Friedel Family

Gingerbread House

2011-12-30T15:36:00.002-06:00

The kids had a large time assembling and decorating the gingerbread house. They each did one side, and then the ends together. Of course, the favorite part was eating the leftover candy!

Quilting

2011-12-17T10:36:00.004-06:00

I made 2 rag quilts for KatieLynn's school auction. The black one is for her class, and the red one is for the other first grade class at her school. Her school has a gala each year, and every grade has to have an auction item, with part of it being student involved. The first grade is donating a weekend getaway to Lost Pines, along the school colored red & black quilts that the students handprinted. Whomever bids the highest, can choose to keep all three things, or they might put one or both quilts back into auction for someone else to bid, and the school to make more money.

I enjoyed making the quilts; I hadn't really sewed in a couple of months, and it felt good to be productive on the sewing machine!

Pre-K Christmas Program

2011-12-12T15:06:00.002-06:00

Dean had his Christmas program at pre-school. He was a little nervous, but seemed comforted by the fact that Daddy and his grandparents (& of course KatieLynn & I!) were going to be there. Once he got into his classroom, he was hyped up and ready to go. His class is split evenly with girls and boys, but for some reason, lots of girls popped up for this pic!

You can tell that Dean is nearly a head taller than most of his class; actually he's about the same size of most of KatieLynn's classmates. Dean and friends sang 5 songs, and even though he didn't sing all five of them, he stood nicely on stage, did the hand motions, and sang 3 of the songs. I was pleased with his performance!

Christmas at John Deere store

2011-12-12T11:14:00.005-06:00

The first weekend in December we went to the John Deere store in Navasota. The kids got to window shop, race, visit Santa, and eat! Below they are waiting for tractor races to start. Early on, Dean is in the lead, but his wheels start spinning as he drives through the loose gravel.

KatieLynn missed the gravel, so wound up coming out ahead. Dean wasn't that disappointed that she beat him, but he did miss getting a prize.

KatieLynn drives!

Dean asked Santa for a train set, and KatieLynn asked for Bizus. Santa asked what a bizu was? Katie laughed and said it's a bracelet-animal!

Haying the Cows

2011-11-28T22:15:00.002-06:00

We went with Darren to check on the cows. We were looking to see if we had any new baby calves, and decided to give them some fresh hay while we were there. Dean didn't wear his warm coat, so wasn't up for riding on the tractor, but KatieLynn was willing! Miss KatieLynn strikes a pose
Dean still loves digging at the dirt pile!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-03T10:43:00.003-05:00

This year KatieLynn wanted to be a pirate princess (from Jake & Neverland Pirates), and Dean picked construction worker. We tried to talk him into being a pirate too, but couldn't convince him -mostly I think he just wanted to wear his regular clothes, plus the hat. We went trick-or-treating on 3 blocks in Emma and Aiden's (cousins) neighborhood, and wound up with tons of candy. They probably ate more than they should have that night, but the next day, I had them pick out 12 things to keep.
They love riding those bikes!!
They trick-or-treated with the fairies! Emma is in the middle green. I didn't get a pic of Aiden, but he was Peter Pan -very cute!

Party

2011-10-29T13:39:00.004-05:00

Dean had a terrific birthday party. It was a full week after his real birthday, so he had extra time to look forward to it, which made it even sweeter.
There was digging (of course!)

All the kids got to decorate their own hard hat.

Playing in the sand box!

Bobbing for apples

a Pinata!

The next day, I enjoy playing with some of my new toys.

Having More Energy: My New Job

2011-10-27T10:35:00.007-05:00

Almost 3 months ago, I began taking this supplement: Ageloc Vitality to help me feel younger. It is all natural, with ingredients: mushroom, pomegranate extract, and ginseng. I have energy to accomplish my to-do lists when I get up in the morning, and it lasts through bedtime. I don't have any 'crash' time, even if I miss a day.

Previously, I took the 'Energy' ONE-a-Day vitamin. It also gave me energy, but it was because one of its ingredients was caffeine. And if I forgot to take it, I had a very SLUGGISH day.

Vitality supplement gives you more physical energy, mental clarity, and raises your libido. I know several people who take it, and along with these benefits, they sleep better at night. I have nearly always slept good, but it seems like in the last 2 weeks, I have started having more dreams. After taking Vitality, you may see the difference as early as 3 or 4 days, or it may take 6 weeks.

This heatmap illustrates gene expression of three groups:
1st column: Young Gene Expression,
2nd column: Old Gene Expression,
3rd column: Old Gene Expression taking Vitality supplement (notice how similar it is to the Young).

I wanted to use this product daily, and decided to become a distributor so that I could get the wholesale price. I would be happy to give any of friends or family that same wholesale price of $50 per month. It is satisfaction guaranteed, and you can get your money back if you aren't completely satisfied. You may leave me a comment or email me: nfriedel@hotmail.com if you are interested or have any questions.

Thanks! Nicole

Teddy Bears

2011-10-26T20:29:00.003-05:00

This year for Dean's birthday, KatieLynn wanted to give Dean some clothes (that I made) for his bear. Denver (his teddy bear) is Dean's favorite stuffed animal. It was given to him when he was born by my brother and his wife; we named it Denver because that's where it came from. I first looked to see if I could buy some clothes, but didn't find anything I thought would work, so I made him overalls. I only had a little fabric from her bedding, and since I didn't have a pattern, I decided to use some of KatieLynn's bedding fabric to make my practice overalls for her 'TinkerBear' (also given to her as a baby from my brother) that is similar in size to Denver. She was really excited about this, especially because the day after Dean's bday, KatieLynn was having 'bear day' at school. I also made Buck (the deer :)) and John Deere bear some collars (to match the one I made for Denver when he was little). Dean could not have been more pleased when he opened the present!Here's Denver and TinkerBear together!

Happy 5th Birthday Dean!

2011-10-24T14:43:00.009-05:00

Dean turned 5 a couple of weeks ago. I know I say this at every birthday, but I truly can't believe it's been 5 years since Dean was born! He requested brownies for after supper, and since I couldn't draw a picture on the brownies, we used construction cone candles.

I brought chocolate chip cookies and ice cream to Dean's class to celebrate. He was beaming!
After we picked up KatieLynn from school, we got Daddy, and then headed to Mountasia. The kids loved trying to spray each other on the bumper boats (Darren & I sat that one out), the go-carts, and even miniature golf.

The kids were very pumped about playing mini-golf, but found it a little difficult to get the hole where they wanted. At the third hole, Dean was pretty frustrated, so Darren tried, and his first hit pitched the ball into the water.... I think Dean enjoyed watching the ball move down the little creek even more.

KatieLynn and I lasted until 9 holes, and then we were ready for something else.

Here's my big man.

He adores his big sister!

Dean's Favorites:
Books: Nonfiction equipment and Franklin
Games: Uno, Toy Story Yahtzee Jr.
Toys: legos, construction, tractors, trucks
Stuffed Animals: Denver (teddy bear) & Buck (deer)
TV: Swamp Loggers, Harvest, Ice Road Truckers
Cartoons: Franklin, Curious George
Bible Story: birth of Jesus
Outside: Digging in dirt pile or sandbox, riding bike, or helping Daddy
Food: Macaroni
Dessert: Ice Cream
Color: Green (surprise!)

