to take Gracie to school for her morning class but beginning today she starts the afternoon class. So, I'm a little off my game.
Since it is the New Year and it's customary to make New Years resolutions I thought I'd publicly share some of my goals for the year and maybe whoever (if anyone) reads this can hold me to them throught the year.
1. My first goal for the year is to do more for the Lord. I know people say stuff like that all the time but I'm very sincere about this. For the past couple of years, sadly, I've lived my life to please either myself or others and not really put my Lord first. Well, I'm tired of living my life like that. God has done so much for me I owe Him nothing less than to give Him my all. I'm looking forward to seeing what He has for me to do.
2. Second, my goal is to do more for my church. My church needs me and I realize that more than ever now. People look for a church based on what it can do for them or for a church that has people their age, or for a church that has a lot of "fun" activities - a church that makes them feel good. It's all about them..... but what do they bring to the table? God has burdened me for my church and I know He wants me to get off my rear and do more for my church. I love my church so much. I plan to support it in as much as I possibly can and I hope others join me in this. Our pastors and staff work their tails off and it is time we show our support in a major way and allow God to Bless us.
3. I plan to socialize more this year. I've been so bad about staying home in my little comfort zone and not doing things with my friends. But no more! I want to spend more time with my church friends, have girls nights, game nights with my family out in the sticks and play dates for the kids. Friends are so important to our lives and I want to savor it!
I'm so excited for the new year and what it will bring. So hears to 2010....may it be the best yet! Happy New Year!!!!

Zade acting like a puppy dog.....such a weirdo!

My crazy kids!

The sweetest girl in the world!

Her famous pose!

Mama's boy!

Merry White CHRISTmas!

2009-12-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful CHRISTmas this year! We did all of our family traditions such as making applesauce ornaments and baking cookies for Santa. This year we added 2 new traditions. We started the Elf on the Shelf which Zade named Taurus. Why, you ask? I have NO IDEA! We also did our interactive Nativity and the kids really loved doing that. It was a great way for us to teach them why we celebrate CHRISTmas! This CHRISTmas was probably the funnest ones since becoming a mom. Gracie really got into the whole Santa thing and Zade is beginning to understand it. We threw out some reindeer food for Santa's reindeer and put out our cookies and a Diet Coke for Santa. The next morning the kids were amazed that he drank all of the Diet Coke and ate all but half of a cookie. It was so much fun to see them try to fathom all of it! And bonus - we got a white CHRISTmas this year! How exciting was that!?!? I have to admit, though, at first it wasn't that exciting. We were at my parents' house in Godley when the Blizzard started blowing in and had to quickly leave. We left their house at 4:30p and didn't get home until 7:15p. It was the longest and most tense ride home ever. But nonetheless the Lord got us and the rest of my family home safely.
Well, enjoy my many pictures of all of our CHRISTmas activities! I hope you all had a wonderful CHRISTmas as we did! Happy New Year!

Princess Gracie Mae

2009-11-14T19:18:00.001-08:00

Here are the pics from Gracie's bday party today. She isn't 5 yet, though. Since her bday falls on Thanksgiving Day this year we decided to have it early. She had a great time with her friends and cousins and loved all of her presents! I just wanna give a quick shout out to Courtney who helped me decorate her Barbie Princess cake! You were a live saver, Court!

Lovin' The Outdoors!

2009-11-07T19:39:00.000-08:00

We took a somewhat impromptu camping trip this weekend with Matt's parents. We had such a great time. We headed to Mineral Wells but found out once we got there that they were all filled up. Not a major shocker seeing how beautiful the weather has been. So we loaded back in the cars and headed to a place called Ft. Richardson - none of us had ever been there before. We loooooved it! The campsites were so nice and there was hardly anyone there. Geretha cooked yummy, slap your momma good, food. (My favorite part of camping - eating!) We did a lot of hiking which oddly, the kids loved. Gracie would take off ahead of us then run back to us...she was so happy! She is such an outdoorsy kinda girl! The guys played corn-hole, and washers, and did a little fishing. They took Zade and thought they'd let him have a shot at it. Well, he was the only one to catch a fish! His first one! Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of it. The weather was great! I'll say it again...we had a blast! Here's to the great outdoors!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T19:21:00.001-08:00

Here's my Pics of Halloween this year! Enjoy!

Fall!

2009-10-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! We have been really busy these days. Gracie is in full swing with her Speech and Occupational Therapy as well as school. We are really starting to see an improvement in her speech which is super exciting. There isn't much else interesting going on. Zade is still the same old boogar he's always been (he takes after his daddy) but is talking up a storm and won't stop! But I can't complain! (Even though I do! Ha!) We went to the Shriners Circus a few weeks ago with some friends. The kids had a blast! Zade was scared of the clowns at the beginning but by the time we left he gave one a high-five then bragged about it all the way home like he was soooo brave! Gracie and Beckett got to ride an elephant! They thought that was awesome! The show was really good!
I've also posted some other pics of some random stuff we've done the past month. We had Old-Fashion day at church. That was a lot of fun! Gracie sang in the children's choir for the first time last week. She stood there and smiled the whole time. Thank goodness that's all she did. My worst fear is that she'll do something embarrassing like flash the whole church!
Matt and I celebrated our 11th anniversary a few weeks ago. We didn't do anything too spectacular. The kids went to my sister's so we went to dinner and a movie. You can tell we're getting old because that's a big deal to us now!
Tonight we're taking the kids to the church Trunk or Treat so I will post pics of that soon. And Gracie turns 5 soon. We're planning on having her party early since her birthday lands on Thanksgiving day this year.
Well, I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween and I'll blog ya later!

Just a spoon full of sugar.....

2009-09-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow....could it rain anymore!? My grass and flowers are lovin' this but my kiddos are not. We're getting bored in this here house! But I sure do like the fall feeling that it has brought about! I can't wait to get some pumpkin and apple scented candles for the house and to start putting out my little pumpkin decorations.

