The Jenke Family

Summer fun

2011-08-10T06:54:00.001-05:00

My hubby and I celebrated our 10th anniversary this summer. We spent five nights in New Braunfels, TX. We stayed at a bed and breakfast, went to Schlitterbahn and The Natural Bridge caverns. I even managed to fit in a bit of shopping time!

The kiddos stayed with G&G J for the week and had a blast. Water play and crafts were the order of the day with lots of activities thrown in.

Have a blessed day!

Shaving cream fun!

2011-07-23T17:52:00.001-05:00

E and K had shaving cream fun at church! They played in and cleaned the tables with shaving cream! Fun, fun!!!

Have a blessed day!

Surprise!

2011-07-23T17:50:00.001-05:00

C's surpassed look when he saw his new bedding!

New bedding!

2011-07-23T17:49:00.001-05:00

GeoTagged, [N32.72413, E96.53603]

When C returned from his AR trip, he was surprised to find Mario bedding!

Nursing home visit!

2011-07-23T17:47:00.001-05:00

We took an outing to a local nursing home. We visited the Alzheimer's section and made a craft with the residents! C really enjoyed getting to know this nice lady!

Have a blessed day!

C in a police cruiser!

2011-07-23T17:44:00.001-05:00

C went on a field trip to the police station! He had lots of fun seeing how everything worked and also seeing the new building! Fun times!

Have a blessed day!

Slip n slide fun!

2011-07-23T17:42:00.001-05:00

E and K had a blast playing on the slip n slide at a friends bday party! It was early enough where it wasn't too hot!

Have a blessed day!

Princess Dance Camp

2011-06-06T15:46:00.001-05:00

E and K are going to Princess Dance camp three days this week. They are enjoying and looking forward to spending several hours dancing each day!

Have a blessed day!

K's third birthday!

2011-06-06T15:44:00.001-05:00

We celebrated K's third birthday this past weekend with a gymnastics party! She had lots of fun playing, having cake, and opening presents with all of her friends!

Have a blessed day!

Dance Recital

2011-06-06T15:41:00.001-05:00

E and K had a dance recital this week! They have both been taking dance lessons and E danced in two performances and K in one. They had a blast having family and friends watch them perform!

Have a blessed day!

Pre-K Graduation

2011-05-15T21:13:00.001-05:00

E graduated from Barn School today! She is growing up so fast! I can't believe she will start Kindergarten in the fall. I know there are great things in store for her future!

Have a blessed day!

Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-09T08:18:00.001-05:00

I had an awesome Mother's Day Weekend! My kiddos and husband are so important to me and they treated me so well!

On Friday, I had a Mother's Day tea with Emma's pre-K class. The kiddos sang so well. Then, on Saturday, I attended a Mother's Day luncheon at our church with my two girls, my mil and my aunt. It was beautiful. The theme was "Generations Gather". Such a good time!

Then on Sunday, gifts were given and lunch was enjoyed at a Chinese buffet with our family!

All in all a wonderful, great Mother's Day Weekend!

Have a blessed day!

Dressed for church!

2011-05-01T21:21:00.001-05:00

Grandma and grandpa T came to visit this weekend! The girls enjoyed shopping with grandma while the guys went fishing with grandpa. Then an early dinner at Razoo's! Fun times were had and some tears upon the departure! We can't wait to have them here again for the youngest's bday in a month!

Have a blessed day!

Family Easter Pic 2011

2011-04-25T20:45:00.001-05:00

We had an awesome Easter 2011! We went to church on Easter morning and then headed to grandma and grandpa J's house! Lunch, coloring eggs, and a hunt. Fun times! I hope everyone had a great Easter.

Have a blessed day!

Easter Program

2011-04-19T08:03:00.001-05:00

E and C were in an Easter musical a couple of Sundays before Easter. They both did an awesome job!

Have a blessed day!

C playing broom ball.

2011-04-19T08:02:00.001-05:00

This is C playing broom ball at church on Wednesday night. He was having a blast!

Have a blessed day!

E at the park!

2011-04-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

E on the climbing wall at the park. She was way up high! The last time she did it, she got a little scared and stuck, though!

Have a blessed day!

My fairies!

2011-04-19T07:59:00.001-05:00

K and E at a friends birthday party. It was a fairy party. Don't they make such cute fairies?

Have a blessed day!

Baby chicks

2011-03-20T06:46:00.001-05:00

C loved these baby chicks! He played with and handled them a lot! He was kind of sad to take them to their new home, but we can go and visit them.

Baby chicks

2011-03-20T06:45:00.001-05:00

K would not hold the baby chicks! She would touch them to pet them, briefly!

Baby chicks

2011-03-20T06:43:00.001-05:00

Grandma H brought down four baby chicks from her chicken houses for the kiddos to see and play with. They ended up coming back to Texas with us and have a new home at a local petting zoo.

Making play dough

2011-03-20T06:41:00.001-05:00

K really enjoyed the flour! She would smash the dough with the flour and thought it was so neat the way it felt! She had flour all over her.

Making playdough with Grandma T

2011-03-20T06:39:00.001-05:00

On Sunday night, C, K, grandma T, and I made play dough. C and K loved helping with it!

Spring break fun

2011-03-20T06:37:00.001-05:00

On Monday, we went up on Mt. Magazine. This is the highest elevation in Arkansas! We visited their nature visitor center and the kiddos had lots of fun looking at the native animals. It was so foggy that day! We didn't have much of a view, but had lots of fun!

Spring break fun!

2011-03-20T06:34:00.001-05:00

In spring break, we spent five days in Arkansas with my family. On Saturday, we went to Wye Mountain to the Daffodil Festival. There were flowers everywhere! We took loads of pictures and the kiddos got to pick some flowers, too!

E's 5th bday party

2011-03-08T22:50:00.001-06:00

E had an awesome 5th bday party! She had it at the dance studio where she takes lessons. They did lots of music movement songs and dances. Many of e's friends were there to help her celebrate!

