Srp Stories

Birthday Invitation

2012-02-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pinterest, I was inspired to do a picture invitation for Crockett's 1st birthday party. He is usually pretty good at sitting and looking at the camera so I was hopeful.

My inspiration came from photos like these...

Here is the invitation that we sent out. It was mounted on navy blue card stock and mailed in a kelly green envelope.

I was beyond THRILLED that it worked. We actually got a picture of him with the party hat and tie on, balloons in the back ground and Crockett is smiling... to top it off he is LOOKING at the camera!

How did we do it? I'm not sure... but I do know that my husband is a really good sport. He did some silly dancing and voices behind me. He is a fabulous assistant!

The invitation picture is misleading though. Crockett was not giggly and smiling the whole time. In fact he was not very excited with this little adventure.

It started off good... then I remembered that we left the party hat in the car.

"Wait. Y'all want me to smile? How about a blank stare?"

"Or, what if I sing?"

I have about 10 shots just like this... Daddy was consoling Crockett while I worked on the lighting.

"What is with the neck tie mom? Enough already, take it OFF!"

"Dear God, Please let this end soon!"

"I am miserable! Please make it STOP!"

By this point... we gave up and decided to try again another day.

As we walked back to the car I was super bummed. Then I thought maybe we can try one more time. The light had changed and the wind had died down.

Guess what? This was the first and last one! Success!

As we drove back to the house I was a giddy mommy! It worked! We had the perfect picture for the invitation!! Crockett was pumped because we were done, Daddy was pumped because we were done, and I was pumped because my vision was coming true!

I have been a busy little bee crafting and preparing for our neck tie themed party in a few weeks. If you know me, you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE birthdays and presents. I cannot wait to celebrate his big day!

11 Months

2012-02-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

Our little man turned 11 months on February 3, 2012. Only one more month and he will have been here for a year?!!?! Wow. That went fast!

Crockett has changed and developed a lot in the last couple of months. He is really growing up and dare I say turning into a little boy. He is FINALLY crawling and we are loving it! Thankfully he hasn't figured out the freedom that comes with crawling... the kid still loves to sit and play.

We have been practicing clapping, waving and showing how big he is. I LOVE the rush when you watch him learn and understand new things. It's a thousand times as sweet as it used to be in my classroom!

I remember buying these snowflake pjs in November and they were SUPER long. He is always a good sport when we set up the monthly photo shoot.

Will he be walking by one year? I hope so but I'm guessing it will be more like 13 months. He LOVES to stand but is not steady enough to balance and take a step on his own yet.

Crockett and I have attended classes at Gymboree since he was 4 months old. The Lord has blessed us with these amazing women. They are my sounding board and encouragement. There is a new cupcake shop by Gymboree that we visited after class one day. They were super yummy!

Crockett has a new buddy named Anna Kate. She and Crockett are one day a part in age. Anna Kate's mommy is in my BSF group this year. She has come over twice for play dates this month. Crockett really enjoys having a friend over!

Crockett LOVES his bucket of balls. He has figured out how to crawl into them and cover himself. We are LOVING this age of discovery!

Anna Kate's second play date was early one morning last week while her mommy went to the doctor. The kids both napped for me and played so well together. What could be better than a play date in your pjs?!?

Crockett's 1st birthday is just around the corner. We mailed out his invitations last week. Here is a sneak peak... more to come with fabulous out takes!

Crockett 10 Months

2012-02-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know... tomorrow is February 3, 2012 and Crockett will be 11 months old. So I better get this post up in the next 24 hours! Uh... I'm behind and I hate it. HATE IT!

Crockett's 10th month had all kinds of developmental growth along with physical growth.

A few photo shoot out takes. He LOVES to put his hands on his head... a lot of times he puts Cheerios or toys up there. It is hilarious!

Thought I would include some pictures from my phone of the past month. All dressed up for a day of running errands with Mommy! The highlight is meeting Daddy for lunch!

Swinging at the park is a new favorite late afternoon activity!

My Daddy is AWESOME!

And so is my Daddy's truck!

I have learned to sit up in my crib! I can also pull up and stand... Mommy and Daddy had to lower my mattress this month!

I LOVE to play with Emerson... he is a good sport and plays back!

I've learned to take my hat off and I think it is really funny when Daddy takes his on and off!

I now take baths in the big bath tub!

I got this AWESOME tricycle and it is SO MUCH FUN!

I have mastered drinking from a sippy cup!

I am easily entertained by the old diaper box!

Mommy made pancakes for us one Saturday morning! I always have to observe and touch my food before I put it in my mouth.

I seemed to really like it!

However, in typical Crockett fashion, after this picture I gagged and threw up all over myself. Uh! Mommy and Daddy are patiently working with me on my gag reflex. The speech therapist suggested that I chew on a tooth brush to break down the existing reflex. It seems to be working!

Crockett, 10 months was a really fun age! You are developing and learning daily and we are having a blast watching you! It is truly amazing to watch you grow up... God is in every detail of our lives and we are thankful that he has given you to us to raise! We love you buddy!

Ok, I can rest now knowing that we can celebrate 11 months tomorrow without needing to update the blog with Christmas and 10 months. :)

Crockett's 1st Christmas

2012-02-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

What? Christmas was over a month ago? Oh... well... here is an overdue post.

For our Christmas card this year, we used a couple of shots from a family photo shoot that we did in November with Rachel Russo. She was awesome and captured the Srp/Yost cousins perfectly!

The front of our card had this picture:

And the back of the card had this one:

A few others that I loved...

Crockett and I went to Bass Pro Shops to meet Santa. Our friends Brittney and Reese went too... Crockett was terrified of Santa unlike Reese who calmly sat and smiled for the picture.

Although he isn't smiling, I LOVE this face!

We went to a birthday party that night and Crockett got to see Santa again! You can tell he was THRILLED.

During December Crockett started to act like he wanted to crawl!

Christmas Eve was spent in Boerne with the Srps! We went to the Christmas Eve service at First Baptist and celebrated with yummy mexican food and presents at Mimi and Grandpa's house.

A surprise visit from Santa (Grandpa) resulted in matching pjs for all of the cousins!

Christmas morning came bright and early... just the way Mommy likes it!

Crockett was really into the boxes and paper! We have some wise friends who clued us into this and we decided to give Crockett a big boy car seat for Christmas instead of lots of toys. As you can see from this picture, the grandparents, aunts and uncles took up the slack on that end!

Crockett loved opening his stocking. It was full of toys, puffs, and bath supplies. All of his favorite things! The Junior Mints were from Daddy's stocking... but C loved shaking the box!