Gracie has begun her medicine and so far we are pleased with how it has worked. Her focus is more intent, she makes eye contact, and can follow directions a lot better than before. She brought home a coloring sheet from school on Tuesday when she was not on medication and when compared to the paper she colored on Wednesday on medication it is like night and day. I took a picture of it and will post it below! Now she will color for hours! (literally!) There have been a few negative effects that we will have to deal with....she's a little bit of a bully with other kids, weepy at times, and doesn't always eat lunch (unless it's pizza). We're so thankful that this is all finally coming together. Our goal is to get her ready for Kindergarten and I think that is very possible. God has been so good to her and we're so thankful for that.

She also started Speech Therapy and the therapist had good things to say. She was pleased with her ability to mimic speech and her attempts at speaking although most wasn't understandable. She also gets Speech Therapy at school to Tuesdays and Thursdays - so that's 3 days a week of Speech.

These days I've been very busy driving her from one place to the next between school, and each therapy session....not to mention the cost of all of this! Matt has been making the financial sacrifices there. He's worked a lot of overtime to enable us to afford this $400/mth. expense that we feel is well worth it! Zade, too, has been making sacrifices. The Cooks waiting room isn't very exciting and the few toys they have are getting pretty boring to him since he's there twice a week with me and Gracie. And bless his heart, he always thinks we're getting in the car to go somewhere fun and its usually just to take Gracie to either school or therapy. That's why he enjoys church and preschool so much because those places are for him. He's a good and patient little brother!

My grandparents are in town from Oregon and they came by to see us the other day. Below are some pics of my Papaw playing on the floor with the kids. Be forwarned - one is of his teeth coming out. It is to the horror of my Memaw that I post this one, but I thought it was funny. He used to do this to me when I was little and I was not fond of it! He's a good Papaw that still loves to play on the floor with the kids despite his age!

I'm also posting some pics of the kids at the movies today. We went to $.50 Monday to see "UP" and then we played for a while in the arcade. It was a great way to spend the rainy day! I hope all of you are staying as dry as possible. I know we're all about to go coo-coo indoors but I know we'll all survive! Happy football watching! It's Monday Night!

The Greatest Birthday Ever!

2009-09-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

My birthday was yesterday and I turned 31. I know, I'm an old lady. It's funny because I really don't feel that old. I know everybody probably says that but it's really how I feel. Anyways, I had the greatest birthday ever yesterday. To start the day off, Gracie wished me a "Hap Birday" and that in itself was the greatest gift ever. I have the greatest and cutest kids in the world. They crack me up all the stinkin' time! After Matt woke up we went to lunch at my fav restaurant, Chili's, (I know, I have low-standards - but I love it!) Then we headed out to my sisters. Anybody who knows anything about me at all knows I'm a big Texas Longhorn Fan and yesterday was the first game of the season! So my sister made my birthday party a Longhorn-themed party. It was so cute! She had a Longhorns table cloth, napkins, cups, and plates. We put on cute Longhorn tattoos and everybody wore their burnt orange! And just because you're a grown-up doesn't mean you can't have a bounce-house waterslide at your birthday party....that kept the kids good and entertained! My awesome brother-in-law made THE BEST food ever. We had grilled chicken drumsticks, ribs, and spicy sausage links, baked beans, potato salad, pea salad, and rolls. Then my mom made our favorite chocolate cake! While the food was cooking we played a fun game called Corn Hole. Then my clever sister came up with a Football Trivia game for all the adults to play and win cool Longhorn prizes!It was fun! Once the game started my sister and I showed my mom all about the world of Facebook! It was such an awesome night. I felt so lucky to get to be with my family and have such a great time! My kids always love going to my sister's house and so do I! So, thanks Crystal and Ashley for putting on such a fun night and thanks to Matt and my sweet little, rotten kids for making me such a happy, happy girl! I love you all!

Good news and First Day Pics.....

2009-09-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics from the first day of Gracie's school. I was a bad mom and forgot to take pics of Zade at the preschool. I think a friend took some so if I get those I will post them soon.
We are so super excited...we just found out today that Gracie cleared the waitlist for Speech Therapy and will begin on Wednesday! Yay! That was an awesome answer to this Mama's prayers! I can not wait to carry on a understandable conversation with my Baby Girl! Go Gracie!

Since I last blogged......