Have a blessed day!

Happy 5th bday E!

2011-03-08T22:46:00.001-06:00

Today is my big girls 5th birthday! We will celebrate with a ballerina dance party on Friday night, but today she got a day of pampering! We started out with a hair trim and mini-manicure. Then on to a cupcakery! Lunch at McD's and then a little shopping. Then a birthday supper at Joe Willys! I had a great day pampering my E! Happy Birthday, sweetheart.

Happy 5th bday E!

2011-02-28T20:26:00.001-06:00

Happy 5th bday E!

2011-02-21T20:22:00.001-06:00

Snow Days!

2011-02-10T12:47:00.001-06:00

We have had an abundance of snow days recently! With so much time stuck indoors, we have come up with lots of fun things to do around the house. On our last snow day, we built a large fort in our living room using blankets from all of our beds! The kiddos had a blast crawling in and out if the fort. And were very upset when it was time to take it down. Ah, well, we can build another one next time!!!!

Have a blessed day!

Snow days!

2011-02-06T20:44:00.001-06:00

We got lots of snow and ice this week! C missed four days of school due to the weather and road conditions. We escaped our house one over the course of five days. I think we are all ready to get out and about again!

Have a blessed day!

Geocaching adventures

2011-01-31T10:54:00.001-06:00

We went geocaching again on Saturday. It was such a nice day. We walked along nature trails and beside a lake finding different caches. At the lake, we found this cove that had so many ducks at it. The kiddos loved watching them. We found six caches! Fun times.

Have a blessed day!

Father/Daughter Banquet

2011-01-31T10:51:00.001-06:00

E and her daddy went to the Father/Daughter banquet at our church on Friday night. They had so much fun spending some special time together. K can't wait for her turn to join them next year!

Rope swing

2011-01-31T10:49:00.001-06:00

Here is E swinging on the rope swing at the gymnastics bday party. Then she would fall into the pit of sponge blocks. This was her favorite activity!

Trampoline fun.

2011-01-24T10:41:00.001-06:00

Here is K, hopping down the trampoline at the gymnastics place. She did this over and over again. We were at a birthday party and both girls had a blast! Kara acted just like one if the big girls.

Snow play!

2011-01-09T18:19:00.001-06:00

It is snowing!!!! We went out and played and played in the snow. Snowball fights with daddy, a fire to come inside and warm up at, and mommy had hot chocolate waiting!!!! Fun times!

Have a blessed day!

Tinkertoys

2011-01-09T18:17:00.001-06:00

C did his first creation with his Tinkertoys today. He put it together himself and then serenaded me with many songs.

Have a blessed day!

Tinkertoys

2011-01-07T16:16:00.001-06:00

C did his first creation with his Tinkertoys today. He put it together himself and then serenaded me with many songs.

Have a blessed day!

The Science Place

2011-01-07T16:12:00.001-06:00

We went to The Science Place today! All three kiddos had a blast. They have dinosaurs everywhere as they have a dinosaur exhibit going. While we didn't pay extra to visit the dinosaur exhibit, we still enjoyed looking at what was on display.

Their children's museum is awesome. My kiddos always enjoy all of the hands on activities and never want to leave!

Have a blessed day!

2011-01-03T22:02:00.003-06:00

Family photo

2011-01-03T22:02:00.001-06:00

Our New Year's Day family photo! Connor has found an old camera of mine and has been using it to snap photos of everything. He organized us all for a family photo that Grandpa J took. So, I had him snap one for me, as well. Happy New Year's!

Have a blessed day!

Family photo

2011-01-01T11:25:00.001-06:00

Playing air hockey

2011-01-01T11:09:00.001-06:00

The kiddos got a small tabletop air hickey game for Christmas from Great-Grandma J. Daddy just put it together for some New Years Day fun. All three are enjoying some competition.

Happy New Year's everyone! Have a blessed day!

Playing Just Dance Kids on the Wii!

2011-01-01T11:07:00.001-06:00

Here is a pic of the kiddos playing Just Dance Kids on the Wii! They received it as a Christmas gift and it is right up their alley. They all enjoyed some familiar songs and some new ones. C is the one who really played it a lot! I recommend this one for younger kiddos!!!

Christmas 2010 Family time

2010-12-30T18:25:00.001-06:00

Well, this is our last family get-together of Christmas 2010! We ate lunch at the Chinese restaurant and then headed to the J's house to celebrate. We read The Christmas Story from Luke, as we do every year and prayed over our celebration and our family. Then, the present opening commenced! We are so blessed! Merry Christmas!

2010-12-30T18:16:00.001-06:00

Bye-bye cows!

2010-12-27T17:44:00.001-06:00

Kara went with Grandpa in his truck to tell the cows bye! Connor, Emma, Kara, grandpa, and I went for a last ride to see the cows before we head back home tomorrow. Until next time....

Geo caching in AR!

2010-12-26T15:29:00.001-06:00

We went Geo-cacheing in Pottsville, AR this afternoon. We found five caches in or around the Pottsville area. Including one in the parking lot of the church my parents attend. We took my mom along for the adventures! Fun times!!!!

Playing in boxes

2010-12-25T19:56:00.001-06:00

The two youngest cousins had them most fun playing in the boxes! They purposefully would rock them back and forth until they would "have a wreck".

Connor catching snowflakes

2010-12-25T19:54:00.001-06:00

We had snow flurries today! Connor and Emma had fun trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues! Nothing stuck, of course, but good to have snow on Christmas!

New blog app for phone

2010-12-24T21:44:00.001-06:00

Well ladies and gents--- I have got a new iBlog app for my iPhone. Courtesy of my Uncle Bo (Thank you!). He has missed my blogs and hopefully this will help me update it a little more often. It will only upload one pic per post, so they may be shorter, but more at one time. We shall see! Here I go blogging, again!!! Merry Christmas!!!