Celebrating Jesus' birthday with a yummy chocolate cake! {Next year our little man will LOVE this tradition!}

Christmas day in Austin with the Crockett's!

And the Martin's!

Uncle Bo and Aunt Brooke loving on Crockett!

Crockett and his Great Papa!

Papa and Aunt Bebe resting before the big meal that Mama C cooked!

Crockett LOVES Bogey time!

Cousin Cal showing off this silly Santa hat!

Crockett got a play cell phone... Mommy explaining it to him while Daddy checks in on the iPad.

Crockett has a love hate relationship with the tickle bug!

Crockett loves playing on the bed!

Especially when it is covered in plastic balls from Mama C and Bogey! Such a fun gift!!

Nothing like a bed time story with Mama C after bath time!

Crockett's first Christmas was wonderful! We loved reliving Christmas through a child's eyes... a sweet bonus of having children! We were all spoiled with generous gifts!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

9 Months Old

2011-12-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Happy 9 months Mister! You are so much fun and the love of our lives!

You love to sit and play with your toys... especially when we are sitting right next to you. Although you are not crawling, you are getting stronger and are able to pick up and move one hand at a time.

You continue to being a great eater. The doctor suggested that you need to eat more protein... after testing baby food meat, we have found that you love Gerber Chicken and Apples. You have also fallen in love with Cheerios.

You are still a fabulous sleeper! Your mommy loves your 12 hour night time sleep and 2 naps during the day... let's keep it up buddy!!

You still hate your car seat... I heard a rumor that Santa might bring you a big boy one for Christmas!

{Burrrrrr.... Mommy it is cold! Can we please go inside??!?!}

You learned to mumble "mumumum" and "mamamama" this week... your daddy made fun of mommy because I claimed that it "melted my heart." Just wait until he hears "daddaddad."

You are a sweet little boy! We love how you get excited with your whole body. It is so much fun to watch you grown and learn.

November and a Little December

2011-12-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

Bath time continues to be a highlight in Crockett's day. Michael snapped a few pictures while I was out with some Gymboree moms for dinner. It was the perfect treat to come home to!

We celebrated Cullen's 2nd birthday with the family at the new restaurant in Boerne, Boo Dawgs.

Crockett LOVES his cousins and always tries to kiss them... yes, even the boys!

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Austin this year. It was a small group around the dinner table, but a sweet time. After filling our bellies with some yummy food, we talked to Brooke, Bo & Cal in Connecticut. My precious Papa is 91 years old and was BLOWN AWAY by FaceTime.

My parents live on the practice putting green at Barton Creek Country Club. Some of their dear friends, the Gressetts live a few houses down. We met on the green with the babies to give thanks!

{The Srps, The Somers, & The Gressetts}

Crockett and his buddies Hudson Somers and Lucy Bell Gressett.

We put our Christmas tree up when we got home from Austin. I really thought Crockett would be crawling around and pulling ornaments off of the tree... but thankfully he is still not crawling. Although we are getting closer by the day!

Crockett was invited to a birthday party for our new neighbor, Cole Davis. It was a special party because Santa was invited! As you can see, Crockett was terrified of the special guest!

Maybe if Mommy sits on Santa's lap and holds you it will help....

No luck.

It has been a great beginning to the holiday season. We are loving reliving the thrills of Christmas now that we have a little one... Merry Christmas Y'all!

Happy OWLoween!

2011-11-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Crockett's first halloween was a blast! It was drawn out over 3 days which made for a lot of fun! Crockett's Aunt Emma helped Michael and I pick out the owl costume. We bought it on eBay and thought he was the cutest little owl ever!

We spent Saturday morning at a fall party at Reid & Gracelyn Aderholt's house. Crockett spent the whole party starring and watching all of the big kids. He is very observant.

Allison had the perfect fall picture background set up in their beautiful backyard!

Taking a break from being an owl to swing!

I really cannot wait for more play dates with this precious little girl!

Another attempt at a group picture. It is comical trying to get this many little ones to all face forward and smile!

Crockett was confused by Gracelyn's tutu. He couldn't stop starring!

Our 2nd Halloween party was at the Garrison's house on Kitty Kat Lane. It was a blast- a true small town cul de-sac party!

Crockett was a trooper and wore his costume so well!

Crockett and Brody enjoyed playing in the leaves and grass.

Mimi came to the party too!

Our little owl sitting and playing all by himself. I thought the back of his costume was just as cute as the front!

Cousin Eli and cousin Cullen were there too! Aunt Laura MADE their costumes... so impressive!

Eli is such a sweetheart and LOVES his littlest cousin!

Yep. We even had a silly string fight!!

Crockett wasn't too sure about the silly string!

After the cul de-sac party, Michael took Crockett over to the Yost's house. I went to BSF, so I missed out on the trick-or-treating.

Word on the street was that Crockett smiled and showed a sense of relief once his costume came off... can't say I blame him!

It was a fabulous first halloween! Our little owl was precious and we got to eat the trick-or-treat candy... without having to explain to Crockett where it all went! {Bliss}

8 Months

2011-11-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

Crockett turned 8 months old on November 3, 2011. He is at a really fun age... he loves to sit and stand {supported} but has no interest in crawling as he still HATES to be on his tummy. He smiles and laughs a lot. He sleeps 12+ hours at night and takes 2 naps every day!

He weighed 20.3 lbs and measured 28.3 inches at the doctor on Thursday.

We went in because he has a diaper rash turned yeast infection... poor little guy!

Thursday, November 3rd will be a night I will never forget... Crockett literally did not sleep. He whimpered, moaned and cried all night. We tried everything to comfort him... we even put him in bed with us. Long story short, he has a cold and is teething. Poor little guy!

Our little guy is eating solids 3 times a day and nursing 4 times. He loves to be outside and still hates his car seat. We go to Gymboree 2 times a week. Crockett {and mommy} love the girls that are in our class!

We move next Friday, so Crockett will celebrate his 9 month birthday in our rent house!

{I should be packing but I'm really trying to be better about blogging!}

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Picture overload.

We visited the Boerne pumpkin patch last week to snap a few pictures. Here are some of our favorites!

Crockett was very in to the dirt.

Update

2011-10-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

It has happened again. I am behind on blogging. My best excuse is that we SOLD OUR HOUSE and have to be out in 30 days... but that only covers about 2 weeks worth of blogging absence... the other 5 weeks are excuse-less.

Now that I've explained myself... let's get to the good stuff. Pictures!