2009-09-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, good grief! It's been almost 5months since I've last updated this blog. Who knows if anyone even reads it anymore. We had a good summer...uneventful, but good. Matt and I went on vacation in June......ALONE! (woo-hoo!) We went to Canyon Lake again like we did last summer. We had a great time.....we "floated" down the Guadalupe River. I say "floated" in quotes because the water was so low at points that we had to get out and just walk the river. But either way, it was fun. We visited Matt's aunt and uncle in Fredericksburg.....Shopped in San Marcos (of course)....then went into town and went to the movies twice! It wasn't a super exciting event filled vacation which was a-okay with us. We had a great time relaxing and just being alone. By the time the week was over we were ready to get home and see our babies!
In July, Zade turned 2! Boy was that fun! We had a big swimming party for him in the backyard that I had a blast planning. I got so excited planning it that the invites went out like a month in advance! He had a great time at the party so it was all worth it!
The rest of the summer me and the kids spent swimming and working on our tans. (Their tans are a lot better than mine, sadly)
Gracie did begin her Occupational Therapy (OT) with Ms. Angie at Cooks. It seems to be going well but there is a barrier that we keep running into when it comes to her understanding of directions and her attention and focus. She is still on the waiting list for Speech Therapy through Cooks. Last we heard there are only 5 kids ahead of her and she has a good shot at clearing soon the waitlist since she does not need an afternoon spot. We are just really ready to get her in and see some progress. Life will be a lot easier on us all if she could understand what she is being told and be able to express herself. It was a long summer when it came to church.....our Wednesday night Kids Club only operates through the summer and therefore, the kids have to sit with their parents in grown-up church. Lordy, that was hard! Gracie did not ever grasp the concept of being quiet in church. First, she would want to go see Pa-paw who's currently preaching, then she'd just want to talk back to him like they were having a conversation between just the two of them. Man, it was hard. It's hard to tell your kid who you have on a waiting list for Speech to stop talking. Or to ask your ADHD child to sit still for an hour an listen to Pa-paw preach about the end times. Yeah, not easy. But - we survived and Kids Club is back and we love it!
Speaking of ADHD, we went to Gracie's follow-up appointment at Child Study Center a few weeks ago. We made a tough decision and have decided to put Gracie on medication to help with her attention issues. Matt and I have agreed that if this changes Gracie in any negative way we will take her off or have the doctor lower her dosage until we're satisfied. We do know that it will affect her appetite and we're not too thrilled about that. She's already a tiny girl but has recently developed a healthy appetite. Inspite of that, we're hoping it will help her to sit down and focus long enough to start grasping some of the concepts she's been slow in grasping.
School has just recently begun. Gracie started back to her PPCD class at Bluebonnet Elementary. This year she got a new teacher. I must say, I was a little apprehensive about this. We love love love Mrs. Morton and think of her as part of our family and part of Team Gracie and I wasn't sure if we...okay I could do this without her. However, Gracie loves her new teacher Mrs. Dahl and things seem to be going pretty well. They got a new classroom and conveniently are right down the hall from Mrs. Morton.
We also started back up at HCP this week. Zade is in a class with his buddies Drew and Ramsey. His teachers keep telling me he's a good kid, so I'm not sure why he's pulling the wool over their eyes, but they'll see soon enough! But, I'm really excited to see him grow and develop friendships that I hope last forever. They say he and Ramsey play really well together and fight really well, too. Lol.
Matt picks Gracie up from Bluebonnet on Tues and Thurs and brings her to the preschool and she's in my friend's class just next door. She seems to have a good time!
I'm teaching again with my friend Courtney this year. This will be our 4th year together. You would think we'd have a good system and be able to just jump in and be so organized - nope - not so much. I'm sure we'll get our junk together soon enough!
Oh yeah, and I'm still chipping away at my college degree. It took me all summer long to remember to register for fall classes, so I ended up being able to find availability in only 1 online class that I need to take. So....Music Appreciation (Jazz) it is....zzzzzzz. Oh well!
Well, now that I've wasted an hour of your time rambling on about NOTHING, I'll end. Night all!

Easter at the Darter's

2009-04-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Results from all of the evaluations are finally in!

2009-04-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hola, amigos! (Been hangin' out with the Ramirez's!)
Thursday we recieved word (finally) that Gracie qualified for Occupational Therapy through Cook Children's. We had been waiting about 3 or so weeks since the evaluation to hear back from them. She starts therapy this coming Friday at 245p and will do so every Friday. A lot of people have been asking me what occupational therapy is. No, it's not "on the job training" or anything to do with an occupation. :) We're not putting Gracie to work. The economy is bad but not that bad! :) Occupational therapy or OT as it is commonly referred to is therapy that enables those with limitations to participate in everyday life. Occupational therapy is about understanding the importance of an activity to an individual, being able to analyze the physical, mental and social components of the activity and then adapting the activity, the environment and/or the person to enable them to resume the activity. In Gracie's case those limitations are using her fine and gross motor skills. Most of these things are being worked on already with Mrs. Morton (her awesome PPCD teacher) at school - so she will get some additional assistance.

On Friday Gracie and I went to her speech evaluation also at Cooks. It was so nice because after the testing they made us wait about 20mins. so they could score the test and give us the results before we leave. On the test that they used, a child Gracie's age (4) should score between 85 and 115. Gracie scored in the 50s. Her speech is at an age equivalency of a 2yr old. I was not surprised by this but did feel tears begin to well up. I guess to hear it and see it on paper made me a little sad and just made it more real then it ever has been.
Anyhow, they recommend a 45min. therapy session once a week, also. However, the report has to be written up and sent to the insurance company then we get placed on a waiting list. This all could take about 2mths. The therapist was great, though. She gave me a book and some ideas on how to help Gracie in the meantime. She is also already getting speech therapy at school twice a week. Hopefully, she will be able to start therapy at Cooks by the time school is out for the summer.
People keep asking me if the doctors have said why Gracie is having all of these difficulties. The answer is no, they haven't and I honestly haven't really asked. Because to me - what does it matter why unless the why helps us fix it - which it doesn't. The only thing that matters is that we work to fix it. The real reason why she's going through this is so that God can do amazing things through her! And for that, I think she is a lucky, lucky little girl! I don't need to know why it is the way it is and I don't need to know how it is going to end. All I know is that God is totally and completely, 100% in control of Gracie's life and that's good enough for me! (And her daddy!)

Therapy Evaluations!