Testing blog app

2010-12-24T21:40:00.001-06:00

Testing pic size from blog so

2010-12-24T21:38:00.003-06:00

2010-12-24T21:38:00.001-06:00

Making Pecan Pies

2010-12-24T21:29:00.001-06:00

E and K made pecan pies with Grandma this morning. They had such fun helping her measure and add the ingredients and grandma T just loved it! They turned out rather yummy, too!

Cousins

2010-12-24T21:25:00.001-06:00

GeoTagged, [N35.27569, E93.09012]

It is so cute seeing the two youngest cousins playing together! Sometimes they play well and other times they fight over the same toys. :). Fun times!

2010-12-24T21:23:00.001-06:00

Christmas at The Teeter's

2010-12-24T21:22:00.001-06:00

GeoTagged, [N35.27569, E93.09012]

We are in Arkansas for Christmas this year! Tonight we had Christmas at the Teeter's. We decided to go with a Mexican themed meal this year instead of traditional faire. It was yummy and I am stuffed. The kiddos got pillow pets and a drum set and lots of other goodies. What a great and fun time with family! Christmas Eve gift, everyone!

Testing

2010-12-24T19:07:00.001-06:00

Just testing out a new app on my iPhone. May have to try it out.

Fishing For Books

2010-05-13T15:38:00.001-05:00

C's school has been celebrating books this week! Today they all got to fish for books. Each student got to take the book home with them and keep it.

Here is some pics I got of C.

Casting....

The catch...

Reading his book...

The Tiny Seed...by Eric Carle

Have a blessed day!

Singing and glamour!

2010-05-13T15:35:00.001-05:00

K has on mommy's sunglasses! Isn't she a cutie?

Tueday night, C's class had a performance after the PTA meeting! They sang some very neat songs and C did such a fabulous job!!!

Have a blessed day!!!

Spring Fling

2010-05-13T15:25:00.002-05:00

C's school had a carnival this past Friday night. Our family went and enjoyed it!

This is Connor going throught the inflatable obstacle course:

Now, it's E's turn: Ready, set, go.....

uh oh! She got out at this point! This was not her favorite part!

K and mommy doing the cake walk together!

A fun time was had by all!

Have a blessed day!

Bug Collecting

2010-04-29T15:32:00.002-05:00

Well....it has been a long, long time since updating this blog! Here goes...

About a week ago, C came home from church with a collection of lady bugs in an old playdough container. We poked some holes in the top and added some grass and there they sat! I meant to stop by and get a clear bug container to put them in so he could view them, but just didn't get around to it. So, today while at the dollar store, I spotted these bug containers and picked him one up. I, of course, knew I would be in trouble if I didn't get the two girls one, as well, so a purple and pink one were quickly added to his blue one.

After I picked him up from school, I handed them out and they proceeded to collect grass and leaves to feed the lady bugs and then went on a bug hunt to capture for their collections! I'm not sure anyone has found any other bugs yet, which means we may be collecting more lady bugs at church. (There were tons on that Wednesday night! Hopefully some are still there.)

Here are few pics of them with their bug collections and one of Kara bug hunting!

It is hilarious that K is hunting bugs as they scare her to death! She did get a kick out of seeing the lady bugs in C's container, though!

Have a blessed day!!!

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Birthday-- A packed trip!

2009-11-30T18:42:00.005-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving with my family in Arkansas! It is really neat to watch the interaction with our kiddos and family that they don't see that often. Especially how they play with their cousins. They all played so good together.

This is a pic of K playing with her baby dolls in the pack-n-play. She stayed in it for 30 - 45 minutes at a time. She put the babies to bed and then layed down with them and then played some more with them. It was too cute!

E was on a kick to fix peoples hair during the day on Thursday. She went around with a water bottle and brush asking each person if she could fix their hair. There were very few brave souls that allowed this. My brother, Uncle B, was one who did. Of course, the two that did allow it, had worn a baseball cap, and could put it back on after the styling was complete! My Uncle R also offered to let E fix his hair, but when he took off his cap, she declined, as their was very, very little to "fix".

E weilding her brush to her Uncle B's hair.

E spraying Uncle Bo with the water bottle. (This is her great uncle, my uncle! Can you believe you have the title of great uncle?)

We also celebrated C's birthday while we were in Arkansas. I like to do this with my side of the family, so that they can see him open his presents, at least every other year.

This is C with his "I can play" guitar. He plugs it into the TV and rock it!

We also celebrated Christmas with my parents and the cousins. E received some fingernail polish and lip gloss as one of her presents. On Friday night, she found some willing participants who let her paint their nails-- my uncle did make sure that it could be gotten off later.

Uncle Bo getting his manicure!

Aunt B getting her nails done!

Before we left Saturday morning, C & E had me taking pics of them with everyone that was there so that they could have it to look back on. Here is one I snapped with five of the six grandkids. (All except the youngest.)

We had a great Thanksgiving, a safe trip, a wonderful Christmas, a good Birthday party and tons of fun! We also fit family pictures in there on Friday morning. And some shopping too. An eventful and packed trip, wouldn't you say?!

Have a blessed day!

Turkeys, turkey trot, and more

2009-11-30T18:17:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am going to attempt to catch up on some blogging.

This is a pic of C with a homework project for school. His assignment was to use the copied turkey they sent home and decorate it with whatever materials they chose. They "dressed" the turkey. Then, they hung them on the wall at school. It was a family project that all could contribute help.

Here is a pic of E at her Academy Kid's feast. I got to run over to her table for a few minutes after I got Pre-K settled with their feast. The kiddos were so cute dressed up in Native American Indian and pilgrim outfits.

Tuesday afternoon, at C's school, they had a Turkey Trot Race. Parents and family were welcome to come and watch their child run the race. It was fun to see him run the race.

C crossing the finish line. K and I crossed the finish line with him. His daddy ran beside him for some of the race around the course.