Special things about Dean
He loves his family, and is completely devoted to us.
He shares whatever he has.
He is a hard worker, whether it's digging in the dirt pile, pulling weeds, or picking up sticks in the yard.
He always tells me thank-you (I hope he tells others too!)
He is usually easy-going, and will go along with whatever KatieLynn wants to do.
At home, he is kind, gentle, and helpful (again, I hope he will do this everywhere).
He takes good care of his stuffed animals.
He is a homebody.
He is a good snuggler.

1st Day of 1st Grade & Pre-K

2011-09-26T17:15:00.004-05:00

I know this is a little late, but sorry! This summer the kids had so much fun; they never thought about school starting. Then 2 days (Tuesday) before KatieLynn's first day, we went to Meet the Teacher night; that was when she got excited! She was able to see all her friends, meet her teacher, and check out her classroom. Wednesday night she told me she didn't think she could go to sleep because she was so excited, and the next morning she got up almost an hour earlier than usual! Thursday was a fabulous day for her.After KatieLynn's first day, Dean started asking every day when he was going to school... it was nearly 3 weeks away! But we filled our days with Daddy, errands, taking lunch to KatieLynn, playdates, and of course playing! On his first day, he asked me if any of his friends from last year would be in his class, and I told him no, they were all going 3 or 4 days a week this year (instead of 2 -Dean goes Tuesday/Thursday). He had a great first day too! Though the second week of school, he told me that next year, I should sign him up for just 1 day a week! I laughed, but broke it to him that next year would be kinder and 5 days a week! He was comforted by the fact that he would be at the same school as KatieLynn.Most mornings, the kids spend 15 -30 minutes outside playing, before loading up for school. The mornings are when they play the best together!KatieLynn is ready to get to work!Dean is ready for centers.

Neither of them shed a tear, and actually barely told me good-bye! I fared pretty well too; no tears.

Weekend in San Antonio

2011-07-19T17:16:00.009-05:00

This past weekend we went with my parents for a mini-vacation to San Antonio. We got there Friday afternoon, where the kids were anxious to swim in the hotel pool. After swimming and relaxing for a while, we ate yummy Mexican food, and then settled into our hotel room to watch Swamp Loggers before turning out the lights.

On Saturday we headed to Sea World. The kids played in the middle play area, but I wasn't entirely comfortable. There were people EVERYwhere, and it was difficult to keep an eye on both kids through all the mazes. The kids and I went on some of the water slides. The slides were fun, but very crowded, and a little foul smelling. We watched a couple of shows, and loved AZUL! It was like circus on/in the water! If we are able to go back next year, I think we will plan to go during the week (not the weekend), as soon as KatieLynn is out of school (her school gets out a little earlier than most schools, so it should be less crowded, plus not so hot!)

Sunday morning we ate breakfast in our room, and then enjoyed a couple of hours at the pool, before we checked out. We ate lunch, and then headed home. I was shocked that Dean didn't nap in the car, but he was in bed that night at 7:15, and KatieLynn at 7:30, and they both slept 12+ hours! We all had a fun time, but were also ready to sleep in our own beds Sunday night.

Bebe & Papa with the kids One of the AZUL performers
KatieLynn cools off at hotel
Dean splashing in the water

The hotel pool was pretty neat!

Swimming

2011-07-08T14:49:00.004-05:00

We are lucky to live so close to Bebe & Papa's (my parents in Brenham). We love visiting with them, and also enjoy cooling off in their pool!

KatieLynn & Dean are both great little swimmers!

Uncle Harper can throw us really high!!

Hunters

2011-07-05T19:13:00.002-05:00

I tried to get a few shots of the kids yesterday, but it can be difficult to get 2 kids to look, smile, stand still, etc. at the same time! I can't imagine how much harder it would be with more kids! Maybe that's a good reason for us to stick with just two. :) SILLY! I thought if I did this, they would relax and give me more natural smiles the next time, it was a good idea, but .... not sure it worked.

The kids (and us!) love to play the deer hunting game! We got this in West Texas at the Lacy Family Christmas a couple of years ago. I think I actually got a bottle of wine, but I traded Laura for the game. (Thanks Laura!) We are so outdated because we don't have a Wii, but that's ok. :)

It is serious business when it's your turn to shoot! The kids have come a long way. At first, Dean would just shoot the does because they were easy to hit, (but that ends your game) and now he can shoot bucks, coyotes, foxes, and more. KatieLynn could usually shoot a few bucks, but now she is pretty competitive with us! At any rate, it's great fun, and Darren likes that they are learning to enjoy hunting at an early age.

Zube Park

2011-07-05T18:36:00.007-05:00

We started playing at Zube Park 5 years ago when KatieLynn was only 1year old, and barely big enough to reach anything, and I was pregnant with Dean. They are now pros at everything on the playground! Though right now, we can only go early in the morning because of the heat, the kids still enjoy playing there often! We are lucky that it's only 5 minutes from our house.

It's a Little Dry

2011-06-13T14:27:00.003-05:00

Like many of you, we've not received significant rain in MONTHS, and even then we were behind. Our cornfields are not tall, the plants tasseled very early, and the stalks are drying down quite quickly. The kids and I prayed for rain almost constantly after we planted, but in mid-April we changed our prayers to ask God to make our crops grow and be prosperous. We still pray that our harvest is good, but more than that, we trust that our Lord will take care of us through whatever happens.

I think KatieLynn found the biggest ear! It was on the end of the row, and the surrounding seeds never came up. Most of the others we found were about half that size. Dean loves to pick ears!

Galveston Weekend

2011-06-13T13:46:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful and relaxing weekend at Galveston Island this past weekend. My good friend, Catherine and I headed out first thing Friday morning with the 4 kiddos. We ate lunch, and then hung out at the beach for the rest of the day. The kids had an absolute blast splashing, wading, and digging! I apologize for no water pics, but I didn't take my camera to the beach or the pool.

Darren and Jack got in Friday night as we were getting the kids ready for bed. Saturday morning, we went swimming at the pool until lunchtime. Then after lunch we napped, and then headed to Moody Gardens Aquarium. We had fun there, but were disappointed at how expensive it was, especially considering the poor lighting in most of the exhibits... We spent Sunday morning at the beach before we headed home.

It was a fun weekend, and I imagine we'll try to do it again next year. :)
Here's Hadley, KatieLynn, and Dean outside the Aquarium

The kids play in the shark cage.

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-05-27T11:33:00.004-05:00

Our sweet angel graduated from Kindergarten last night. So hard to believe that we are now parents of a first grader (or in 2 1/2 months!)! It was a great ceremony! They had a slide show of pictures from the whole year as we waited for the program to start. Here's KatieLynn as she walks in. The students recited Psalm 139, so sweet to hear God's Word spoken by children! Then they sang 2 praise songs. Next, the teachers announced a Character Award for each student; KatieLynn received the Character Award of Attentiveness. Then the specials' (Music, PE, Computer, & Art) teachers gave one award, and KatieLynn was chosen as the recipient of the Outstanding Physical Education Award! After the diplomas were presented, the students, parents, and staff read a Commissioning Litany praying for each student and family.