2009-04-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, everyone! Just a quick update. Gracie had her evaluation with the occupational therapist at Cook Children's several weeks ago. I was allowed to stay with her and watch the evaluation. The therapist did several "tests" and Gracie did a great job and was very cooperative. They asked her to do a lot of tasks to test her fine motor skills, like cutting, drawing line, circles, crosses....many things that most 4yr. olds do that are taken for granted. Then they took her in their small gym to evaluate her gross motor skills. They had her attempt to throw and catch a ball, pedal a bike, jump like different animals, and climb up and down stairs. The therapist wasn't able to give us an definite answer but said she was likely a candidate for therapy on a regular basis. (I agree) They have to score their tests and write up a report and will get to me, hopefully soon. (Still waiting) This Friday is her evaluation with the Speech Therapist. This one is a big one for us. We know she will be eligible and are eager to just get started. One of our struggles right now is sleep. We assume her restlessness is just a factor of the ADHD but it is really starting to wear on Mommy! Gracie wakes us usually at 12a, 2a-3a, 5a, and if we aren't already up 7a. Most of the time it's to use the potty but makes her alert enough to not be able to go back to sleep. It's very exhausting and starting to affect her behavior. If it continues to persist I may have to call the doctor from Child Study Center.
As you see from the pictures below we've been a busy family. We've enjoyed Gracie's blastball. The games are too cute! Zade keeps us busy asking to see Matt's "mo-cycle" and when we call him on it and offer to take him for a ride he says, "I 'cared!" He's a little smarty-pants and keeps us laughing all the time! He's a broken record when he wants something. Here we come terrible 2's!
Thanks for reading and please keep us in your prayers when you think about it! Have a great weekend!

HCP Easter Egg Hunt!!!!

2009-04-09T18:22:00.001-07:00

Gracie's first Blastball game!

2009-04-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

"Moddy!"

2009-02-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update....nothing major. Last nught as I was putting Gracie down for bed I was turning on the CD player for her and I heard her say "Moddy!" She was saying Mommy!!!!!!!!! This is HUGE for me. I was so proud of her. I felt like Mel Gibson in the movie "Patriot" where his cute little adorable girl who never spoke said, "Daddy, don't go! I'll say anything just don't go!" That is the saddest part of the movie! I love that scene even more now that I have a little girl who has had a hard time talking. I made Gracie say it again while Matt was standing there just so I would have a witness. It isn't full on "Mommy" but it's better than "Daddy" and better than "Ma-Daddy"! I'm so proud!

Gracie's doctor appointment

2009-02-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

Well, we went to the Child Study Center to see a child Psychologist. He was so great. He listened to Matt and I and our concerens and asked us questions. Then he got down on the floor and played different little things with Gracie to evaluate her. He tried to get her to build a tower of blocks, then imitate things he had built, he ran with her in the hall way, played ball with her and then he tested her on a bunch of pictures that he had to test her understanding of vocabulary. When it was all over with he told us he wanted her to get more Speech Therapy and to start Occupational Therapy which his office will set up through Cooks. He did classify her with ADHD but did not want to treat it with medication until some intense work had been done with her development delay. He is also going to have some genetics testing done on her to see what if anything is causing this delay.
So, that's how it went. I was encourage by the prospect of more therapy. I certainly agree that more work needs to be done and I'm ready to get these issues handled. Thanks to everyone who was praying for us today. We certainly felt it and know the Lord was with us.

Update on our life

2009-02-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a while since I've updated my blog. There are 2 reasons for that. One - I have shamefully become addicted to Facebook, and two - I started taking a college course on-line. Which brings me to one change that has occured in our lives. Yes, I've decided to go back to school. I have always regretted not going to college fresh from highschool or while waiting to have children after we were married. So, I've decided to regret no more. I had started a few times and excuses got in the way but I WILL finish this time. I'm going so that I can be a teacher like I've wanted to do since I was a little girl. I have about a million friends and family members that teach and I've told myself for years that it wasn't for me but the desire never goes away. So - here I go! My plan is to take one class a semester (including summer) until Gracie goes to school full-time which should be the school year after next. At that time I will quit working at the preschool (sad...tears) and go to school full-time. I'm currently taking my on-line courses at TCC and will eventually transfer to UNT. I'm very excited!

Another change that is yet to happen in our family is Matt's position. He put in for a transfer to Traffic from his current position in Patrol. He got the position and is looking forward to the change. His hours will change somewhat. He will work a 10hr shift compared to the 12hr shift he currently works and he will always have the same days off compared to a rotating 8hr shift on Thurs and every other Sun. off he has now. His new days off will probably be Sat, Sun, Mon or may be Fri, Sat, Sun. Either way he will be off on Sat and Sun. The advantage for me is that he will be home earlier than usual and therefore, wake up earlier than usual and have longer time to spend at home before having to go back to work. Currently he has 2hrs a day from the time he wakes up to the time he leaves for work. An hour of that is spent preparing/eating/cleaning dinner. It stinks.

An update on Gracie.....she got her progress report and it wasn't that great at all. We are working a lot on things at home as well but it doesn't seem to be sticking. I'm trying hard to not get discouraged and I refuse to give up. We have turned our 30mins. before bedtime into our own little "circle time". I have themed lessons, and games we play that help to reinforce the things she's trying to learn. We also use this time to do a nightly Bible study. The good thing is Zade is right there in the big middle of it all so I've learned how to incorporate him in it, too. I don't expect him to catch on to colors, shapes, and numbers but I always ask him to repeat the words so as to help build his vocabulary. Which, by the way, he doesn't need much help on at all. (As I write - he's in bed singing the Batman song to himself - a nightly ritual)

More on Gracie....we decided to again have Gracie examined by a different doctor regarding possible A.D.D. We did this prior to her 4th bday and it didn't go so well. The doctor completely laughed us off and didn't evaluate her at all. This time we are going to The Child Study Center - a place that has been recommeded to us by many. Hopefully, she will get the proper care there and we can get some valuable answers that will help us help her.

Zade's big thing in life has been a big boy bed. We moved him to a toddler bed several weeks ago. He does really well in it. He also got his first haircut this weekend. Matt and I have been debating with one another about where/who will give Zade his first cut. I caved and sent him with Matt to the barber Saturday. Matt said he did so good..no crying or fussing at all. I teared up a bit when he came home. It's amazing how grown he looks after just a simple hair cut. But it is sooo cute.

Well, for now that is pretty much all that is going on in our lives. Nothing earth shattering.

Christmas Morning

2009-01-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas Festivities from last week!

2008-12-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

Making Christmas Memories!