E at her Thanksgiving feast at Barn School. I wasn't able to attend this feast, but left my camera for another parent to snap a few pics for me.

E dressed as a Native Indian.

When we picked E up, I snapped this pic with E and C dressed as Pilgrims.

Have a blessed day!

A Friend's b-day party

2009-11-08T19:06:00.002-06:00

Today, we went to a friend's birthday party. The kids got to pet and feed the animals at the petting zoo, enjoy the bouncehouse, play on the playground (including the gigantic sandbox), and do all of the regualar b-day party things! They enjoyed themselves so much! We are actually going to have C's sixth birthday party there, too!!! And that is in under a month, so I need to get busy on those invitations!!!

Hay ride time:

K in sand box. She stayed in here most of the time.

C in sand box. The playground has lots of really neat metal toys on it. They are the old fashioned kind-- so sturdy and the kids love them. (The petting zoo will be open to the public shortly and available for rent for b-day parties or other events. If you are interested, let me know and I'll give you the contact info :))

Have a blessed day!

My husband's new car!

2009-11-08T18:58:00.002-06:00

Well, we finally made the plunge this weekend! It was time to get my husband a new car. We bought a 2010 Toyota Prius. Here is some pics I snapped of the car and of my husband with the car!

Have a blessed day!

Dentist Appointments

2009-11-08T18:51:00.003-06:00

We had dentist appointments set up for all three of my kiddos recently. I was dreading taking them. C has been going since he turned three, every six month, and he has always thrown a fit about going. They would have to hold him down just to let the dentist do a visual of his mouth to make sure there were no obvious cavities. And they had never been able to clean or take x-rays of his teeth because of how he reacted. I can remember vividly one appointment with him-- I was very pregnant with K and had to lay on the table, with my feet wrapped around his legs and my arms restraining his arms. I think we had three hygenists and the dentist working with him. So-- I do not look forward to taking my kiddos to the dentist!

This appoinment went so, so much better! I was so relieved and pleased with the way they all three did. Below are the pics I snapped!

They even got a toy for being good out of the bargain! Sometimes bribing is well worth it!

C has to have four teeth pulled as he already has two permanent teeth in behind his baby teeth. They just didn't push them out of the way. That is next week!

Have a blessed day!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T17:53:00.004-06:00

Here is pics of my kiddos on Halloween. We went with a group of kids from playgroup and knocked doors for trick or treating. Then, we came back to the house and the kiddos enjoyed cupcakes and handing out the candy to trick or treaters. I think this is my kids favorite part!

K rode in the stroller most of the way! She sure did hold onto her bag tight and knew where the candy was supposed to go.

My police officer:

My princess:

Enjoying cupcakes:

The Jack-O-Lantern that my husband and kiddos did Saturday afternoon.

Handing out candy to trick-or-treaters:

Have a blessed day!

E collects most for missions and halloween costumes

2009-10-29T16:59:00.002-05:00

E's rainbow class (and all of the missionettes) has been collecting money for missions. E collected the most money of all of the girls and boys in her class and in the whole missionettes group! She received a prize for her efforts and got recognized in front of the group! She was so proud, as are we!!!

E receiving her prize kitty cat!

E with her prize!

The group of top collectors:

Today, we went to our local Kroger where they had a trick or treat time. The kids dressed up in their costumes and Kroger had one game set up, free cookies in the bakery, and trick or treat candy in the dairy department. I needed to get a few things anyway, and figured any excuse to get the kiddos out in their costumes was good. They had fun and loved wearing their costumes.

I snapped a few pics before we left.

C: my policeman!

K: my little lady bug!

E: Our princess! She also wants to be a princess when she grows up!

Pin the nose on the pumpkin:

Shopping: We got lots of compliments!

Have a blessed day!

Weekend Camping Trip

2009-10-25T20:41:00.002-05:00

My two guys went on a camping trip this weekend. They spent two nights at Joe Pool Lake with a group of other 5-8 year old boys and their dads from our church. They used our new tent and enjoyed this cold weather we have been getting! I think it got down to around 40 degrees the first night, but at least the rain held off while they were there! I sent plenty of warm clothes and blankets to keep them bundled up good.

They had so much fun and came home overflowing with stories about their camping adventures. On Saturday, they went on a two and a half mile hike through the woods! The boys got to use their walking sticks they had made to help them along the trails. C also took my binoculars so that he could spot things way in the distance. He also took a telescope he recently acquired at a yard sale and the boys all had fun gazing at the stars (at least once!).

C with his walking stick on their hike:

He fell in the mud and got his pants and hands all muddy!

They had campfires each night and even cooked a meal directly on the fire using foil packets!

C all bundled up and ready to sleep! My husband said that C went right to sleep each night, he was so worn out! He said that a lot of the boys were asking to go to bed way before bedtime!

Bro. D used the sword for an illustration in one of his devotions. Each boy got to hold the sword and pose for a pic.

C somehow ended up with a scratch across his face! No telling how it got there or how it happened.

Sitting on the bank by the stream.

C wading in the stream.

C is ready to go back to camp anytime!

My husband had a rather unfortunate incident with the only pair of shoes he took on the trip. As you can see in the picture below, the shoes fell apart--literally! He said by the end of their hike, parts of the sole were coming lose and coming out.

So, what do you need? Some duct tape, of course!!! Once they got back to the camp, he duct taped them back together. Guess it is time for some new shoes!!!

Have a blessed day!!!

Girls Day Out

2009-10-24T21:14:00.003-05:00

Ahhh....What a day! My husband and son are on a camping trip this weekend, so today, E and I had a pampering day. K was with us some of the day, as well, before she went to spend some time with Grandpa and Grandma J. E requested to get her hair cut "like mommys" at Sweet and Sassy (a store that pampers girls with up-dos, hair cuts, manis and pedis and much more!). So, that is where we started our day.