When Crockett turned 6 months, we started solids. I have made most of his baby food. I started making it when he was only 5 months old and stocked the freezer full. I've already had to make a new batch of squash, peaches and pears. The first food he had beside baby cereal was butternut squash. It is still one of his favorites!

Crockett's cousin Hailey Yost turned 1 on September 19th. We loved celebrating with our family!

Crockett's cousin Hannah is a wonderful helper! She is a little mommy in training!

An attempt at a cousin picture!

The next day we celebrated Mimi & Pa's 40th wedding anniversary! Aunt Laura is awesome because she let's Crockett play with her jewelry!

Mimi and Pa with all 5 of their grandkids!

Crockett has a new favorite... he LOVES this net thing. I cut up a chunk of apple and put it in for him to suck on... it gives me a solid 15 minute break... so I also have a new favorite!

On October 3, Crockett turned 7 months!

We spent the first weekend in October in Austin for my 10 year high school reunion. We met Kimberley and Hunter at Lady Bird Lake for an afternoon walk.

Crockett and Hunter checking each other out.

These guys will be buds for life!

After Crockett's nap, he spent some time on the putting green at Mama C and Bogey's house.

Crockett still LOVES bath time!

Play date at the park with some friends from high school. Really is hard to believe that we have babies!!

10 year reunion party with some of my favorites!

My sweet friend Katherine married her prince charming this past weekend. Thanks to Mama C, Michael and I had a baby-free weekend in Fort Worth to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Whit Wolman!

And... Michael and I celebrated 4 years of marriage on October 20th. Michael thought up this idea and I agreed... why not continue the trend of documenting milestones with ties!?!?!

Ok, back to packing boxes. Rent house here we come!

1st & 2nd Hair Cut

2011-09-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

"What has surprised you the most about being a mom?" asked my parents a few months ago. I tried to come up with a serious answer but truly the biggest surprise about baby Crockett was the fact that he was born with a full head of DARK hair!

I have 5 nieces and nephews and they were all bald or had a little bit of light hair when they were born. Michael and I were both bald babies so I assumed that Crockett would be too.

Crockett's hair on March 3, 2011

I secretly hoped that he would keep the dark hair.

I mean look how adorable he looks?

At 6 weeks old he started to show signs of it falling out.

I took this picture on Easter Sunday to document his dark hair.

Once I realized that the dark hair wasn't here to stay, I started to document it falling out.

It started to look ridiculous...

Even Crockett, as cute as he is, couldn't pull off a shaggy mullet!

So, we called in the professional... Crockett's Aunt CAT (Carolyn Ann Taylor) my best friend from high school just happens to be the best hair stylist in all of Austin, Texas.

Crockett had to check in every once in a while to see who it was that kept touching his hair.

He started to get a little fussy, so daddy stepped in to help speed up the process.

Aunt CAT did a fabulous job cleaning up the shaggy mullet and she made sure to save a few clumps of hair for me to put in his baby book.

Then Crockett went to stay with Mama C and Bogey for the weekend and got round 2 of his first hair cut. Mama C was ready for the mullet to disappear! She has cut all of our hair at some point and the story is now true for her 2 grandsons.

Crockett is now sporting a clean cut/shaved hair style. If you didn't know better you would think he was born with very little hair.

As sad as I was to see his dark hair gone, I think it looks better!

His new hair is slowly filling in...

It is looking much lighter and maybe has a little strawberry tint to it?!?!

I. cannot. wait. for. him. to. have. a. full. head. of. hair .again!

Half of a Year.

2011-09-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Really? 6 months? Half of a year?

TIME FLIES when you are in love!!

My daddy does a really good job making me smile!

But sometime the noises he makes confuse me.

To celebrate my 6 month birthday I...

slept 13. 5 hours last night

took a 2 hour morning nap

ate butternut squash for the 1st time at lunch

took a 2 hour afternoon nap

(Nap Camp y'all... THANK YOU VERY MUCH!)

and watched college football with daddy!!

Cousin Play Date

2011-09-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

Crockett met his cousins at the new yogurt place in Boerne for a play date. He was a good sport about being the only one who couldn't have any frozen yogurt... mommy tricked him with a bottle!

Before we left, Crockett and mommy had a little photo shoot in preparation for his 6 month picture the next day... the pictures were too cute not to share!

Can you tell that our dads are identical twins?!?!

Crockett (6 months) Cullen (21.5 months)

Crockett (6 months) Eli (3.5 years)

Crockett is so lucky to have 4 of his 5 cousins live so close! (I have no cousins so I think that it is especially cool that Crockett already has 5!!)

Swimming

2011-09-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

It is hot in Texas and we are so grateful to have a pool to cool off in! Crockett's Mimi & Pa live in our neighborhood and they have a fabulous pool in their back yard. We have spent many afternoons splishing and splashing!

Crockett gets excited when he sees the water!

We have out grown our adorable crawfish swim trunks (boo)... so a swim diaper is how we roll!

Crockett loves his float!

Crockett loves to lick the pool water. Sick.

Mommy loves to swim as much as Crockett!

Thanks Mimi and Pa for always sharing your pool with us!

Brotherly Advice

2011-08-20T19:52:00.001-07:00

Crockett has a little something to learn from his big brother Emerson.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Nap Update

2011-08-20T08:33:00.001-07:00

We are in day 2 of "Nap Camp" or in the spirit of football season approaching, "Nap Two-a-Days."

Day 1 was good... Hard but good. Crockett took 3 naps. The first of which was 1.5 hours. Huge success!!

The other two were about 30 minutes each. Lots of tears were shed during the afternoon nap but the biggest accomplishment for me was the fact that ALL 3 were in his crib in his room! No swing, no car. Go mom!

Day 2... Nap 1 is currently underway... We are going on 2+ hours!

To God be the glory!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Naps

2011-08-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

I love naps.

I wish Crockett loved naps.

Crockett doesn't hate them, he is just inconsistent.

Crockett takes a morning nap in his crib. It used to be for 2 hours. Today 45 minutes.

Crockett takes an afternoon nap in the car for at least an hour. I drive or read.

I hate the car habit.

I dream of writing a blog post that gives a detailed description of Crockett's nap schedule. 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.

I pray about my nap schedule obsession all the time.

I pray for wisdom, patience and an open mind.

I have read Baby Wise and Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. Enjoyed both. Have a fabulous night time sleeper as a result of the wisdom in these two books.

I talked to a wise friend with 3 kids today and have a plan of attack for tomorrow...