2008-12-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

Friday we went to Santa's Workshop at Bass Pro Shop but, um, Santa wasn't there. However, we got to write him a letter and color some pictures for him. We were able to play in the workshop and still have some fun. We will have to try to catch Santa another time. Friday evening Gracie and I made some applesauce ornaments. She had fun doing this! She's going to give them as gifts to some family members. Zade and I have a date to do this soon while Gracie is at school. I love doing things like this with the kids! It's going to get even more fun as they get older!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-11-30T09:53:00.000-08:00

Boy, was that fun! Zade kept trying to take out the red ball ornaments and throwing them like balls. He eventually got a spanking - he's kind of stubborn! Gracie was able for the first time actually hang the ornaments. They had fun!

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We first had lunch with Matt's family at Grandma Darters. After lunch we walked down to the school and the guys played football (some too old to play - no names - Danny!) and the kids played on the playground. While there Zade found interesting ways to slide down the slide. He refused to sit down and tried to walk down which put him on his head going down and he decided that was a blast and kept on!

Just as the Cowboys started playing we got in the car and headed south to my Nanny and Grandad's house. Zade immediately fell asleep and Gracie refused since she had a drink to keep her occupied. Just as we entered Godley city limits Zade woke up and Gracie dozed off. My mom, Nanny, and Uncle Doug had the food all ready to go so we pigged out! My Nanny makes THE BEST stuffing ever - it was so good. The guys ate in the back watching the Cowboys. After dinner Crystal and I played Uno w/Tristan and Kennedy then Nanny and Mom brought us all the ads so we could make our Black Friday Strategy. After those plans were settled we piled in the living room to watch the Longhorns beat the Aggies (Woo-hoo! Hook 'em!) while Zade came in periodically to show off and entertain us. He's such a ham these days! By the time the game was over we were all so very exhausted. Matt and the kids and I headed to my parents to spend the night. Mom and I got up at 4a and were out the door to pick up Nanny and Crystal for our traditional shopping adventure. We got lots of stuff and stayed gone until 1p. It was fun and exhausting as usual. By the time my family made it back home - we were all pooped. I love my family traditions!

The birthday that lasted a week

2008-11-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby girl is 4 years old! It's completely throwing me off. She's a big girl now! How weird is that?

Today's plans consist of doing whatever Gracie wants to do. She's played cook, dress-up, blocks, babies and is now watching the Dora marathon that apparently Nick Jr. planned just for her! We had her fav for breakfast, pancakes and for lunch we're going to McDonalds for a Happy Meal and to of course, play a while. Happy birthday, Gracie!

Top 10 Ways the Lord has blessed me in 2008....

2008-11-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

10. A nice house, that although it seems as if it's falling apart around me and is in constant need of cleaning...it's nice, it belongs to us, and it is sufficent for my family. It has seen Matt and I get married, go through Matt's career changes and struggles, bring home 2 brand new babies and watched them grow. It's our home and will always be. Thank you, Lord.

9. For the opportunity to be somewhat of a stay at home Mom. I love spending time with my kids. I begged the Lord for this job as soon as I got married and 4 yrs. ago He saw fit to give it to me. It's a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. I never knew the constant work that it involved but I'm so privileged to do it.

8. A part-time job that I sooooo love. I love teaching preschool. I've always wanted to be a teacher and this job helps me scratch that itch. It's taught me so many lessons and afforded me the ability to make some lifelong friends.

7. The fact that my kids get to go to preschool with me - for free! That's a huge blessing. They learn so much from at the preschool. They've had so many wonderful and caring teachers and made tons of friends.

6. Gracie's school! I have no idea where she would be without it. I'm so thankful there is a program like PPCD in this great state of Texas that allows young children go to school and get the help they need to develop properly and prepare for Kindergarten.

5. Gracie's awesome, sweet, and loving teacher! I'm thankful for her loving attitude she has and that she realizes that children learn best when they feel loved and comforted. She is a great teacher to Gracie and a huge part of my support system. I couldn't have picked a better person for this role in our lives. Thanks, Ruth!

4. Zade's "too-big for his britches" personality. With his independent attitude - it allows Gracie and I to have some one on one time to work on things she's trying to learn. His low maintenance makes up for Gracie's not quite as low maintenance.

3. Gracie's major sucesses this year. My previous posts have explained all of her progress but it bears repeating. She is growing up so fast before my eyes that it pains me to think about it. I'm so proud of all the hard work she's put in to get where she's at now. One day all of these learning struggles will be a distant memory but the work ethic she's developing will last a lifetime.

2. My friends! I have the greatest friends ever! They keep me sane and grounded. I don't know what I would do without them. I love you girls!

1. My wonderful, awesome, sweet, and handsome hunk of burnin' love, Matt! He is such an awesome support to me. He keeps me on track when I need it and throws me off track when I need to loosen up! He's a great Daddy to our babies and loves his kids so much. He's a hard worker and dedicated to his job. I love him more and more each day.

Gracie's Birthday Fun!

2008-11-23T21:16:00.001-08:00

This weekend we celebrated Gracie's birthday even though her birthday isn't until Wednesday. Her cousin Kennedy's birthday is two days after hers so we took them both to Build-A-Bear on Saturday. We had so much fun. Gracie was very insistent on her choices and what and how she wanted things done. She named her bear "Gacie" which is how she pronounces her own name.

On Sunday we had our annual Thanksgiving stew lunch at Matt's parent's house and had birthday cake for Gracie. Her and her cousin Levi hadn't seen each other in quite a while and were unusually sweet to one another.

Happy Birthday, Gracie! I love you!