As we were waiting for the ceremony to start, Dean asked what a diploma was. So I explained it was a piece of paper with words stating you had completed a task, and that he would get one next year at the end of preschool. He looked at Darren and I with one side of his lip curled up, and said, "You mean I have to do this?" I told him it would be 2 years in a row, preschool and kinder! He had his lip curled up like that for at least 5 minutes, as he thought about himself graduating! It's too bad I didn't get a picture of that, but here he is eating celebration cookies. :)

Here's my mother and my nephew, Tice, back at our house. He's a happy little baby, almost 5 months old now!

Fishing at PawPaw's

2011-05-16T15:05:00.004-05:00

We went to Darren's grandfather's house to celebrate his 85th birthday. We are so lucky to have him close by! He has a beautiful place, as you can see in the pics! We had a great time visiting with all the family. The food was delicious as usual, and the kids kept having a parade on their riding toys. It was hilarious; it's too bad I didn't get any pictures of that!

The kids are so excited when they get to go fishing. Darren is not really patient enough to be a true fisherman, but he does his best for the kiddos. And, his dad IS patient when it comes to fishing!

Darren & DeanKatieLynn & Papoo
Dean & KatieLynn, Claire & Jonah

Darren, Dean, Emma, KatieLynn, Papoo, & Claire

Dean & Jonah

Happy Birthday KatieLynn!

2011-04-05T16:20:00.003-05:00

Our Angel turned 6 years old last week! I can't believe it's already been that long; I guess time flies when you're having fun! Dean and I took Chick-fil-A to KatieLynn's school for lunch (we couldn't find pizza that would be ready in time for us to be to her school by 11am), and we returned at 3:00 to share cupcakes with her whole class. We left school a few minutes early to head to Chuck-E-Cheese. The kids had a ball playing there for more than an hour!

We returned to pick up Darren to eat Mexican food in Waller with Bebe & Papa. Then at the house, we celebrated with brownies and ice cream.

Saturday, we had a little party with KatieLynn's best buds. They got to bob for apples, barrel race with stick horses, break the horseshoe pinata, and of course: eat cake, ice cream, and cheese dip!

Little Miss with her new rolling backpack.

T - Ball

2011-03-28T17:07:00.003-05:00

Saturday (3/26) was KatieLynn's first tball game. She has been attending practice for about a month now. We had to be in Fairfield to load up for the parade at 7:30am (I was really wishing they had done this parade before Daylight Savings! We stayed up late with the Schultz's the night before skunk hunting!!) Anyway, once the parade actually started it was fun for all. KatieLynn hit the ball all 5 innings, and was always able to run home. We were proud!

Evidently fielding was not as fun, as she had a hard time remembering to watch the ball, instead of playing in the dirt... though she did make a good play when she played 3rd base. We'll have to work on that a little bit! :)

her friend, Grace, and KatieLynn ready for the parade

All in all, a long but FUN day!

PS: If you think I have a preference with my kids because there's usually more pics of KatieLynn, I don't; Dean is a little (or a lot) camera shy.

Mutton Bustin'

2011-03-28T16:49:00.003-05:00

On March 10, our little mutton buster, KatieLynn, competed at the Houston Livestock Show & ROdeo. She loved riding in the Grand Entry parade (best), as well as meeting the other kids, and of course riding the sheep! riding the parade wagon full gear!

Daddy's girl

I didn't get the pic, but after she fell off, she stood up and waved with both hands....and Momma's girl too!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-02-18T15:07:00.002-06:00

Well, this is a month late, as Darren's birthday is January 19. Dean wanted me to put a skid steer on his cake, and KatieLynn wanted our family; Dean's compromise was for Daddy to be driving the skid steer, with the three of us being loaded in the bucket. I wasn't sure of my ability to draw the skid steer, and I knew I couldn't draw us! though when I look at my deer, I don't know if it's any better! This year Darren shot a 10 point, no brow tine cull buck, so that's what I attempted... at any rate it tasted delicious!

Horses

2011-02-16T17:47:00.002-06:00

For Christmas, Darren got us horses! Really, he got Sweetie (the whitish one) for us, but we had to take Mariah (the reddish one) as well. Sweetie is a true sweetheart, but Mariah is too silly (wild) for us to ride.Dean is not shy about petting, loving on, and feeding the horses, but he doesn't want to ride yet. He has ridden before at county fairs... so I'm not sure what the deal is, but we're trying not to pressure him. KatieLynn however, is ready! She wants to run with her (trotting isn't enough), and she doesn't want us to lead her; she wants free reigns (which will not happen for a while!). We are all enjoying Sweetie!

Christmas

2011-02-16T16:44:00.004-06:00

better late, than never, right? hope so!!

Dean is loading his round bales!

KatieLynn with her bedroom Christmas tree.

Dean and his bedroom tree.Our family Christmas tree in the living room cousins Aiden & Emma with KatieLynn & Dean

Claire, Dean, Aiden, Emma, KatieLynn are ready to open presents at PawPaw Hegar's

Yearly Family Pictures

2011-02-15T14:52:00.005-06:00

My sister Natalie, took our pictures, just like she does every year! She did an amazing job as usual, though this year she did it at 8 months pregnant!! Check out her blog to see her son, and my adorable nephew, Tice!

The kids love swinging!!

Nellie dog

Haybarn Fun!

2010-12-08T21:40:00.002-06:00

Every chance they get, the kiddos head to Daddy's new haybarn. There is a big pile of gravel and a stack of round bales that they like to climb, plus since it's not actually in the yard, I think they feel more independent over there. Here are a few shots of them playing.

Trick or Treat?

2010-11-29T16:16:00.002-06:00

KatieLynn chose to be Jesse Cowgirl from Toy Story early this summer, so it only made sense that Dean be Woody Cowboy (also from the movie Toy Story). I made the chaps and vest, and we painted KatieLynn's hair red. We went trick-or-treating with cousin Emma (the leopardess) and her neighbors, and got TONS of candy. My plan was to let them eat as much as they wanted Halloween night, and hoped they'd be sick of candy after that, but Darren nixed my idea, and made them stop.

Birthday Boy turns 4!

2010-10-30T14:33:00.005-05:00

Dean turned 4 this month! He has been anticipating this for at least a couple of months, and I don't think he was disappointed. For the last year or so, he has been into logging. Darren started watching a show called Swamp Loggers on Discovery Channel, and Dean loved it! What he asked me to put on his cake is a 'tracked feller buncher'. For you that don't know about logging, this is a trackhoe (gets stuck less in the swamp) with a feller buncher on the end of its arm. A feller buncher has a large blade, and makes the tree fall (or fell in a bunch!). Anyway, he has very excited when he saw it! and also excited to eat it!!

On Dean's actual birthday, he opened a couple of presents, and then we were on our way to the doctor's office after taking KatieLynn to school. He bravely got 5 shots! Then we met Fisher and Tate for playtime at a great park (where I got no pictures) but did get one at Double Dave's where we got some yummy pepperoni rolls!

Then after naptime, we picked up Darren from the barn and KatieLynn from school, and then went to Chuck E Cheese for an hour of fun! Afterward we went home for dinner and chocolate chip cookies with ice cream.

Yummy!

On Thursday, I took brownies and ice cream for Dean's preschool class. He enjoyed us singing to him!

Waller Co. Fair

2010-10-19T21:09:00.004-05:00

The kids participated in the pedal tractor pull at the Waller County Fair. There was about 30 kids, ages 3-9. KatieLynn got 1st place of all the girls, and Dean got 2nd place of all the boys. Dean was disappointed because he didn't get 1st. I tried to explain that the boy that got 1st was 9 years old, and finally told Dean that he did get 1st for the 3 year old group. He was then satisfied. :)

Eating snocones while the tractor pull was setting up.