We are staying home all day and Crockett will go down for a nap after an hour to an hour and a half of wake time.

I am hopeful.

So Behind.

2011-08-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on blogging... So here is a photo update of our whole summer to get me back on track. Pathetic.

Crockett's 1st summer has been fabulous!

Sneak Peek

2011-06-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mimi!

2011-05-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Love,

Crockett

1st Mother's Day!

2011-05-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

My 1st Mother's Day was fabulous! We are not brave enough to attempt church again just yet, so we slept in on Sunday morning. Crockett slept until 8:30! We made homemade waffles and enjoyed a lazy morning as a family of 3. Crockett and daddy gave me a really sweet card and a new diaper bag!

Crockett and I spent the day together while daddy played golf. He said he was one of the only guys on the course.... wonder why?!?! I really didn't mind because it gave me some alone time at home to get things ready for going back to school this week. While Crockett napped, I did laundry and ironed. We took a long walk and then met daddy for an early dinner at Tiagos.

I've been giving Crockett a bottle everyday this week to get him used to them. Thankfully he takes them like a champ! Mama C and Mimi will hopefully have no problem while I'm at school.

On Sunday evening we stopped by to visit Mimi and Pa and wish Mimi a Happy Mother's Day!

Crockett and I were SO HOT after our walk... we laid on his play mat to cool off! He LOVES to look up at the mirror and smile at "the baby" in the mirror. It is precious!

One last picture of our little mister... after his 2 month shots on Friday.

Crockett 2 Months Old

2011-05-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Crockett celebrated his 2 month birthday on May 3, 2011. We were in Austin and set up a little photo shoot to document the occasion.

Thank you Aunt Emma for Photoshopping this precious picture!

I love this picture because this is the face that Crockett often gives me. Those big blue eyes make me melt every time!!

When we got home to Boerne, daddy helped with one more photo shoot. Crockett was not as excited this time but he did give us a few cute faces.

Then we started to tip over...

And the photo shoot wrapped with this...

Here is a comparison of Crockett at 1 month and 2 months old:

At his 2 month well check today he weighed 11 lbs 14 oz and was 22.3 in long. He took his shots like a champ but showed us just how loud his voice really is!

Everything looked great and Dr. Garza told Michael and I to "keep doing what you are doing!" He was impressed with Crockett's ability to hold his head up and his love for sleeping... he jokingly asked if we wanted to trade with his little boy. =)

Crockett & Hunter

2011-05-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

Crockett and I headed to Austin this week while daddy was in Arkansas on business. Mama C was having a Purepaper and Liz James Jewelry show at her house, so Crockett got to meet lots of special ladies!

Kimberley & Hunter stopped by and we got a chance to compare the boys again. I am thankful to have a friend to walk through this stage of life with. Hunter is just precious! The boys have both grown since we were together last, which was only 2 weeks ago.

Visit to Geneva

2011-05-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Crockett and I visited my precious class on Tuesday, April 19th. They were SO GIDDY and EXCITED to meet the little baby that they had been praying for!

It was a treat to see all of my students again! My favorite comment was, "Mrs. Srp... you look so different than I remember!"

My last day of school was 1 day "over due"... February 25th and THIS is what I looked like:

(4th Grade Medieval Feast & Faire)

Not my best look... Let's hope I look "different" than that!!

(Crockett with Mrs. Srp's 4th Grade Class)

Of course I jumped at the chance to dress up my little man. He looked adorable in these seersucker overalls! (Thanks Cousin Eli & Cousin Cullen!)

I am going back to school for the last 2.5 weeks starting Wednesday, May 11th. Crockett's Mimi and Mama C have GENEROUSLY offered to babysit so that I can finish the school year. Isn't he lucky?!?!

Crockett's 1st Easter

2011-04-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Easter in Boerne this year. Michael and I decided that Easter Sunday would be the perfect time to take Crockett to church for the first time. Ha. Although it was great to be back at Oak Hills, it might have been a better idea to live stream at home.

Crockett's mommy woke him up to get all dressed up and she paid for it. Yes, he looked PRECIOUS in his Easter outfit (thanks Mama C) but I learned a huge lesson... NEVER EVER EVER EVER wake a sleeping baby.

He did great for the first 30 minutes but just as Max began to preach Crockett started to fuss. I made a rookie mistake and ran out with Crockett and NO diaper bag. Thankfully I had a paci but diapers and bottle were neatly packed in the diaper bag on the floor under my chair. Thankfully a sweet usher sensed my panic after about 10 minutes and offered to go in and get the bag!

After church we ate lunch at home. Thankfully I had cooked a pot roast over night so I was able to tend to Crockett. He went down for a nap and slept for 4 hours... after filling our bellies, Michael and I also caught a few zzzz...

4 hour nap should make up for waking Crockett up right? Not exactly. But we headed to the Srp's for the evening.

Aunt Laura has THE TOUCH. She was able to calm the little mister down... he slept in her arms for a good 30 minutes!

Sitting outside watching his older cousins hunt Easter eggs. Cousin Hannah shared a fish sticker with him... so sweet! It calmed Crockett down for a few minutes.

Quick... take a family picture while he isn't screaming!

Crockett's dark hair is one of my favorite things because it was such a surprise! It's beginning to thin and I wanted to remember what it looked like.

Hey... let's take a cousin picture! It went surprisingly well. Cousin Eli did an EXCELLENT job holding Crockett!

Eli Srp, Crockett Srp, Cullen Srp, Hailey Yost, & Hannah Yost

Then it was time for a sibling picture... can you believe we were able to get all the babies to sit still again!?!?! Impressive!

(Left to right)

Christian, Michael & Crockett Srp... Tracey, Hailey, Hannah & Mike Yost... Laura, Cullen, Eli & Matt Srp

Crockett spent the rest of the evening crying... so no more pictures...

Except this precious one of his Pa calming him down. In fact he was able to get some really cute smiles and coos out of him!

In the end, we were exhausted but Jesus is Risen... He is Risen indeed!

Christian Srp will never ever wake a sleeping baby... no matter how cute the outfit.

Best & Worst

2011-04-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Crockett is settling into a schedule and routine. He is sleeping at least 7 hours each night. His mommy and daddy are loving it!

Between eating, sleeping and pooping... Crockett has a "best" and "worst" part of the day.

Let's start with the "worst":

Tummy time.

The poor kid hates it. He usually lasts about 1 minute before crying.

We had tummy time outside this week and lasted about 1.5 minutes before we cried.

Now the "BEST" part of Crockett's day:

BATH TIME!!