Here is E sitting in the chair waiting to get her hair cut. She also got her hair washed, but was very hesitant about it as she had to lean back so far. Then, the hair began to land on the floor.

The lady cutting E's hair.

K had to have her turn in the styling chair, too! (No hair cut off, though!)

Here is E's new do!

Next, E got a mini-mani. She got lotion massaged on her arms, her nails filed and painted! Of course, she chose purple polish, after all, it is her favorite color!

After the hair cut and manicure, K went with Grandma J to their house. E and I went in search of some good food! We ended up at Pei Wei. One of my favorites, but I was surprised she picked it. (And there was no encouragement on my part!) You can tell she is her daddy's daughter-- she was using those chop sticks like a pro. At her request we set up where they cook, in the bar stools. She wanted to set up high, because she is a big girl!

Next, we did a little more shopping. We went in several different stores at Firewheel.

Then it was time to head to the movies! E has been in an IMAX theatre before, but this her first real movie experience. We saw Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. My kiddos love this book and I have been reading it to E a lot lately. She was a little iffy about the theater. It was a little dark for her, too loud (she sure did wish they would turn it down. Could I please ask them to?), and she asked to leave several time. However, every time I was ready to leave with her, and I asked her if she was sure, she changed her mind. We ended up staying through the whole movie and she said she really enjoyed it!

I didn't get a very good picture, but after snapping the fourth one in the mostly dark theater, I decided that what I got would have to do, as I am sure the people around us did not appreciate the bright flashes!

Next, we did a little more shopping, went and picked up K, a quick stop at SAM's Club, and then on to dinner. E's choice was to have ice cream for dinner. So, we ended up at Braum's. First we ate chicken, chili, and hamburgers, then moved on to the icecream. (Yes, I had some, too. And the chocolate chip cookie dough with peanut butter fudge on top and a waffle cone on the side, was delicious-- not on my list of foods I should be eating, but delicious!) E had chocolate, as you can probably tell.

K doesn't care that much for ice cream, but loved eating the ice from my glass of water!

Here is a pick of K in E's pink dress-up hat. She loves prancing around in it!

Well, I guess that is it. The girls are both in bed and when I finish this blog and then one more on the guys camping trip, I will head that way myself.

Have a blessed day!

K In Her Hospital Pajamas

2009-10-19T17:17:00.003-05:00

K had her tear-ducts unblocked today. It was an outpatient procedure a local hospital. She had a little anasthesia that knocked her out. She did great and has continued to do great all day. I snapped some pics to send to my husband throughout the day so that he could be kept up to date on what was going on.

I had to take a close-up pic so that you could see the writing over her eye telling them which eye to unblock!

She was out good!

Here is a pic I meant to put on the blog a few weeks ago. K loves to try to keep up with her big brother and sister.

Also, this is another pic I meant to blog about! C and E slept in E's bedroom floor one night this past week in their sleeping bags. I, of course, had to snap a pic.

Have a blessed day!

Popcoren the old-fashioned way!

2009-10-19T16:37:00.004-05:00

My parents came down to visit this weekend. Came down late Friday night and left early this morning! We had such a fun visit with them, but, as always, it went too fast! They brought some popcorn kernels (some of them still on the cob) that had been homegrown by a friend of my theirs. My dad showed them how to take the kernels off the cob and my parents helped them make popcorn the old fashioned way!

Then, my husband had the oil heated up and ready to go and they popped the corn in the skillet. C and E loved watching this. It is the first time they had seen it popped somewhere other than the microwave!

And, of course, we all enjoyed eating it!!!

Have a blessed day!

Skating Adventure

2009-10-19T16:29:00.002-05:00

We went to a friend's birthday party on Sunday afternoon and had an awesome time! It was the first time my kiddos had been roller skating an actual skating rink! They have skates at home that they used a lot outside around last Christmas and the first of this year.

They had walker type things that they could push around and hold onto to skate with. E loved it. C wasn't so sure and did enjoy it, but not as much as E. I even enjoyed some skating time! I don't think I have roller skated since high school! I wasn't half bad, if I do say so myself! Now, before you go looking -- there are no pic of me skating! My mom did take some, but she'll have to send them to me. I'll try to upload some when I get them!!!

Have a blessed day!!!

K on the table

2009-10-19T16:24:00.002-05:00

K has learned to climb up on the table! She has recently learned how to get up into the chairs. C had carried his lunch to the table and set it down. The next thing we knew, K was up on the table enjoying his lunch! C was none to pleased!!!

The table will now be cleaned off at all times!

Have a blessed day!

We bought a tent!

2009-10-11T21:44:00.003-05:00

My son and husband are going on a campout in a couple of weekends with a group from church. So, we decided to buy a family tent. Of course, after we bought it, we had to set it up so that my husband would know exactly how to put it up. And, after it was up, the next logical question from my kiddos, was if they could sleep in it that night. So, we decided we would all sleep out in the tent.

Well, this worked for a little while. I finally got K to sleep. But, the other two had a very hard time settling down. They were so excited to be sleeping in a tent in our backyard! They eventually woke K back up, and after a fair amount of crying from her, I made my way inside the house to get her to sleep and in her crib. E followed us in shortly. My husband, and son toughed it out and spent the whole, cold night outside! They were bundled well and had plenty of blankets!

We'll try a family "campout" another time.

Here are some pics I snapped.

Helping daddy put the tent up!

K loved walking around inside the tent.

C and E were so excited and couldn't wait to play inside.

My husband can fully stand up inside the tent. And two queen size air mattresses fit inside. (Which we picked up on special at Targets grand opening sale in Mesquite!)

Good job getting the tent put up!

I think I blinded them with these pics. The flash was so bright in the darkness! When we went to bed in the tent:

Each of the kids had on their warm fleece pajamas with the feet!

Have a blessed day!