The Wild Adventures of Matt and Gracie

2008-11-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

This story has to be published! Ok, so every other Wednesday Matt works only an 8hr. shift rather than his normal 12hr. So on that Thursday since he doesn't have to sleep as late he picks Gracie up from the elementary school and instead of her going to preschool they have a Daddy Day. This past Thursday they went to eat lunch w/his parents (Ma-maw and Pa-paw) then came home got Big (our Rottweiller) and headed to the park. Matt was smart and made sure Gracie went potty before they left. However, while playing hard, Gracie runs up to Matt and says, "I gotta go poo-poo!" He said it looked really urgent cause she had this panic look in her eyes and was holding her rear. The park they were at didn't have a restroom so he took her to a nearby bush pulled down her pants and held on to her legs while she squat and did her business! He didn't have anything to wipe her with so he took his sock off and wiped her with it, then used the sock to pick up her poop and throw it and the sock in the trash! Gracie happily went back on with their business, Matt and Big sat in shock - grossed out by what had just happened. He called me at work to tell me all about it. I couldn't stop laughing!

Gracie Update

2008-11-14T23:08:00.000-08:00

Today we had Gracie's annual ARD (Admissions, Review and Dismissal) meeting at her school. She mastered all but one item on her original IEP (individual education plan) and got a brand spankin' new one. Her progress has been remarkable within her first year in PPCD. Her teacher is so proud of her as well as (of course) Matt and I are.
We're getting excited about the upcoming holidays and Gracie's 4th bday! I can't believe I'm about to be the mom of a 4 yr. old! I teach 4 yr. olds! It just blows my mind. But, I'm a proud mama!

Halloween 2008!

2008-11-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Halloween was so much fun this year. In fact, it lasted a couple of days for us. The kids were able to dress up in their costumes at preschool for the Fall Festival on Thursday. Gracie was a Swashbuclking Sassy Pirate and Zade was a rockstar. Then on Friday Gracie dresses up for her school. After school both kids were sure to get a nap to rest up for the fun to come. After naps we re-dressed and headed to Ma-maw and Pa-paw's and then we went with Matt to his off-duty job. After that we headed to a friends house for a fun Halloween Party. The kids had such blast running all over the place playing with their friends. Needless to say, by the time we got home they were both tuckered plum out. Here's some pics!

A Turning Point.....

2008-10-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well, we are still in the process of getting an appointment with the Child Study Center to have Gracie evaluated for ADD. I'm not 100% sure this is something she has but I want to make sure I stay on top of things so that she gets all the appropriate help she needs. However, with her 4th birthday only a month away we have been seeing some very positive and encouraging changes in her and I thought I'd share them.
I've decided to start having her say her own bedtime prayers at night and here's how it went the first night. "God.....God.......God......God.......God......God........God......." I'm grinning from ear to ear at this point." God......God.....God....A-nen!" So sweet! A few nights later we were into a routine...I thought. I knelt by her bed while she sat up in it and said "God" multiple times. But instead, she got out of her bed and knelt by the bed next to me and folded her hands - so I asked her to say "Thank you for mommy and daddy" and she did. Then we started going down the list of loved ones - she even remembered one of her friends then proudly said "A-nen!" That was one of those moments I was sure to soak up because I don't ever want to forget it.
Another new thing that Gracie has been doing is getting herself out of the bath tub. One night she was in there alone while I scurried around the house getting some stuff done and I walked by the bathroom and saw Gracie, dripping wet, trying to reach a towel. My first reaction was to get mad at her for soaking up the bathroom floor until I looked at the tub and saw she had taken the time to put her toys all up and drain the water. That's when I realized she was just trying to take care of herself. Again, I was a proud Mama! She's been doing this every night since.
Speaking of attention.....at our preschool we had the Fire Department come to visit and the whole school assembled in the courtyard for them to give a presentation before each class got a turn to go see the Fire Truck. I looked around the room for Gracie because I was sure she was playing or talking but I couldn't find her. I asked my friend Courtney if she saw her and she pointed her out to me....she was listening. I know that doesn't seem like a big deal to most but for Gracie - that is huge. She was so interested and aware of what was going on. I almost cried.
Saturday Matt played in an ALL DAY LONG softball tournament. My friend's husband was playing also and so she came to hang out and watch the games with her little girl Ava who is about a year or so younger than Gracie. Those girls played together all day. Up until now Gracie hasn't really played with other children real well. She would play amongst others but not cooperatively with them. But she was sharing and they were running in the grass together and "talking" to each other. It was such a blessing for me to see. I had, just a day or two before, said I was looking forward to when Gracie would be able to better interact with kids her age. I think having Zade around and going to preschool where there are a gillion kids her age is helping in the social aspect of things. When it was time to leave the girls hugged, kissed and told each other that they loved each other. I almost teared up...again! On the way to the car Gracie said "I want A.D" (translation: Ava). I'm so glad she's starting to see what it feels like to have friends.
All in all, we're starting to see some real encouraging changes in Gracie and we couldn't be happier about it. I'm so thankful for all that we've gone through with Gracie. We've learned a very valuable lesson through it all and that's to "Be still and know" that He is God. He doesn't expect me to fix these problems...that's why he's God!

Pics of the kiddos!

2008-10-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Gracie lookin' cute in her dad's hat!

Zade wearing his hat - gettin' ready to go to Daddy's baseball tournament!

Gracie and her friend Ava - (a.k.a - "A.D") playing in the grass at the ball field.

Gracie looooooves her daddy!

Batman!

Oh! That face!

Lovely bed time hair!

Climbing all over Daddy is fun!

My little reader!

Havin' a little snack and watching cartoons after school!

Stackin' cans while playing grocery store!

They're starting to play together! It's so cute to me!

There's only a few fights - which I'm sure is inevitable!

Zade is rotten and here's the proof!

2008-10-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

He seems so proud of himself!
Ooops! Busted!
Gracie just got out of the bath and Zade decided to get in. And yes, there's still a little water in the tub!

Everyone is always telling me how good Zade is and never believes me when I tell them what a stinker he really is. So here's proof!