Crockett LOVES to lay in his bath tub! He also LOVES to be covered by his turtle wash cloth because it keeps him warm.

Although he hates to be taken out of the tub, once he is wrapped up in a towel he is super happy!

We get some of our best "coos" and baby noises right after bath time. Crockett especially likes to make them for his daddy.

Sip 'n See

2011-04-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 17th Crockett had a Sip 'n See in Boerne. My precious mother-in-law and sisters-in-law hosted a fabulous party!

Mama C and Bogey came to Boerne from Austin. Bogey and Michael hit the golf course while my mom and I got Crockett bathed and dressed for the party.

Note the peace sign as he spits up... well played Crockett!

Crockett's Mimi wrote an adorable poem on the invitation. The party was at her home and it was stunning as always! She has incredible decorating talent!!

One of the hostesses my sister-in-law Laura looking stylish as usual!

Crockett was on his best behavior! He slept the whole party and was not phased by different people holding him. I was so thankful and proud!

The beautiful hostesses... I love that I have such special family that live so close!

My precious mommy... couldn't have made it through the last 6 weeks of being a mom without her wisdom and encouragement!

Crockett's future babysitter Miss Jeanne Arthur. She lives in our neighborhood but is going to Baylor in the fall... we will miss her!

Sweet friends... Brittney, Lauren and Tracey. Brittney is expecting Crockett's future buddy Miss Reese Yost at the end of the summer!!

More sweet friends... Hayley, Tracey, Courtney and Melissa. Loved catching up and loving on Crockett with them!

Little mister finally woke up and Mama C was to the rescue with a bottle!

Of course we had to snap a few pictures with Crockett's cousin Hailey Yost. They are about 6 months apart and will hopefully be as good of friends as Hannah and Eli!

Crockett has started cooing and it is so precious!

Taking advantage of my little mister all dressed up in his Easter outfit. He looked adorable!

Aunt Cece with Hannah and Crockett. She is a great big cousin!!

Michael's cousin Conrad is married to precious Melissa... So glad that she came!

Crockett was exhausted after a long day of being in the spotlight! He found the perfect place to nap! I think daddy was snoozing too!

Thank you Mimi, Laura and Tracey for a fabulous party! It was a treat to show Crockett off and introduce him to many dear friends. We are blessed to have such thoughtful and generous family!!

Our First Night Out

2011-04-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Michael and I had our first night out on Friday, April 8th. One of my friends from BSF and Geneva got married. Crockett is blessed to have a Mimi and Pa that live right around the corner. They love to babysit and we are so grateful!

Deets and Hayley's wedding was at the Lost Mission Ranch right outside of Boerne. It was a fabulous setting and a beautiful evening!

We were seated with the other Boerne Srps. We loved every minute of adult conversation without our little man to interrupt.

Laura Srp, Christian Srp and Melissa Srp

Crockett had a great time with his Mimi and Pa. He was wide awake when we got home, but after a little late night snack he slept through the night!

Trip to Austin

2011-04-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

Crockett and I went to Austin last week to visit Mama C and Bogey. Crockett got to see and meet some of my favorite people while we were there.

We met Carolyn Ann after work at Motzarts on Tuesday. It was so fun taking Crockett to a very "Austin" venue.

On Wednesday morning Crockett got to meet his future buddy Hunter Robinson. Crockett and Hunter were born 13 days apart. Although they are very close in age it was fun to see the differences that a few days make!

Kimberley and I have been friends since 8th grade. It is so fun to share this special time together. We compared being a new mommy and asked each other a million questions. Can't wait to get together again!!

After our visit with Mama C's friends (I forgot to take pictures), Crockett cuddled up with his Mama C for a night of Dancing With the Stars and The Mentalist.

While we were in Austin we also got to have lunch with my friend Katherine. The day before we left for Austin, I got this in the mail...

Such a cute way to ask me to be in her wedding! I cannot wait to stand next to her as she and Whit say their vows. They are a precious couple and I am SO excited for the wedding!!

Whit and Katherine after the big proposal!

8 Hours.

2011-04-09T20:09:00.001-07:00

I slept 8 hours straight on Thursday, April 7th!

Happy 1 Month Birthday!

2011-04-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

Crockett's Birthday!

2011-03-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Crockett James Srp was born on March 3, 2011 @ 3:32pm.

We arrived at North Central Baptist Hospital at 5:00am to be induced. (41 weeks pregnant) They began the pitocin "pit drip" at 7:00am. My doctor came in around 8:30 to break my water... although it was very anticlimactic, it did the trick and I was in full on labor quickly!

In between contractions I was able to smile for a picture with my dad. He was born on March 3, 1951 and was celebrating his 60th birthday at the hospital waiting for his 2nd grandson to be born.

Thanks to a fabulous epidural, I progressed quickly and painlessly through labor. I began pushing at 2:30 and Crockett was born at 3:32.

We were surprised at the fact that he had dark hair and that he weighed 8 lb. 7 oz. (The doctor had told us 2 days before that he was measuring around 6 lb. 14 oz.)

This is the first picture that Michael took with his phone to text to all of our family anxiously waiting in the waiting room.

Smiling with my family... My dad "Bogey", my mom "Mama C" and my sister "Aunt Emma"... wishing that Uncle Bo, Aunt Brooke and Cousin Cal could have been there. (We talked on Face Time a little later.)

Smiling with the Srps... Mike's dad "Pa", mom "Mimi", Uncle Matt, Aunt Laura, Aunt Tracey, Cousin Hannah and Cousin Hailey. We missed Uncle Mike and Cousin Eli and Cousin Cullen!

Our first family photo!

Such a proud daddy!

While Crockett was in the nursery, his family got to watch the whole show! Cousin Hannah was especially excited to watch!

19 7/8 inches long

Sucking on the nurse's pinky calmed the little man down.

Sharing a special birthday moment with Bogey!

Bump Update- Finally.

2011-02-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

Geneva Christmas Party

28 Weeks

Boerne Baby Shower

29 Weeks

Christmas Eve

31 Weeks

MC's Boerne Wedding Shower

33 Weeks

MC's Bachelorette Party

35 Weeks

MC's Bachelorette Party

35 Weeks

My mom pregnant with my sister in 1986...

Like mother like daughter...

35 Weeks

MC's Rehearsal Dinner

36 Weeks

Matron of Honor in my sister's wedding

36 Weeks

With the beautiful bride!

36 Weeks

37 Weeks

He Has a Name!

2010-11-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Back in October we decided on a name for our baby boy!