State Fair of Texas

2009-10-05T14:43:00.006-05:00

We went to the Texas State Fair today! C, E, and K really enjoyed it! C and E rode lots of rides. I snapped lots of pics and have uploaded quite a few today. Sorry there are so many, but they are all so good! Enjoy!

Canoe ride--

E drove the fire truck and C stood in the lift and sprayed the water on the fire!

They both enjoyed the swings! E rode this twice.

The train ride made all kinds of animal noises.

The hot air balloon ride went up and down and spun around! E was ready to get off by the time this one was over!

C rode the planes by himself. (Also the bumper cars by himself.)

K got to ride one ride. Mommy had to ride too, so she could get on. It is a kiddie version of the tilt a whirl, but it is a big bear that you can spin around and around. K started saying bear, bear as soon as she caught sight of them. So, when they rode these, we decided to let her try and she loved it!!!

After we finished riding, we let them play one game. They each chose a duck and got a small prize!

Next, we made our way to the petting zoo! They had all kinds of animals-- llamas, camels, zebras, horses, cows, ducks, emus, ostriches, pigs and piglets, deer, and many more. C loved letting the animals eat out of his hands or the shovels provided. E was a little more hesitant and would pour the feed for them, but didn't want them too close. K just wanted to look!!!

K really likes birds of any kind. She loved the ducks!

C feeding the emu.

I would never miss a picture taking opportunity!!!

Our favorite food to get is a turkey leg! C and E had to have a few tastes, too, and really liked them! K got a few bites in, as well!

Daddy, C, E, and K in front of Big Tex!

Have a blessed day!

Family Time at the Arboretum

2009-10-03T12:44:00.004-05:00

We had a family trip to the Arboretum today! We love to go every year to the pumpkin patch area. They have tons of pumpkins, a hay bale maze, a pumpkin house, and lots of neat things to view. And, I LOVE the picture taking opportunities! There are so many great shots--if you can get your kiddos to cooperate. I think I got some really great shots this year and thought I would share a few with everyone!

Family shot. Just couldn't get K to look at the camera when the others were too!

This is the first pic of the day that K actually posed for. She wasn't into the picture taking thing!

A nice lady snapped a pic of all of us!

It is a must to take a picnic lunch when you go! Here is our family picnic time!

These plants matched E's shirt so well, that I just had to take a pic!

Have a blessed day!

Quick trip to AR

2009-09-30T15:42:00.005-05:00

We made a quick trip to Arkansas this past weekend. My grandparents had new baby chickens, so Grandma H brought a boxful down for her great-grandchildren to play with! C loves holding them and was so excited she brought them down. E doesn't want much to do with them. And K isn't quite sure if she likes them or not.

K and her cousin J were sitting in the floor playing. K was a little bit jealous when I would try to hold J.

Also, K decided she would take J's pacifier and J was none too happy about it!

There were many, many four-wheeler trips to look at the cows and just to ride. C and E were on there minutes after we arrived! K isn't too sure about it yet. C even got to help hook up the mowing machine to the tractor and mow some hay with Grandpa.

We went in so that I could attend the funeral of a man who meant so much to lots of his friends and family! I saw many, many friends that I haven't seen in a long while. And, of course, I got my Taco Villa! It was so good to catch up with everyone and spend some extra time with my family and friends! I love you guys!

Have a blessed day!

Hanging out with daddy

2009-09-24T20:50:00.003-05:00

The kiddos were playing around with their daddy after he came home from work. Here is E dunking the basketball.

Hang time!

K likes to sit on the basketball!

Have a blessed day!

Fire helmets and awards banquet

2009-09-24T20:38:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday at school, a fireman came to talk to our students. They all got to ask questions and try on his helmet. It was so heavy, E could barely hold her head up with it on!

Wednesday night, we had the Children's Program Missionettes and Royal Rangers awards banquets. C got to show off the walking sticks they made in Royal Rangers. He is so proud of it!

Walking off the stage!

E showing off her badges on her Rainbow vest!

C and E's showing us their awards certificates!

Have a blessed day!

Daddy Painting Fingernails and Fixing Mommy's Hair

2009-09-22T20:28:00.002-05:00

E has been begging someone to paint her fingernails and toenails. This morning, she asked my huband before he went to work, if he would paint them and he said he would tonight if he had time! So, right before bed, he remembers and makes E's day by painting her fingernails and toenails! He is such a wonderful daddy! I, of course, had to snap a few pics of it!

After they are all done:

Earlier this evening, E was brushing my hair and putting barettes in it. She had up to five barettes at one time. She would brush my hair "just right" then put the barettes in, then start over again! I love for someone else to brush my hair! And I love for E to fix and just spend the time with me!

Have a blessed day!

Honor Rainbow and Choir

2009-09-22T10:14:00.003-05:00

Sunday at church C was crowned as an Honor Rainbow! My husband and I escorted him up to the stage where he received his awards, his crown, and a trophy. He earned 23 badges throughout the 2 and a half years. He also received recognition for the memory verses he learned throughout that time.

We are so proud of him for achieveing this level and for all of his hard work!

Before the crowning, the rainbow choir sang two songs for the congregation. Here are a few pics of E and C singing.

Have a blessed day!

C gets to play in the puddle, too!

2009-09-14T15:15:00.002-05:00

See, I kept my promise! C got to play in the puddles right after we got home from school! E and K got to wade a little more, as well. Of course, C's time of play was short lived as he put K in the deeper puddle and she took a face-first fall that soaked her! It was back inside to clean up and then sit in time out for him.

Have a blessed day!

Dressed-Up girls and splashing in puddles

2009-09-14T13:15:00.002-05:00

E and K were playing dress up today and putting on a dance show for us! It was so adorable. K is just getting to the stage where she likes to dress-up and she will twirl around and around when you tell her to dance!

Shhhhh... don't tell C that we splashed in the puddles without him! (I will let him splash around after school!) E and K enjoyed splashing in the lake out in front of our house. E especially. K wasn't so sure what to think of it at first, but decided to give it another try and really enjoyed stomping in the puddle.