Gracie's doctor appointment.....

2008-10-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

Gracie's doctor appointment with the psychiatrist was today. She was there to be evaluated for ADD. I'm not real happy about it and still milling it all over in my head so I won't go into much detail. My main frustration is he didn't evaluate her at all. He asked Matt and I a few questions, tried to ask Gracie a few and then after only about 10 minutes said she's a normal 3yr. old. If this is actually the case - then great! But - he has no clue what Gracie is like since he did nothing with her to see how she functions. So - that being said - there is another place that I've heard lots of good things about that specialize in children's needs that I will probably try.
Ok, it's been long day and the kids are EXTREMELY grouchy and so am I so - I'm out for now. I'll have pics later this weekend of our church family retreat.

2008-10-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Today could have been a really crumby day. To start off, my co-teacher wasn't able to come to school today since her little boy was sick. I hate being by myself - for one, Courtney and I like to have fun and be goofy - so if she's not there - there goes all my fun. We keep each other sane despite a classroom of 19 4yr.olds (no offense, kids!) But the day turned out pretty good. The kids behaved really well. Those who nomally have a hard time leaving their folks had great days and my sub was very helpful. But then just as it's time to go home it starts pouring down buckets outside! "Oh, great!", I'm thinking. I have to carry Zade (cause we ain't waitin' around on him to walk when it's raining cats and dogs!), my purse, my lunch, my school bag, and Zade's backpack and hang on to Gracie to make sure she stays focused on our end destination. By the time we got to the truck we were all completely drenched and I still had to get both kids piled into the truck and buckled in while still getting rained on. But - I thought - oh well, so I look and smell like a wet dog - who cares! Once we got home and into dry clothes, we had a really nice dinner w/Matt. He helped me clean up the kitchen as he usually does and then he made sure I did my workout. The kids played nicely in their room and neither of them hurt the other while I was busy doing it. After Matt left for work I gave the kids baths and then they just both crashed and fell right to sleep. All on their own - an hour early! So - I took a bubble bath and read my book. Now, I just got done reading my Bible and came across the verse above. I love it when the Lord speaks right to me and my needs at the time. I spend so much time worrying and wondering why and how this are going to work out - and here God is telling me He has a plan! It's funny, too, because when the kids at school ask me where are we going or what are we going to do now I tell them to sit back and ride. Gee, do you think God is making me eat my words? He takes care of so well, even in the little things. I'm so thankful for my relationship with Him. I'm learning to slow down and make time for myself, not for my sake only but for Matt's sake and Gracie and Zade's sake. They deserve a wife and mother who takes care of herself and is mentally and physically intact. It's a lesson that has been hard to learn but - well worth it. Well, off to read and relax some more! Night, night!

What a busy weekend!

2008-10-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Zade crashing with Uncle Ashley!
Gracie devouring a cupcake at Ramsey's birthday party!

This is a busy month for us - especially this past weekend. On Friday, Matt and I celebrated our 10th anniversary a week early. The kids went to spend the night with my sister and brother- in- law and Matt and I stayed at the Worthington in downtown Fort Worth. It was nice to get away and just relax. Saturday morning we got up, ate breakfast, and headed back out to my sisters where we watched the Texas/OU game with the rest of my family. After leaving there we headed back to our side of town to our friends' house for a BBQ for their son's 1st b-day! We had a great time kicking back and visiting while all the kids played. By the time we got home the kids were completely exhausted! Sunday we had church in the morning then a much needed nap for everyone - me included! Then Gracie and I headed to another bday party at Chuck E Cheese, then back to church! Thank goodness Gracie doesn't have school today so we can chill out! This coming weekend will be busy all over again. It never stops and I actually like it that way.

Gracie has her appointment with a child psychologist on Thursday. They will be evaluating her for ADD. Her PPCD teacher is also having her evaluated by the Occupational Therapist (OT) to see if she needs occupational therapy. It seems sometimes as if Gracie is not aware of her body and might need help reinforcing her joints. I'm so thankful that Gracie is getting the help that she needs - early! God has richly blessed us with all of these resources! Last night after taking her bath Gracie put her underwear on all by herself! This may sound like a small accomplishment to you but if you could've seen the huge smile on her face you would know how proud she was of herself! I love to see her proud of her accomplishments. I'm always proud of her but I want her to be proud of herself.

I also want to thank everyone for their comments and emails of concern and interest in my blogs about Gracie. I hope you all know I in no way am looking for sympathy or attention. I am proud of who Gracie is and wouldn't change our life for anything. My point in telling people is so that she knows I'm not ashamed of who she is - neither the good nor the bad. So many times in life we tend to sweep things under the rug to help our image that we're trying to create. But my motto in life these days is, "It is what it is"..so why try to pretend its something else.

Anyways, here's some pics of our busy weekend. Y'all have a great week! Happy Columbus Day!

Gracie's fieldtrip .....

2008-10-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

Gracie- totally bored out of her mind!
At the duck pond!
Digging for worms!
"Fancy Chickens!"

"Wee" -ing!

On Wednesday Gracie went on a field trip with her school. Man, what a day that was. The whole trip was a disaster just waiting to happen. To start the trip off there was a mix - up with the buses. After that was finally resolved we stopped off at Johnson Park to play and have lunch! Then we were off to an "apple orchard". Once there - it was determined that there was a mix up in a money issue (long story). The kids seeemed to have had a good time. The presentations were a little long and somewhat over their heads - but all in all - I think they liked it!

Gracie is sick

2008-10-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

It's so sad to see your kids sick. Gracie woke up Sunday morning with a cough that sounds like a dog barking. So I took her in to the doc this morning and it turn out she has strep throat. She's so exhausted from not being able to rest well. Zade so far is okay - just a runny nose. I'm having real bad allergies. We're all just so tuckered out!