When thinking about a name Michael was the BEST at coming up with good ideas. Thankfully we have similar taste and were looking for the same kind of name. We both wanted the name to be "unique" but not hard to say or spell (have you seen our last name?!?!) I have always been confused for a boy (we get mail weekly addressed to Mr. Christian Srp)... so it was important to me that his name not be girly... I wanted it to be clear that he is a boy! We wanted the name to sound country but not hick. We both liked the idea of using a family name... so...

After much discussion we have chosen to name our first baby:

Crockett James Srp

Crockett is my maiden name- my little sister and I had to fight over this- she gracefully conceded.
James is Michael's middle name, his twin brother's middle name, and their dad and grandfather's first name.

I have already had a few items monogramed with his name and initials! Here is a picture of the fabric for a pillow that I am having made for his nursery...

It is so fun to refer to our little baby as Crockett... I love to pray for him by name!

Belly Pic Update

2010-11-30T18:34:00.000-08:00

This post is OVER DUE!! Sorry.

Ok, the last belly pic that I posted was at 19 weeks:

20 Weeks

21 Weeks

Lauren said that I should pull my cardigan back so that you could see the belly better... and we ended up with this:

22 Weeks

Celebrating 3 years of marriage!

24 Weeks

And looking TIRED.

25 Weeks

26 Weeks

I will be 28 weeks on Thursday- I promise to be better about posting pictures!

He's a BOY!!!

2010-10-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

We are THRILLED to know that our 1st baby will be a son!! I have ALWAYS wanted a little boy and Michael is so excited that he is going to have a hunting buddy and golf partner! The sonographer said that everything looked healthy and measured right on track.

Our due date is still February 24, 2011!

Now to decide on his name... I'm ready to monogram!!

Pink or Blue?

2010-10-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

My sweet class has anxiously asked me EVERYDAY this week if I know if the baby is a boy or girl. It didn't matter how many times I told them that we would not know until Thursday... they were still so curious! (Aren't we all?!?!)

I decided to have them "vote" for a boy or girl today by decorating a cookie on a stick. They got to choose to decorate with pink or blue icing and sprinkles... in a 9 year olds eye LIFE WAS GOOD! They even got to lick the knife when they were done! Oh my!

We also made it into a little math lesson and made a bar graph and talked about percentages. Although the pole on the blog is tied... my class was weighted... BOY! Only 5 of the 18 kids thought pink!

When I get back to school, the "winners" will get to eat their cookie during snack time. Everyone else will have to wait until after school when they get home. We'll see if the cookies survive the substitute tomorrow!

19 Weeks

2010-09-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Lauren at school was kind enough to take a belly pic for me this week. She was the perfect person to take it because she is obsessed with touching my growing belly!

One week from today we have our 20 week sonogram = we get to find out BOY or GIRL!!?!?! I can hardly wait! We went to the doctor on Tuesday and everything looks great. Baby Srp's heart rate was 148 bpm.

Please take a second and VOTE on the gender of Baby Srp at the top of the blog!

16 Weeks

2010-09-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

I am 16 weeks and 3 days pregnant in this picture. Baby Srp and I survived our first week of school although I was exhausted on Friday night! I have been feeling GREAT and am so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with an easy pregnancy so far! We had parent orientation at school on Saturday and I shared the exciting news with all of my student's parents. Now that they know I am going to tell my class this week! I know they will be so excited... especially the girls!

I am VERY ready for it to be October 7... Baby Srp are you a boy or girl!?!?!

Baby Srp

2010-09-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

We are beyond excited to announce that Baby Srp is due February 24, 2011!

Baby Srp @ 11 weeks

(August 3, 2010)

We find out if Baby Srp is a boy or girl on October 7 ... Oh joy!!

Picture Overload

2010-08-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

On June 26th Michael and Matthew celebrated their 30th Birthday! The night before we went to dinner with Matthew & Laura at Grey Moss Inn... it was a treat to get away just the 4 of us!

Here are some pictures of their birthday party... hosted by their fabulous parents.

Eli helping blow out the candles... he is also really good at singing "Happy Birthday!"

A treat for me... my parents came in town!!

On July 7th the Srp clan packed up and flew to Boston, MA for our cousin Erin Lummen's wedding! Erin is the same age as Michael and Matthew and is a true southern belle.... her fiance Justin is "as Boston as they come." Both Erin and Justin have a great sense of humor and we spent a large part of our time in Boston laughing at their hilarious stories!

Ok get ready for picture overload... (You can click on each picture to enlarge)

Dinner in Salem, MA our first night

Thursday morning we took the kids to a park to play! Hannah is pushing Eli while Cullen is just chilling.

Uncle Mike found an old army tank to climb on... the boys loved it!

Thursday was also Erin's bridesmaid luncheon.

Erin with her Aunts... from California, Texas and Hawaii!

Later that day... we took a sail boat out from Salem Harbor!

Matthew helped raise the sails...

Michael helped with the tiller...

And Cullen played the roll of pirate!

Like father like son? I think so!!

Hannah, Cullen and Eli all dressed up for the rehearsal dinner... precious!!

The Srps and Yosts after the rehearsal dinner.

My fabulous in-laws!

After the rehearsal dinner everyone went to the Salem Willows. It was such a fun boardwalk with games, Italian ice, ice cream, etc!

Kim with her brother Mike (father of the bride.) He was in a horrible fire last year and it was so amazing to see him! We are all so very thankful that he is recovering so well!

Mr. and Mrs. Justin DiLisio!!!

The Lummen kids... Mike lives in South Carolina... Kim lives in Texas... Bob lives in California... and Lori lives in Hawaii... I know it was a treat for EVERYONE to be together!

Michael and Matthew with the stunning bride!!

Erin with her Uncle Jim.

Cullen looking cute in pink!

On Sunday we ventured to the big city! We took a fairy from Salem to Boston so we got a great view of the skyline!

A special treat... we were able to meet up with my brother Bo and my sister in law Brooke! Baby Cal was a fan of the water... I'm pretty sure we were all a little jealous of him... if only we could have stripped down to our diaper! ;)

Thankfully we got a mid-day rain shower to cool us off!

Fenway Park!

We finished the day at a pub watching the World Cup final. We were very thankful for Bo and Brooke's ability to get us around a big city... we country folk were a bit overwhelmed!

Catch Up!

2010-06-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Meet Griffin Srp!

He is a "Ragamuffin" just like his big brother Emerson. Michael surprised me with him as a "Mother's Day" present! We are not sure if Griffin and Emerson are actually brothers but we got them from the same Cattery and they look alike!! He is PRECIOUS and playful!!!!