Elegant Luncheon

2010-10-19T20:44:00.002-05:00

KatieLynn's kindergarten class had a special meal called Elegant E Luncheon. It had several purposes, including the meaning of the word 'elegant' and learning/practicing their best table manners, plus they had lots of fun dressing up, and leaving school early!!

1st Days of School

2010-09-03T14:28:00.005-05:00

KatieLynn is a pro attending Kindergarten, going on 3 1/2 weeks now. Dean just finished his first week at preschool Tues/Thurs. They have both been concerned about what I would do when they were both at school, but I assured them I had plenty of things to keep me busy! KatieLynn was so excited about finally starting Kindergarten. She was ready for me to drop her off in car rider line! We had met her teacher a couple of nights before, so she was completely at ease in the classroom on her first day. Another comfort was having a friend in her class, that she met this summer at the pool. (It gave me comfort, too!)

It only took a minute or so for her to get settled in, and forget I was there. I wasn't emotional, until I kissed her good-bye, and then I did have to blink my watery eyes a little! But I knew I had to be strong, because Dean was with me, and ready to go on a Mommy-Son adventure! When I picked KatieLynn up after school, she was brimming with excitement telling about her day! It's been a great experience, and she is learning lots!Dean has missed KatieLynn, but harvest has kept him sidetracked. Nearly every day we (and sometimes just Dean) would go ride with Daddy in the Peterbilts as they harvested corn. Our harvest was over by midweek last week, and I think Dean was the only one sad about it. But we kept busy with a playdate, and then he was able to start his own school this week. He's attending the same Christian preschool that KatieLynn did last year. On his first morning, KatieLynn filled him full of info she thought he needed. He too, was anxious to get dropped off in the car rider line that morning. I of course, walked him in, but had to chase him into his classroom to get a good-bye kiss! Bye-Bye Mother! I will have a great day! ...and he did! When I picked him up, about half of his class was gone or leaving, and he said, "Why did you come so early? I wanted to stay longer. Next time I want to be the last kid picked up." It was a good sign that he enjoyed his day at school!

Do you know want to know what I did all by myself? On Tuesday, I ran errands, and then met Becky and Stephany at Olive Garden for lunch. On Thursday, I cleaned the house and then ate lunch with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. It was nice!! Hopefully next week, I can get some of my other projects completed.

Galveston Trip

2010-08-01T21:41:00.004-05:00

Last week we went on a Friedel family getaway, minus the Friedel men. Gigi (my mother-in-law) treated my kids and I, plus my sister-in-law and her 2 kids to a night in Galveston. We had lots of fun, and the kids could not get enough of the beach!

KatieLynn and Dean would run into the ocean, jumping over the waves, and then right back to the beach running away from the waves.KatieLynn found lots of seashells

Dean loves digging in all the sand KatieLynn & Emma

The kids dig after we eat lunch.Ice cream! Believe it or not, Dean likes the cone more than the ice cream!

KatieLynn didn't need any help finishing hers.

Bike Riders

2010-08-01T21:28:00.002-05:00

There's not a day goes by that the kids don't ride their bikes. They love riding bikes! In front of our garage is a big spot of concrete that they make circles on, and the rest of our driveway is gravel rocks. Dean can drive on the gravel with no problem, but KatieLynn is much more cautious, after taking the training wheels off. We try to go to a nearby park at least once a week; it has a huge area they can ride, as well as a great playground!

Waco Family Getaway

2010-08-01T14:21:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, our little family of four headed to Waco for a weekend getaway. We went to the zoo, swam at the hotel, ate blizzards from Dairy Queen, took a great nap all together, and played at a playground. It was nothing exciting, but since we were away from home, Darren couldn't work, so he HAD to spend time with us.. just good family fun. :)Look at the rattlesnake!!

Growing

2010-06-24T22:13:00.003-05:00

Darren and the kids harvest our garden sweet corn. Dean loved plucking and shucking, and then passed it off for someone else to desilk (he'd tell me to pull all the hair off). KatieLynn was great at shucking and pulling off the silk. And she couldn't wait to cook and eat some! Dean was excited and tried some of the corn, but didn't care for it still. KatieLynn ate some, but her other bottom middle tooth is loose, and it bothered her tooth when she ate it. I cut the corn off the cob for her, but I guess eating it on the cob is more fun, as she didn't eat much this time.KatieLynn has passed another milestone in her young life. We took the training wheels off her bike, and she's riding like a champ! She's quite excited and proud of herself. Dean also wanted his training wheels off, but after two days, I put them back on. He was too busy looking behind him, checking the tires and making skid marks. He was upset, but I told him if he wants we'll take them off when he turns 4.

Monkeys in the swing!

First Lost Tooth!

2010-06-06T21:09:00.002-05:00

Well, here's another example of my oldest baby growing up! :) :( About a month ago, KatieLynn had something strange in the back on her mouth... turned out to be two new bottom molars! I couldn't believe my eyes; my baby girl is not supposed to be getting any more teeth until she's a 'big' girl! So I guess it should have been no surprise to me that she would lose a tooth, but it was... That stuff shouldn't happen until she's in school, but the reality is she'll be in kindergarten in 2 1/2 months, again :) :(.For weeks, KatieLynn has been asking about when she'll lose a tooth and meet the tooth fairy. One of her friends, has a first grade sister, and recently has been sharing all the tooth losing scoop with their pre-school class. Then the last week of school, one of KatieLynn's close friends lost her first tooth, so that made her even more anxious to lose her own. Every few days I would check her mouth because she would think one was loose, but they were always very tight. Then Saturday night, she was eating some little gummies for dessert, and suddenly started crying. I thought maybe she bit her tongue, but as soon as she opened her mouth, I could see some blood and that her front bottom tooth was quite loose. She was a little traumatized, and said she shouldn't have wished to lose a tooth, because it was not fun! and she didn't want to have any more loose teeth! I assured her it wouldn't hurt like that the next morning. It was better on Sunday morning, but she was sticking to a liquid diet, as chewing even in the back bothered her. After church, both kids had gotten a starburst at Sunday School, so I told them they could eat them. After one bite, KatieLynn sadly said she couldn't even enjoy that, and gave it to me. Then in an excited voice said, 'Hey, my tooth fell out!" Dean is very serious about painting his picture!

Pre-School Graduation

2010-05-27T16:16:00.003-05:00

This week my big girl, KatieLynn, graduated from pre-school! I know it sounds silly, come on, graduation from pre-school? But KatieLynn was proud, so we were too! They sang some great songs, and then walked across the stage and accepted their diploma (or telescope as KatieLynn called it). She has been going Tuesday and Thursday to pre-school for the last year, and this past Tuesday was her last day. She had a great day (as always) and said she was ready for kindergarten on Thursday. :) I don't think it has fully sunk in that pre-school is over for her, and she has a whole summer before kindergarten! We will have to keep busy (and wet) the next few months. Katie is also making herself more independent. She told me that I need to buy more dresses that she can put on all by herself (aka, nothing that zips or ties in the back). And just this week has decided that she is okay being called KATIE instead of KatieLynn. Since she was 2 years old, she has requested to be called KatieLynn (which I love!). Then last summer, she told me she only wanted to write her name as Katie. I informed her that would be fine, but people would be calling her Katie instead of KatieLynn. That wasn't acceptable to her, so she has written KatieLynn all year, but has now decided that it's okay if people call her Katie, if that means she only has to write 5 letters instead of 9!