Have a blessed day! (I will have another post when we splash in the puddles when C gets home!)

A fun-filled Family Day

2009-09-12T21:24:00.004-05:00

We had a family day, today! C had requested that we visited the Science Place today. We haven't really done a lot of extra things like that since school started so, we decided this was a great idea! Below are some of the pics I snapped while we were there.

C, E, and K with their ant hats on and the ant hill behind them.

C the spider!

C riding the John Deere tricycle around the farm area.

E finally figured out how to work the pedals! She was so proud of herself and I think she would have ridden around the small track for a really long time!

K had to have something to ride, as well. She also wouldn't let go of her bag very easily! She collected fruits and vegetable in it before coming to "ride".

K dressed up as a firefighter. The clothes were just a little big, but since brother and sister was doing it, she had to as well!

After we left the Science Place, we moved on to a late lunch. We ate at The Magic Time Machine. It was yummy. This is a restaurant where the waiters dress up as characters from movies. We had a lady from Lilo and Stitch. (Which C and E had no clue about, having never seen the movie!)

They did get their pics taken with some of the other waiters and waitresses.

E with Cinderella:

C with the pirates:

E with Snow White:

Have a blessed day!

Happy Birthday to my Husband!

2009-09-04T14:21:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband! Better late than never, right? We did celebrate his birthday this past Monday, but I am just now getting a chance to blog about it.

The kids serenaded their daddy with "Happy Birthday" before he left for work.

Then, his mom and dad fixed him a birthday dinner at their house on Monday evening. He had requested Gumbo and grilled shrimp. It was delishish! C and E loved it, too!

Here is a pic of C with his bowl of Gumbo:

His mom also fixed a cake for him. It had chocolate frosting and pudding inbetween the layers! Yum!

Birthday hug for dad!

Blowing out the candles! C and E had to help out a little!

Enjoying the cake!

Have a blessed day!

K and E's first day at Academy Kids

2009-08-26T15:43:00.003-05:00

Today was K and E's first day at Mother's Day Out! K got to move up to a new big girl class! They said she did really well. I snapped her pic outside like I did for C and E on their first days-- but K did not want to stand still. These were the best I could do.

E in her MDO classroom. She is super excited to be in a class where they don't have to take a nap! She had a great first day too.

I also started teaching today. I teach at a MDO two days a week and this year I get to teach the Pre-K class. Today was long, but went really well! I can't wait to watch these kids grow and learn throughout the year!

C did really well at Kindergarten today. He seems to tell me a little more about it each day. Today, he said he talked a lot more to the little boy he sits next to and even played with him at recess! He also told me about P.E. and that they had a race today. And he was super excited about going to the computer lab and getting to play on the computer. On the other hand, he was none to excited that instead of having playdough to play with when they first arrived, they had a math worksheet to do instead! He is none too pleased with the work part of school!!!

It was a little better at drop-off today. I gave him hugs and kisses at the classroom door. Still some tears, though! :(

Have a blessed day!

First Day of Barn School

2009-08-25T12:41:00.002-05:00

E was so excited that today was her first day of Barn School. She couldn't wait until it was her turn to go. On the way thiws morning, E said, "Mommy, I'm not going to cry and you don't even have to walk in with me." Of course, I did walk her in! She did great and didn't shed one tear!!!

Pic before we left the house:

Pic outside the barn:

Pic at her desk:

C had a better time at drop off today, too. I walked him in again, but this time I only took him to his desk and then left after a quick hug and kiss. There were not near as many tears as yesterday. Tomorrow, I will drop him off at the door of his classroom. We are slowly making progress. Next week, I will start dropping him at the front entrance!

Have a blessed day!

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-24T14:14:00.004-05:00

C's first day of Kindergarten! C was super excited about the first day. He was excited before we left the house, he was excited as we drove to school, he was excited as we walked into the school, he was excited while we waited for his teacher, he was excited while we found his desk and he sat at it, BUT when it was time for daddy and mommy to leave, he WAS NOT excited! He got me in a hug around my neck and would not let go! That is when the tears started. I finally managed to escape from the hug and told him bye and left the room with daddy following a little behind me. I know that he did fine after we left. He has already told us all about his good day and was all smiles when we picked him up! C has always had separation issues!!!

The first two pics were taken before we left the house.

This is C at his table at school when we first arrived.

This is C and his teacher, Mrs. T, on meet the teacher night.

We walked to school to get him this afternoon. Here is some of us on the way back.

Have a blessed day!!!

Flipping Kids!

2009-08-19T10:12:00.002-05:00

My husband caught this pic for me of all three kiddos turning flips together. This is a new accomplishment for K and we were so surprised the first time we saw it.

She has also started giving kisses more often and will make kissing noises! She is just growing by leaps and bounds and getting smarter every day!

The last few weeks have been so busy! I have been off of MDO for the last two weeks and had lots of appointments scheduled, playgroups, and things I wanted to get accomplished.

Today, we are going to the opthamologist to get K's tear ducts unblocked and for E's yearly check-up. I'll probably cry along with K at her appt.

I will be going to the Women of Faith Conference this weekend and can't wait! I'll have to tell you all about it.

Have a blessed day!

Lasts

2009-08-19T10:04:00.002-05:00

This past Thursday was C's last day of barn school. Here is a pic of him and Mrs. R. He will start Kindergarten next Monday. :( Kind of sad, but I think he is ready. He will miss barn school and his friends there.

They did water balloons at the end of the day at barn school. I got there early enough to see them finishing up and snapped a few pics.

This last Monday, was our last official playgroup before all of them started Kindergarten. They have know each other since they were six to nine months old, respectively. We have met weekly for the last 4 1/2 to 5 years! We are still planning to meet on one or two afternoons per month so that we can all keep in touch.

Have a blessed day!