"Haaaapy Bir, bir!" to Matt!

2008-10-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Matt's 31st birthday! He's such an old man, now! Unlike myself! :) He got off early the evening before so he was able to wake up early and pick Gracie up from school as he does every other Thursday and they have "Daddy Day". So he was glad to spend his b-day with his baby girl. They had lunch at chick -fil - a and went shopping at Sports Authority. When Zade and I made it home from preschool I went to TACO CASA (his fav) to get him some dinner. Then he had to go to his off-duty job. So, while he was gone the kids and I went to the store to get him a birthday cake. Now usually I make him a homemade cake but when I mentioned it a few weeks ago he said he didn't want one. But while eating dinner he asked where his cake was and had no recollection of ever saying he didn't want one. So, the kids and I got him a store-bought cake and candles and had it ready for him when he got home. Even though it was store-bought - it was yummy. And - the kids LOVED it. On Saturday I will be taking Matt out on a date for his birthday. But all in all I think he had a good day.....I hope.

My Gracie is sufficent for me!

2008-09-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

A lot of you know vaguely about the struggles that Gracie has encountered as a toddler. But most don't know the specific details and some think they do but really don't. I want to clear the air and use this blog as an update on Gracie's progress so that others can share in our experience and use it as a learning experience along with us. So, here's the real scoop on Gracie.

Long before Gracie turned 2 we started to begin to notice her delay in development. Mainly in her speech and but also in other areas. I spent a lot of time worrying about it and thinking I was totally screwing this kid up somehow. One day I was driving home from my doctor appointment while pregnant with Zade and saw a sign for a Speech Therapist. I emailed them inquiring about their fees and whether or not they are covered by insurance. As it turns out, the lady who replied told me how the public school system offers "free" (school taxes) speech therapy for those who needed it.

So, after Zade was born and that whole NICU part of our lives was over, I got on the phone and got Gracie scheduled for an evaluation with Keller ISD. Once they evaluated her they informed me she is eligible and would greatly benefit from what is called PPCD - which stands for Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities. They did not specifically diagnose her with any one specific disability. She was enrolled at the elementary school half a mile from our house and began on her 3rd birthday. Gracie has a WONDERFUL teacher there and is so loved. Twice a week she goes to speech therapy with an awesome speech therapist. Before she began Matt and I met with the diagnosticians, vice principal, speech therapist and her teacher to set up what is called an IEP (individual education plan). This is a plan that is custom-made to Gracie's needs. She attends Monday thru Friday for 3hrs. a day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays she rides the bus from her school to our preschool.

She has been attending PPCD for almost a year now and the progress she has made is remarkable. Matt and I are so proud of her and so is her teacher. She went from not even ever attempting to speak to now spontaneously speaking. Her articulation is still a work in progress but we will take whatever we can get!

It has since been determined that Gracie does have what most people identify with as a learning disability however, those with any intelligence at all will understand that it is not a disability at all. Gracie is behind developmentally - but she is in no way dumb. She learns differently than most people. We refer to her condition as a learning difference (LD).

At this time, we do not know in what ways her life will be effected by LD -but it has so far impacted her life in various ways and ours as well. Well-meaning people treat her differently than others her age. Even other children treat her differently. This I know is something that we will have to work through and teach her to deal with as she gets older. But for now, as her mom, it hurts.

I know there have been rumors of her having other issues - like autism. So to clear the air - we do not feel that Gracis is autistic. We are, however, having her evaluated in a few weeks for ADD (attention deficit disorder) so be in prayer about that. There are some signs we are seeing that have caused us to suspect ADD -mainly, her lack of focus. Gracie is a very busy girl and easily distracted. This made potty-training difficult and other milestone - type lessons.

Throw all of this on top of toddlerism and a new baby and parenting has been the lesson of a lifetime! I have spent a lot of hours crying, praying, and strategizing...trying to find ways to teach Gracie all the things that a mom is supposed to teach their child. It's hard to find the fine line between helping your child and enabling your child.

I've said all of this to say - we are doing our very best. I know that when you're on the outside looking in it's easy to say how you would handle things. I know before we had kids Matt and I used to watch other parents and criticize. But now, we realize we probably didn't know all the facts. I know God has a plan for our family, for Matt and I as parents, and for Gracie's future. He's taught us priceless lessons through Gracie. I know Gracie is going to be a better person for all the struggles she will go through. I myself have learned to be patient with other children. Being a preschool teacher, I try to understand the parents' side of things more.

I'm thankful for the road that God is leading us down. I know there are mothers out there that have children with more severe disabilities than Gracie's and they are my heroes. It takes strong women to raise those children and I realize that now. God gives grace to us all....huh - I guess that's why we call her Gracie!

HCP Olympic Play Day!

2008-09-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Our preschool had an Olympic Play Day last Thursday. Each class got a turn to go to the courtyard and play different Olympic-type games. They had a good time. When it was over each kid recieved a gold medal. Gracie and Zade are still wearing theirs around the house!

So.....Gracie got a little bored one day......

2008-09-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

Gracie Mae loooooves to do art projects. One day last week she decided Zade needed some decorating so - she stamped him.

To blog or not to blog.....

2008-09-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I've decided to start my own blog. I'm hoping to figure out how to digitally scrapbook so that it will be cute. But for now, this is what you get. I'm not promising anything earth shattering here but, maybe someone will find it interesting! For now, I must go to bed and get my beauty rest before a busy day at preschool tomorrow.

4th of July in Godley!

2008-07-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Zade's 1st Birthday!

2008-07-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

A Day At The Lake

2008-05-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

Zade in April!

2008-04-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Easter 2008

2008-03-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

Pinkalicious Cupcakes! Yum!

2008-03-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

Snow in March!

2008-03-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

Just goofin' off!

2008-01-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T09:12:00.000-08:00