Dean enjoyed playing with Bebe's i-phone during the program!

My sweet boy is such a stinker these days when it comes to picture taking! But he did want to know why Bebe (my mother) didn't have more pictures of him on her phone.

Fishing, Swinging, & Digging!

2010-05-25T21:06:00.004-05:00

Darren is an avid deer hunter, but never been much of a fisherman. But KatieLynn & Dean have been asking to go fishing for close to a year, and this daddy loves his kids, so he finally gave in. There much anticipation and excitement, but no fish were caught thus far...

Daddy can push really high!

They love swinging, it's probably KatieLynn's favorite thing to do outside.

Dean likes swinging, but digging is by far his favorite.

The boys work in the garden.

Hope you had a Hoppy Easter!

2010-04-15T17:02:00.009-05:00

I know this is late, but so be it... :) We had a fantastic Easter, and hope you did too. I am so thankful that God sent Jesus to us, and that Jesus was willing to die for us on the cross. I pray that my children will understand the sacrifice He made, and will accept Him as their personal savior. We are so blessed, and all we have to do is accept His gift.

We had these pics done as part of a fundraiser for a friend's MOPS group. They turned out great! You can't really tell in the pictures, but Dean was definitely not excited about this photo shoot; the photographer pushed the button at just the right time though.

We hunted eggs at our little church in Hockley Saturday morning. They had lots of fun at the pancake breakfast, and KatieLynn won the coloring contest for the 5year olds. On Sunday we attended church, and then went to Brenham for lunch. That evening we went to Darren's Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Tim's. The next weekend we went to Darren's Grandpa Hegar to celebrate his birthday and the kids got to hunt to eggs for the umpteenth time -they loved it!

KatieLynn puts a green egg in Dean's basket.

The kids make sure Dean has all the blues, greens, and yellows, and KatieLynn has all the purples, pinks, and oranges. Too funny!

Happy Birthday KatieLynn!

2010-04-13T16:16:00.009-05:00

On March 30th, KatieLynn was born 5 years ago. The time has gone so fast, but on the other hand, I barely remember my life before she was born! Though I certainly had MUCH more time on my hands back then, I don't know what I did with it all!

KatieLynn chose strawberries and Strawberry Shortcake for her birthday theme year. I opted to do just strawberries on her cake, though we did have Strawberry Shortcake pinata and paper goods. She was thrilled with the cake, even if she only ate a little icing, but made up for it by having 2 cups of chocolate ice cream!

Happy Birthday dear KatieLynn, Happy Birthday to you!!

We didn't know if Darren would be finished planting corn in time for a party, so we opted to have it away from home, to make less work for us. We chose the Oil Ranch, and we couldn't have had more fun! We did decide to make the invite list smaller, and limited it to KatieLynn's family friends that she plays with on a weekly basis. It made an intimate party, and we were able to enjoy playing and visiting with everyone.
KatieLynn gets to milk a cow! Dean was very interested in watching her, but wanted no part of it himself.

KatieLynn rides a pony.
In the huge haystack, KatieLynn was surprised and very excited to find an egg laid by one of the ranch hens.
The train ride was a hit for everyone.

On the actual birthday, KatieLynn requested brownies and ice cream.

Yummy!

Presents!

KatieLynn's favorite inside thing to do is play games, like Hide-n-Seek, Chutes-n-Ladders, and Go Fish (just to name a few). Her favorite outside thing to do is swing, with jumping on the trampoline and riding her bike close seconds.
Her favorite toys to play with are miniature strawberry shortcake and friends' dolls, polly pocket girls, miniature little ponies, and her dollhouse.
KatieLynn's favorite things to watch are Strawberry Shortcake, Super Why, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Her favorite bible story describes Heaven.
She loves preschool and playing with friends.
She enjoys making crafts, and decorating with glitter, etc.
Although, she may not always admit it, her favorite playmate is her brother. She and Dean will play for hours together, both outside and in (his room, not hers though!).
KatieLynn always finds the silver lining.
I love how she is always ready to tell me she loves me and give me a hug!
She is our sweet angel, and we are so blessed that God gave her to us.

Rodeo!

2010-03-15T16:01:00.004-05:00

We had a great time at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this year! The kids and I went three times. Darren went with us the first time, where we watched the rodeo and then saw Jason Aldean. During the rodeo, Dean asked about every 20 minutes when Jason Aldean was coming on. Then, once he did come out, Dean asked about every 5 minutes when he was going to sing 'My Big Green Tractor' (Dean's alltime favorite song). He finally sang it for the 7th song!!
Last Thursday, the kids and I went to the rodeo and then watched a little of Brad Paisley. The kids enjoyed the bus ride (we did park and ride this time), and were great all evening. the concert was a little loud, and the kids (and I) were tired, so we headed home after a couple of songs. Yesterday I took the kids again (for the last time in 2010), and we did some outside activities like the carnival, pony ride, and mutton bustin'. Fun was had by all!

Dean with his blue cotton candy beard! Here's KatieLynn at the mutton bustin; she's been dying to ride the sheep since last year! She held on for 3 whole seconds! :) She did great, and was super excited before and after the ride! Sweet little country girl!
Dean riding the pony

KatieLynn on the pony Dean excited about Jason Aldean singing 'My Big Green Tractor'

Outsides Pics

2010-01-29T15:46:00.004-06:00

I just have a few pics of the kids playing outside. If it's raining, we stay inside the house, but otherwise, we are outside every day! Swinging is a favorite. Darren hung the swings up in the tree, which is very sturdy, but very high... which is fun for the kids, except that it's so high that it is hard to swing by yourself, so I have to push a lot!Riding bikes is also a favorite. The kids pretend the front porch is their house or kitchen. KatieLynn cooks macaroni, bread, or veggies, while Dean tends to grilling the meat, checking on it several times before it's ready.Here's Dean's all-time favorite place to be! He digs, he dumps, he digs more and more!Though KatieLynn enjoys digging as well, she prefers the swing.

You're a Redneck if....

2010-01-25T18:15:00.004-06:00

....you go to Monster Truck Jam ...TWICE in the same month!

If you know us, even a little, you know that we like trucks, tractors, equipment, anything with wheels! So when Darren and I heard about the monster trucks coming to Houston in early January, we thought it sounded fun... and it was! In fact we had so much fun, that we decided to go again last weekend, and it was just as good or better!!

Below is Toro Loco, one of Dean's favorites!

Toro Loco jumping over lots of cars

Monster Mutt Dalmation (with a girl driver!) was a favorite of KatieLynn's

Here's Jurassic Attack with a lost tire; the loaders are coming to move him out of the way. Dean was just as excited about the construction equipment as the trucks, as they moved broken trucks, wrecked cars, and pushed dirt for new layouts.

Unfortunately I don't have more pics, as my camera died midshow. Dean is quite unique in his show watching; he sits still as a mouse!! Because the trucks are so loud, the kids and I wear earplugs, and at first Dean's fell out a few times, but we got it figured out so that they would stay in. But I think he was worried that they would fall out, so that's why he sat so still. During intermission, he did talk, laugh, and eat popcorn and cotton candy, and then on the way home he talked nonstop about all the action! KatieLynn had a great time watching everything too, but she didn't let the earplugs slow her down any (with talking or eating!). She was much more subdued on the way home though; I think her no-nap days catch up with her pretty quickly at nighttime!