Helping Grandpa J and presents from PA

2009-08-19T09:57:00.002-05:00

Two Sundays ago, C and E decided to help Grandpa J at church. They helped him put the offering bags on the seats they were supposed to be on for the ushers to use. They love helping and it is so cute to see them "working." Of course, K had to toddle along behind, so that she could "help" as well.

Grandma J took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family there. She brought back some presents for my kiddos. K and E are wearing bonnets such as the Amish girls would wear.

C has a pencil sharpener shaped like an amish horse and buggy! He came home and sharpened at least ten pencils with it!

Have a blessed day!

My Penguins

2009-08-19T09:52:00.003-05:00

It's catch up time! I have not blogged in a while, so let's see what all I have to catch up on.

I snapped these pics two Saturday's ago. I thought they were adorable. I wrapped K in this penguin towel and after I dried her off, E had to put it on too and wear it around a little while. So, since I had a pic of the other two in it, I had C put it on too, so I could have one of all three as penguins!!!

Have a blessed day!

Water Day at Academy Kids

2009-08-07T17:51:00.003-05:00

Today was water day at Academy Kids Mother's Day Out! We were celebrating the last day of MDO for the summer. What a fun time. C and E had a blast as well as all of the other kiddos! Here are a few pics I snapped of each of them.

E would follow C up to the top of the slide and then they would slide down together. Until E decided she wanted to do it "by myself."

Forwards, backwards, on their belly, jumping and bouncing/sliding down, anything went! And they tried it all. Especially the older boys!!! But, what a fun time!

Have a blessed day!

Smores, backpacks, and baby dolls!

2009-08-05T15:04:00.002-05:00

This pic was taken right after K got up yesterday morning. She loves to hold any and all babies and likes stuffed animals to cuddle with, too. She got her daddy to bring her all the babies and stuffed animals she could see.

Our three kiddos!

We gave C his new backpack and lunch box for the start of kindergarten. He is excited, but seems a little hesitant too. He has said several times that he knows he won't get to spend as much time with me when he starts Kindergarten!

He seemed to like the back pack, but was a little quiet about it. It may be a rough time at the start.

Today, at Mother's Day Out we made smores in the Pre-K class. They were yummy, but messy! The kids loved them! Only one more day left of MDO for the summer. Then a two week break before the fall session starts.

Have a blessed day!

Wii Fun!

2009-08-03T21:04:00.004-05:00

We have been playing on the Wii tonight. Below is C, E, and myself exercising. We are balancing on one foot and holding it (without falling) for 30 seconds. C is using the stool as his balance board.

My husband got a new Wii game for his birthday (a month early). It is Wii Sports Resort. He knew he was going to get it for his birthday, so when the opportunity arose, we just went ahead and bought it.

It has a sword fighting challenge on it. C is playing it below and loves it! It is so much fun to watch him brandishing the sword and fending off his opponents. He says they look light light sabers!

I failed to blog about mine and my husband's recent anniversary. Tuesday, July 28 was our 8 year anniversary! C and E were in Arkansas with my parents, K was at my husband's parents all day and spent the night with them, and my husband took the day off. We spent a wonderful day together filled with many adventures!

We started off with breakfast at La Madeline's. Then went on to the Farmer's Market where we perused the local produce. Next we walked around the West End breifly and then headed to Central Market where we had a light lunch from their ready-made selections. After that, we headed for our massage appointments to get in some relaxation. Next, we found a Starbucks close by our dinner location and spent a couple hours there, just sipping coffees (Caramel Macchiato, for me) and enjoying each others company. Then, on to dinner at Simpy Fondue! We had the waiter snap a picture of us and I captured the chocolate fondue!

Our anniversary date day was awesome! My husband is so loving and I enjoyed just getting the "us time" to appreciate each other! I am so blessed and looking forward to the many years that God blesses us with!

Chocolate Fondue-- We got Cheesecake to dip in it as well as the other delectables that normally come with it (marshmallows, strawberries, rice krispy treats, brownie bites, and banana pieces).

Have a blessed day!

Family pics

2009-08-02T19:52:00.003-05:00

Recently, we had family pictures taken. We had not done this in over a year. I love them! Here is my favorite one of the five of us.

A friend of mine, Susie, took them. She takes awesome pictures. Her website is http://www.adorablephotography.com/ , if you are interested.

Also, she took K's one year pics. Here is a few cute ones.

Sorry it has been a while since I have posted any blogs. We have had two different sets of family in, VBS, swimming lessons, and many other activities this summer. I have kept of with some of them on the blog, but many have fallen to the side.

For the last week, C and E have been at my parents in Arkansas. They should be home later tonight, and I cannot wait to see them. I know they have had a blast, but it is time for them to be home so that I can smother them with hugs and kisses! I can't wait to see them.

Have a blessed day!

Amazing Jakes

2009-07-20T22:24:00.003-05:00

Today we went to Amazing Jakes with Grandma J and cousin R. We played miniature golf, rode the carusel, train, go-karts, played arcade games, and ate pizza.

C playing miniature golf.

E playing miniature golf.

K "playing" minature golf. K begged and begged to get a hold of the ball. She kept trying to get down, but if we let her she would chase after the ball that was being hit. Finally, C let her hold his ball while the others were hitting. She took the ball, expressed she wanted down, and went straight to the hole and very, very proudly dropped it in! She looked up at us with the biggest grin. Then proceeded to get it out again and do it over and over. She was a pro!

Flying the space ships! E started off really liking this ride, but quickly wanted nothing to with it. Each rotation by us, her face became more and more upset, until it became full-blown crying. Poor baby!

C flying the space ship.

On your mark, get set, go! We raced around and around the go-kart track. E, K, R, and I all had a blast.

Cousin R with E

Mommy and C-- Vrooom....

K loved to play in the toddler area.

Cousin R got me on the dance revolution style video game. I don't have a picture of it, but I'm sure it was quite amusing to watch! I had a blast trying to keep up with R, though!

Have a blessed day!