Emerson LOVES the outdoors... I caught him doing this the other day!

Emerson and Griffin are good buddies!

Our house is for sale!

We spent Memorial Day relaxing at my parent's lake house on Lake Travis!

If you look closely you can see the new yard art... no not the orange flamingo... look what's climbing up the tree!!!

We helped MC move all of her stuff into a storage unit in Boerne. Oh my...

We went to a wedding in Austin!

Michael and Rob played in the A-Open Golf Tournament at the UT Golf Club.

Michael won $100 for "Closest to the Pin" and he ALSO won $100 for "Longest Drive"... I was SOOO proud!!

Until next time...

Miracle.

2010-05-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

I usually have some lame excuse for going a whole month with out blogging... not this time! Life has been a roller coster lately and needless to say blogging has taken a back seat.

To make a long story "short," I went to the doctor on April 16th for what I thought was my first prenatal appointment. We thought that we were 8 weeks pregnant! At which time the doctor did not find a heart beat and recommended that I have blood work done and come back in a week. At the next appointment the doctor was encouraged because my hCG (pregnancy hormone) had increased. However the sonogram again showed no heart beat. She told me that it did not look like a miscarriage but a very rare pregnancy called a "Molar Pregnancy." She sent me that day to a radiologist to get a second opinion. The radiologist confirmed her diagnosis of a Molar Pregnancy. The simplest way to define a Molar Pregnancy is to say that instead of a fetus there was a "tumor" in my uterus that secreted the pregnancy hormone. Feel free to google if you are still curious!

The following week I had a D&C to remove the tissue. My mom and Mike took great care of me and I had a very smooth recovery. When the doctor came out of the OR to tell them that I was in recovery she said that from what she saw the tissue did not look like it had any fetal tissue. Then she proceeded to tell them that she still believed that it was a complete Molar Pregnancy. Not what they were hoping to hear.

The preliminary pathology reports came in 3 days later and the doctor called me to tell me that it showed a complete Molar Pregnancy. This was heart breaking news... not life threatening but it meant a VERY long road ahead... blood tests weekly for 6 weeks followed by blood tests monthly for a year and we would not be able to try again for at least 12 months. The blood tests would be monitoring my hCG level to make sure that the tumor did not return at which point chemotherapy would be given. Needless to say the future was looking dim and scary. I found comfort in the fact that none of this caught my Lord and Savior by surprise. The final pathology would take another 10 days to come in... so it was hurry up and wait... and PRAY for a miracle!

Yesterday I went to the doctor to receive the final pathology- a chromosome analysis- and I am thrilled to be able to share with you that we serve a God who still performs MIRACLES!! The doctor said that she had no explanation for the pathology results short of a miracle! What was thought to be a complete Molar Pregnancy turned out to be a miscarriage. This was THE VERY BEST NEWS we could have received yesterday... Praise the Lord for such fabulous news!! He allowed us to see a miracle first hand!

We are overjoyed with the news that we can try again as soon as we like... we are no longer in the waiting game! Yes, it is sad that we miscarried... I'm sure the reality of this will sink in as more time passes... but for now we are stunned that God was so gracious to give us ONLY a miscarriage and not a molar pregnancy.

My wonderful husband has had such a positive out look over the last month. He has the best sense of humor and has made me bust out laughing many times! We both found it weird to think that we had created a "mole" and not a baby... Mike cracked some funny ones for sure!

I have learned many lessons throughout this storm.

I knew that I served a God who "works all together for good for those who love him" but I got to experience that first hand!

I have learned that I like to be in control.... yes, this is an elementary fact but I have learned that only God is truly in control and I am grateful for this.

I have learned that the God I serve is bigger than science.

I have learned that the God I serve still performs miracles.

Man Cave?

2010-04-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

"Man cave" or living room...

I personally love Mike's new mount!! I think it looks beautiful and is the perfect touch on our fireplace! He was a little offended that hanging his trophy did not make the DIY blog post... so I promised him a post just for this picture!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter weekend in Horseshoe Bay with the Srp's. Tracey, and Hannah rode up with us on Friday. We met Jim and Kim at their condo, sat on the porch and fed the ducks. Mike Yost drove in after work and we went on a walk to the Marriot resort. On the way we saw some beautiful bluebonnets and had to snap a few pictures of Hannah. Here are a few of my favorites!

On Saturday, Jim took us for a boat ride. It was a gorgeous day! Eli called to tell Hannah that he and his family were on the way. Here is a picture of Hannah talking to her buddy...

Baby Cullen is getting SO BIG!

Aunt Laura is really cool and agreed to let Hannah, Eli and Matt burry her in the sand!

Eli trying to pull his mom out...

Hannah decides to help out...

We all drove back to Boerne late on Saturday. Michael and I went to church at Oak Hills on Sunday and then had lunch with Jim and Kim. It was a great way to spend Easter weekend... I am blessed to have such a loving extended family!

March 2010

2010-04-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

The best part about March is a two word phrase.... SPRING BREAK! It is a perk that I am blessed to still get to enjoy as a teacher! I spent the first part in Austin with my parents. The rest of the break was spent in Boerne "relaxing."

Lauren and I went to Fiesta Texas and had a blast... we were reminded of our age each time we got off of a ride! We did the theme park experience to the max... junk food, rides, pictures with Scooby Doo and more junk food! It was awesome!

Eli celebrated his 2nd birthday on March 18th! We had a little family get together at Kim and Jim's. He is growing up to be such a good little boy... I think my favorite thing he does right now is when he does something that HE thinks is funny and he dies laughing... it is hysterical!!

We all pitched in a got Eli a "real" John Deer Tractor. It didn't take him long to learn how to drive it... I'm sure by now he has taken over their neighborhood!

Of course Eli was kind enough to share with his buddy Truitt... he looks pretty intense huh??

And little Miss Hannah wanted a turn too! She actually found the tractor in one of her catalogs, pointed to it and said, "For Eli's Birthday!" Thanks for the great idea H!

Truitt's little sister Torin... showing off her shopping bag pose!

Mavis, Hannah and Kim

Aunt CeeCee and Uncle Mike with Eli's baby brother Cullen. (4mo.)

Laura and her boys!! (It was St. Patty's day... love all the green!)

And finally.... Hannah had a VERY EXCITING SURPRISE for us.... coming in September!

DIY

2010-02-28T15:00:00.001-08:00

I am an HGTV junkie and often get ideas from the shows. Here are a few of my DIY (do it yourself) projects. I guess I should clarify... DIY in our house = yourself + hubby! Thankfully Mike is very willing to help and he never complains!