If you like trucks or crashing, I would highly reccomend Monster Truck Jam!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-30T07:53:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We could not have been more blessed. Below is our family Christmas picture, taken by Natalie (my sis) of course. KatieLynn shows off some new games: Noah's Ark go fish & Bible memory.

Dean loves his new green boots!

KatieLynn passes out a present to Daddy (we did one at a time), as Daddy tries to get new tractor out of package.

KatieLynn helps me open presents.

Darren's parents with grandkids: Emma, Dean, & KatieLynn

My mother (Bebe) with KatieLynn & Dean

We had our 1st Christmas Wednesday, the 23rd at Darren's parents (Gigi & Papoo). We all got enough there to last for the whole Christmas! KatieLynn's favorite presents were a teaset and leapfrog scribble & write. Dean's favorites were big CAT backhoe and leapfrog scribble & write. The next night we spent Christmas Eve at Darren's grandpa's. It was great to visit everyone, and the kids enjoyed playing with all their cousins! All the kids were very anxious to open presents, which we of course did at the end of the night. :)

Christmas Day the kids woke up after 7am (I think that was their present to us!), but got in the swing of things very quickly!! Santa brought a digital camera (KL) and a John Deere planter (D -Darren went and bought on Christmas Eve! Dean had talked about asking for lots of different implements: shredder, mower, planter, and also construction. I had gotten wooden construction trucks before Thanksgiving... but for the last week and a half all he talked about was the planter. I told Darren it didn't matter, that he'd be happy with whatever, but Darren said he needed the planter... so we put the construction up for another event). KatieLynn and Dean were just as excited to pass out presents as they were to open thier own. Fun times!!

We headed to Brenham for lunch. We had a great visit with everyone, including Johnny & Lauren. We all got lots of goods there too, including a double stroller, girl train, game, and Strawberry Shortcake for KatieLynn, and remote dumptruck and conveyor, mater, construction magnets, bulldozer, and dumptruck for Dean. Then the next day we drove to west Texas to get together with my dad's family in Miles, and my mom's family in Robert Lee (San Angelo area). I enjoyed catching up with lots of my cousins and extended family.

We came home Sunday night, and began the cleanup of the present tornado! Things look much better now, we have kind of found homes for all the new stuff and trash pickup came this morning. :) I imagine I'll start boxing up our Christmas decor tomorrow. It will be sad... but much less clutter.

Santa Visit

2009-12-15T22:54:00.002-06:00

Guess where we went to visit Santa? The John Deere store (in Navasota), of course! It was a FUN morning! The kids both won 1st place in the pedal tractor races for their age groups (I didn't take my camera. :( ) and recieved tractor toys as a result. They loved looking at all the toys, and Darren got some shopping done! Then, they of course, visited Santa. Dean wanted (inside) dirt, but decided to ask for a shredder instead. KatieLynn wanted a digital camera and Strawberry Shortcake dolls, but decided to ask Santa for the SS dolls, but the next day, she changed her mind, and wrote him a letter asking for a 'digigal camera please'. (which is good since I ordered the camera at Thanksgiving!!)

Christmas Program at preSchool

2009-12-15T22:51:00.002-06:00

Last Thursday was KatieLynn's Christmas program at school. She was so excited, and has been singing the songs for weeks! Her program started at 7:30pm, and that is VERY close to her 8pm bedtime, which is very important since she only naps occasionally. She did sing some, but she also looked around and yawned a lot, not the big performance she would have given an hour earlier... but she had a great time just the same. And I was proud of her just the same as if she had a lead part in the whole show! It made me emotional just to see her walking up on stage (with her class); she's growing so fast! I didn't get many pics, due to lighting, but Dean behaved great; I was proud of him too!

Gingerbread House

2009-12-15T22:40:00.002-06:00

Ever since I bought a gingerbread house kit in late October, the kids have been anxious to complete it! I kept telling them that we had to wait until Thanksgiving, so Thanksgiving morning, they were ready!! They had a wonderful time putting it together and decorating it! They both said it was the best part of their day when they went to bed that night. :)

I let them start eating some the next day. They mostly eat all the candy and icing off!

Deer Hunting

2009-11-22T22:08:00.004-06:00

Well, here is evidence that the deer are in rut. A couple of weeks ago, Darren called me as he was driving a tractor in a hayfield; an old buck with a doe were in the field. It was a narrow, but high horned deer that Darren wanted shot for a cull. So I loaded up the kids and my 243 rifle. Dean had just laid down for nap, but as soon as I told him we were going deer hunting, he started whispering (while still in his bed) and telling me how quiet we should be! KatieLynn started holding her ears as soon as we got in the garage, in preparation for the loud boom! The kids were very excited!

As we got to the field, we spotted the buck, still staying close to the doe. I haven't shot a deer in 6 or 7 years, so I was a little nervous, plus Darren is telling me to be sure I can make the shot, because he doesn't want me just wounding the deer, on top of the kids in the backseat taking it all in. But I took a deep breath, and remembered my dad's voice telling me to hold the gun tight to my shoulder, and just squeeze the trigger... so I did. When the deer fell down, KatieLynn asked me if we were eating deer meat that night, then Dean says, "Ooo I just love that ol' deer meat!"

The kids have seen Darren shot hogs before, but this was the first time to see a deer shot, and I feel like they will remember it always.

Halloween: Lion Cub & Construction Worker

2009-11-09T15:33:00.003-06:00

A few days before Halloween, we met some friends (thanks Bryant's!) at a park to decorate sugar cookies. I don't know what the kids enjoyed more, playing with friends on the playground, decorating cookies, or eating them! It was all a blast! And I enjoyed watching them just as much; they were so excited!

Dean carefully places little m&ms on his cookie.Our Lioness is done decorating and ready to eat! Dean's ready to dig in, too!

We went to our church's Halloween festival Saturday afternoon, and then that night, we went trick-or-treating with cousin Emma (the mermaid) in her subdivision.

Bob (Dean) the Builder, Lion cub, and Mermaid

We rode on a little wagon to go trick-or-treating.

Dean & KatieLynn get thier 'treat', and usually remembered to say thank-you.

Dean's Birthday Party

2009-11-09T14:57:00.003-06:00

We had a small birthday party with only close family and friends the weekend after Dean's birthday. Before he took his nap, he told me 'Close the door. I go to sleep; you go make my trackhoe and dirt for my cake.' He was so excited! Claire, Emma, Hadley, Dean, KatieLynn, & Gracie
Dean, Hadley, & KatieLynn

I assist Dean as he opens presents.

Birthday Boy!

2009-10-28T15:53:00.007-05:00

Dean turned 3 years old this month! He is very into construction equipment right now, and requested a backhoe for his 'real' birth-day chocolate chip cookie cake. He was so excited, and ate the front scoop first, and then ate the back scoop the next day.