One thing I have learned is that a fresh coat of paint does wonders for a dull room. Here is our master bathroom before:

And the master after...
I also painted the laundry room... here is a picture before... (not sure why I took it at an angle)

Laundry room after...

My latest project was to turn our 3rd bedroom into a "bedroom!" Here is what it used to look like...
And here it is today... this bed was a hand me down from my parents when they moved this fall... I am so thankful to have it because I like for things to feel complete! We painted the walls a grey/blue but you can't really tell in the pictures.

Geneva Lately

2010-02-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

As part of our curriculum in the 4th grade, we study the Middle Ages. Each student is assigned a role in the feudal system (King down to peasant) to research. We have a feast and faire to finish out the unit... it is always an amazing time for the students. They get a real life sense of what the Middles Ages was like. I dressed up in my lovely dress and thought you might like to see...

People often get us confused!

(MC was wearing red for heart health day)

As part of the curriculum in Kindergarten, the students celebrate the 100th day of school. Of course it is only appropriate for them to dress up like 100 year old people! Thought you might like to see MC as a 100 year old man!

MC's 24th Birthday!

2010-02-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

MC turned 24 on February 1st! My parents came in town and we had a "dinner party!" It was the first time that I have ever set my dinning room table and used some of my Spode bird plates. I LOVED using the fabulous wedding gifts! Of course I had to take pictures!

Beautiful flowers from Costco... my mom did a fab job arranging them!

I'm a little more blonde these days...

(Fuzzy) but the Birthday couple!

Pebble Beach, California

2010-01-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

"I want to be able to watch a PGA tournament on TV and say I've played that hole..." This dream of Mike Srp's will come true this summer. You see, the 2010 U.S. Open will be held at Pebble Beach in California and my sweet husband got to play the course over the Christmas holidays! The trip came about when our friend Lindsey Tucker wanted to take her husband Robert to Pebble Beach for his 30th birthday... it didn't take much convincing for us to be on board! The best way to sum up the trip would be to say... WE WANT TO GO BACK!

I'll let the pictures tell the stories...

Dinner @ Mission Ranch in Carmel

(Owned by Clint Eastwood... amazing steak!)

After a morning at the Spa we joined the boys on the course!

View of the famous Pebble Beach tree from the 6th tee box

AMAZING!

Rob teeing off on 18

Mike teeing off on 18

2nd shot on 18

3rd shot on 18

Par on 18!!!!

Beach along the 17-Mile Drive

Looking for seashells...

Not sure what this is but I'm pretty sure it's not a seashell!?!?

Yes it was FREEZING!

Thank you Lord for a relaxing vacation with my husband! It is so refreshing to be surrounded by Your BEAUTIFUL creation!!!

November 2009

2009-12-31T15:09:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving Day with the Srp family. We ate great food, played with precious kids and watched football!

Laura, Cullen, Eli & Matt Srp; Uncle Mike & Aunt CeeCee

Eli playing with Mimi on the pool table!

Mimi and Pa with week old baby Cullen

Hannah got a hair cut and has super cute bangs!

Our Christmas card picture for 2009!

Celebrating my 27th BIRTHDAY in Austin with Carolyn Ann, Katherine and her precious boyfriend Whit at Matt's El Rancho!

Celebrating my BIRTHDAY at The Grill at Leon Springs with my Boerne family & friends!

Since We Last Met...

2009-11-17T15:56:00.000-08:00

Fall is in full swing which means that I have spent my free time grading papers, lesson planning, trying to keep my home clean among other things. I am thankful that Michael has been home a lot lately! I am also thankful for Facebook as I it keeps me in the loop! =)

My precious 4th graders:

We celebrated 2 years of marriage!!

Grandpa Lummen's 85th Birthday!

On the Riverwalk for Grandpa's birthday party!

Mimi, Tracey, Hannah, Eli, and Laura

Celebrating Grandpa's birthday!

Eli wearing a Play-dough hat made by Grandpa Jim

Me in a deer blind...

Hunting with my hubby!!

Baby Cal at Halloween!

Mark Tucker, Matt Srp, Mike Srp and Rob Tucker

Hunting at Contigo Ranch!

Joe, MC, Christian and Mike

at the Geneva Gala!

Before and Afters

2009-10-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

Michael and I bought our house in December 2008. It is hard to believe that we have almost lived here for a year! We love our little hill country home and have had a great time "playing house." I thought it would be fun to post some "before and after" pictures of our projects...

1. We painted our living room a pale blue to brighten up the space... thanks for the suggestion MC... we love it!

Living room before:

Living room after:

2. Mike and Tracey had some old patio furniture that they did not want anymore so we offered to take it off their hands. It was in need of a little TLC...

Patio furniture before:

Patio furniture after:

(plus Michael's birthday gift... the grill!!)

3. The on-going battle with our yard... between the lack of rain and extremely hungry deer, we have had quite a trying first year! I am proud to say that today our yard looks AMAZING and our persistence has paid off!

Back in March my 1st attempt:

(the grass has a "top dressing" on it to fertilize)

The deer LOVED it!! =(

TODAY!!

1st attempt in March:

2nd attempt:

Finally had to call in the professionals:

TODAY!!

March... before:

TODAY!!

4. Finally, my husband's absence brings out my crafty side... here is a flower cross "wreath" that I made for our front door!

Remember When...

2009-08-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Remember when I was going to use this blog to keep a "journal" of Michael and my life.....

Apparently, I forgot about that goal! I really do have good intentions!

In-service starts tomorrow and I am very excited to start school! I have 14 little 4th graders this year and am looking forward to meeting them at Back to School Night on Thursday. This will be my second year at Geneva which will hopefully mean an easier year! Last year was fabulous... I just had a lot to learn!

Ok, end of summer re-cap...

Hannah turned 2 and we had a blast celebrating with her!

Cal was dedicated at 4 months old!

My parents moved!!

We bought a KING size bed and new bedding!!!

Our living room floor has turned into my "teacher work room"

Michael continues to travel... his current Wal-Mart is in Vernon, Texas... job starts tonight!

MC was babysitting a sweet family from Geneva this last week and we made a Slip'N Slide... it was SO MUCH FUN but my body hurts from running, falling and sliding on the ground!

The Lord blessed me with a fabulous, relaxing summer that is hard to say good bye to. I will miss sleeping in/watching the Today Show each morning but I'm ready for the adventures of a new school year!!