Dean claps for himself after he blows out the candles.
(we've been pretend singing Happy Birthday for weeks!)Dean opens a present from Uncle Johnny (my brother) and Aunt Lauren: a Denver Broncos truck!When Dean woke up on his birthday, he opened up a white Peterbilt, trailer, and skid steer.A few days before his birthday, the kids spent the night with my parents and when they came back to Hockley, Bebe & Papa took them to the John Deere store to pick out a birthday present. Dean immediately grabbed a trackhoe! We went to Chuck-E-Cheese on Dean's actual birthday. We weren't able to go during the day, and it was a little crazy that night! but the kids had a good time anyway. They rode everything!Here's my baby when he was a real baby. He's 5 days old here, and though it seems like ages ago on one hand, I remember those sweet, completely dependable days like yesterday. Dean was born weighing over 9 pounds, and was a healthy eater from the beginning. He got on a schedule quickly, and was an easy going baby that turned into an easy going toddler. Here is Dean at 6 weeks old, sacked out at Thanksgiving. Special Things about Dean:

He LOVES tractors, trucks, and all equipment!

His favorite color is green, with blue his #2.

Playing in the dirt is a favorite pastime.
Driving my pedal tractor, trike, and bike are also fav's.

He gives good hugs and snuggles.

Dean is great to share with family and friends, whether it's food or toys!

He loves to help Daddy in the fields and tractors.
His favorite foods: cheese dip & chicken nuggets

He also likes nearly every sweet or dessert.
Dean is somewhat cautious, but usually if KatieLynn does something, he is right behind her.
His favorite shows: Bob the Builder, John Deere DVD series, Auto B. Good

Dean is a sweet, loving son and brother (usually!). He's only been here for 3 years, but I can't remember life without him. We're so blessed to have him, and pray that we will raise him up to be a strong, Godly man.

Riding the Train!

2009-10-28T15:27:00.002-05:00

If you live close to us, you need to come to Zube Park! It's right here in Hockley, and the 3rd Saturday of months March-November, a group of retired men run their trains for the kids to ride. We usually have to wait in line for a little while, but it's worth it! The ride lasts about 10 minutes, and the kids love it! We went the weekend after Dean's birthday with Gigi, Emma, Hadley, Wyatt, & Catherine, and the weather was perfect! It was a little cool, but great for waiting in line. :) Dean & KatieLynn & Hadley

train track w/little depot

Momma, Dean, and KatieLynn

Gigi, Emma, Dean, KatieLynn, Hadley, Catherine, Wyatt

Gigi & Emma

Fair Time!

2009-10-05T22:03:00.004-05:00

We had lots of fun at the fairs this year! We started a couple of weeks ago in Brenham at the Washington County Fair. The kids and I went to the petting zoo, walked through the 4H projects, inspected the antique tractors, and handshelled our own corn during the day. Then that night Darren came with us to look at a few booths, and then lived it up at the carnival. After the kids rode all the rides (several times!) we went to the rodeo.

The next weekend we helped kick off the Waller County Fair with a parade in downtown Hempstead. KatieLynn rode on a float (as a candidate for Little Miss), and though Dean really wanted to ride the float too, he enjoyed watching the parade.

Dean & KatieLynn both enjoyed the chance to 'drive' the skid steer! KatieLynn, Hadley, and Dean hang out on the fence at the rodeo.Dean and KatieLynn both competed in the Pedal Tractor Pull. Dean won 1st place in the 2-3 year olds, going 16 feet. KatieLynn won 1st place in the 4-5 year olds, going 24 feet. They were both SO excited, and we were quite proud. :)

Below are several pictures from the carvinal. We met Emma (our 4yo niece) and Hadley (our 3yo close family friend) there, and all the kids LOVED the carnival! There was a special during the afternoon on Friday, and they kids rode all the rides multiple times.

1st Field Trip

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

KatieLynn had her first field trip last Thursday. Her class (and lots of moms and siblings, including Dean & I) went to EJ's Pizzeria and Baskin Robbins. The kids got to tour the kitchen, make and eat their own personal pizza, and then have a scoop of ice cream at Baskin Robbins. They all had lots of fun! KatieLynn adds more cheese to her pizza. That's my girl! ~I always say the more cheese the better!

EJ's has a little play area the kids all enjoyed!

1st Day of Pre-School

2009-09-02T21:23:00.004-05:00

Tuesday was KatieLynn's first day of pre-school! We do lots of activities and playdates with friends that are close to KatieLynn & Dean's ages, and she does gymnastics for an hour, once a week, but this is different in that I leave her (9a-2p) without peaking in her classroom! I was excited for her, and a little sad that she's already this big, but she was/is beyond excited! It's only 2 days a week (Tues/Thurs). This morning, I asked her if she wanted me to park and walk her into her classroom, or drop her off in the car line -she of course insisted on being dropped off! :( What an independent thing she is!KatieLynn & I before we leave on her first morning. I had a 7am work meeting, so Daddy got the kids dressed and took them for donuts and then watched 'The Orange Car' (Dukes of Hazzard).KatieLynn & Dean jumped right into the play stations when we arrived. KatieLynn could barely stop playing to say good-bye, and I think Dean would have happily stayed as well. The kids eat suckers for dessert on the way home from Bebe & Papa's house.

Swim Lessons & Harvesting

2009-07-29T22:01:00.007-05:00

We started swim lessons last week, and finished up today. KatieLynn has been having a ball; it's been like a big playtime for her! I offered Dean the chance to take lessons too, but I was secretly hoping he'd say no, as the only class offered to 2 year olds is Mommy-and-me... and he is so far above that! He did say no, but I think he regretted it, and will be ready for swim lessons next year. I will say he was a trooper though, playing with his trucks, tractors, and combine, while watching KatieLynn in the water. The good news is that after swim lessons, the kids got to play on the playground for about 15 minutes until the pool opened, then they swam together for a while every day. Fun Slide!
KatieLynn dives in for her favorite game of swim lessons: treasure hunt! The teachers throw out diving toys, and then the kids race to go get them underwater.
Look at our little mermaid! Swim lessons has taught KatieLynn how to open her eyes underwater. The teachers have taught some strokes, but in my opinion they didn't practice them enough. Plus the entire pool is shallow, so there wasn't much motivation to swim, when standing up was so simple. Hopefully we can practice on our own, and the strokes will be remembered. :)Our sweet boy loves pedaling!

and so does KatieLynn!

They take turns driving the combine, the tractor with grain cart (trailer), and the loader tractor. They also play 'harvest'. The combine driver says they're full, then the tractor driver pulls the wagon up, and the combine auger comes up and dumps the corn into the cart. Too cute!

Dean hauls corn, his boots, and Hadley!

Corn Harvest

2009-07-25T16:33:00.004-05:00

The boys ride up front, while KatieLynn and I ride in Daddy's sleeper. KatieLynn loves to help Daddy by pushing his buttons to release the truck and trailer air brakes.
The tractor and buggy unload corn into the trailer.
Dean & KatieLynn play in some spilt corn.

Got to dump the corn out of her boots!

July 4th

2009-07-25T15:09:00.007-05:00

Dean & KatieLynn loved the water slides at the Waller Freedom Fest!

We started celebrating Saturday morning in Waller at their Freedom Fest party. The kids enjoyed the free water slides, bounce houses, and bubble machine, and last but not least snowcones!

That evening, my parents and Darren's family came over to celebrate Courtney's birthday and our nation's independence. Greg set up their big waterslide for the kids. We ate hamburgers that Darren and Greg grilled, ate watermelon, and birthday cake with ice cream. Then Courtney and I took the kids with my parents, to see Waller's fireworks display. It was great fun!

We're enjoying our Summer

2009-06-17T16:23:00.006-05:00

Here's some of our grape tomatoes and sweet corn from our garden; it all tastes delicious! KatieLynn loves tomatoes; she eats them by the dozen!KatieLynn started taking gymnastics about a month ago. She had been hearing about different classes like ballet, soccer, karate, gymnastics, etc. and been chomping at the bit since about 3 1/2years old to take something, but we had her wait until she was 4. On her birthday, she picked gymnastics and she loves it! Here she is with a friend right before class starts. I didn't get very good shots of her during the class, but maybe I will next time.Dean is a real trooper at gymnastics. He likes to take his trains to play with, and has also made friends (KatieLynnn's friend has two little brothers; and their mom is sweet too! :)).KatieLynn is hopping over circles on a balance beam, without falling off!Dean shares his things very well!We went to a Millican Reunion in Robert Lee this past weekend. It was nice to see lots of family that we haven't seen in a while; my kids enjoyed playing with some of their 3rd cousins.

Nothing New

2009-05-28T09:10:00.002-05:00

I have no real news, but felt like I needed to post something. We spend most of our days outside; Dean's favorite thing is digging in the dirt -he sits there for hours! KatieLynn rotates around, but pedaling her trike, bike, and tractor, and swinging are her favorites.

Dean didn't have his shovel close by, so instead he used his hand to do the digging!KatieLynn loves being a trapeze artist! So sweet, she blows me a kiss!Dean is picking up rocks from the gravel driveway, and putting them in his loader. He then will drive around a little, and next, dump the rocks out, and start all over!

We are doing well. The kids and I have been diligent about our claritin, as our allergies have been bothering us a little. We have been enjoying lots of yummy tomatoes from our garden, and will eat some sweet corn real soon! For whatever reason, my strawberries haven't made very many, but the watermelon, cantelope, cucumbers, and green beans all seem to be doing well; just no fruit on them yet.

Darren has officially started haymaking season, so it seems like most of his time is in the hayfields cutting, tedding, baling, spraying, or fertilizing! But I can't complain; it seems like the weather is cooperating pretty well this year.

Outside Adventures

2009-05-13T14:59:00.004-05:00

For some reason, one of our baby calves wasn't nursing his mother, so Darren fixed up a little pen at our house, and brought him home for the kids and I to take care of. KatieLynn & Dean named him Blackjack, and we feed him 2-3 times a day. Right now he is just drinking milk, though we also have water and a little feed out for him. He gets so excited when he sees the bottle, but so far he hasn't shown much interest in the water or feed. Both the kids love little Blackjack, but KatieLynn especially does. As soon as she gets dressed in the morning, she is ready to go get in his pen, and she gives him hugs and kisses all day long, plus always tells him goodbye before we leave anywhere. The other day we started cleaning out the playhouse, first just sweeping it out, but when we got all the toys outside, we decided to wash them, which led to washing all the kids' ride-on toys and my car. Every time water is involved, Dean and KatieLynn always wind up very wet, so they put their swimsuits on before we turned the water hose on. :)KatieLynn washes the dishes from the playhouse.Dean is a great tire washer!

Kids' Bedrooms

2009-05-07T16:14:00.003-05:00

My Big Boy!! Dean moved to a big bed back in March at 2 years and 5 months. We went out of town for a few days, and at the hotel we all slept in a big bed. When we came home, he went straight to the big bed, instead of the crib, when it was bedtime. I had wondered when would be the time, as KatieLynn moved from crib to bed a couple of weeks before 2 1/2 years. We left the crib in his room for a week or so, but he never looked back. He's done great! He got out one night late during the first week (I took him to the bathroom and then put him back in bed), but that's the only time. I'm so proud of him, but also sad as this seems like the last baby milestone...One advantage of having the crib out, is there's lots of extra room to play in the floor! I have to include a picture of KatieLynn at naptime. It's hard to tell in this picture, but she is sleeping at the foot of her bed! She is right on the border of not needing(or taking!) a nap everyday. She naps about every 3rd day, and instead just plays quietly in her room during 'naptime'.I recently made KatieLynn new bedding. She had been using the same bedding that I picked out in 7th grade, and I decided to let her have some ownership of her bedroom by letting her pick the colors to decorate her room. She picked pink and blue. We started buying different fabric last fall; my goal was to have everything finished for Christmas, but I came up a little short... It all took much longer and was more complex than I anticipated, but for the most part the end result was what I wanted. I made a small quilt to hang on the wall, valance curtains, and a bedskirt, and then rag-quilted pillow shams and a large quilt for the bed. I love how the rag quilt looks, but if anyone wants to make one, get ready for it to take a while!

Warm Weather and Weddings!

2009-04-21T21:30:00.003-05:00

Last week it was so warm that we got out the little pool. My pictures aren't that good, but I can tell you that the kids had a BALL! The water was cold, but there was no wind and lots of bright sunshine when they got in before and after lunch. The only way I could get them in for naptime, was to promise they could get back in when they woke up. However, later in the afternoon, the wind had picked up, and it was much more cloudy... but they were both determined to get back in. KatieLynn woke up from nap before Dean, and headed straight to the pool. She actually stayed in for 30 minutes, and Dean made it about 10, but I made them both hop out when they started to turn blue. :) LOL! Dean loves going down the slide.
My mom sent this little dress home with me last Tuesday; I think it was an Easter dress of mine from my Grandma Lacy. Anyway, it looked like it might fit KatieLynn, though we were both unsure if she would be interested as she generally only wears dresses to church, and even those dresses can't be too 'frooffy'. But as soon as she saw it, she asked me if it was my wedding dress? Then she ran to her room, changed her clothes into the dress and said that she was a bride. Then later she said she was going to the ball and got Prince Dean to dance with her.

Princess KatieLynn

Funny

KatieLynn: Lately we read the bible story of Jonah and the Whale, which we've read before and we watch the Jonah Veggietales movie, but when we read it this last time, KatieLynn had lots of questions and pondering. So a few days later Dean was doing something he wasn't supposed to, and I corrected him, KatieLynn told him that if he disobeyed he might get swallowed by a whale. And has since reminded him several times to not get into trouble unless he wanted to be swallowed by a whale! I was totally cracked up. :)

Dean: We've been talking to the kids about snakes a lot, since they're starting to come awake. And if they see one, to quickly get away and tell us. Then a few days ago, there was a copperhead close to the kids' sandpile that I killed with a shovel. The next day Dean ran up to me, saying 'snake, snake'. I grabbed a shovel and followed him. What I found was a gigantic and very furry caterpillar, but only 4" max. :) Relieved we watched him crawl around for a little while.

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-16T20:47:00.006-05:00

We had a great Easter weekend. Saturday morning we started early with an Easter party at our church. We ate pancakes, colored, played, and hunted eggs. We got home to get stuff together for lunch, then headed down the road to Darren's grandpa's house. The kids played with some of their cousins and then ate yummy steaks that Darren, Glenn, and Greg grilled. After lunch, the daddies hid eggs, and the kiddos had a large time hunting eggs again. Dean and Daddy went home to take a nap, while KatieLynn and I went to surprise Catherine (my friend who happens to be 8 1/2 months pregnant with her 2nd baby; her oldest, Hadley, just turned 3). KatieLynn hunted eggs for the 3rd time that day with Hadley and her cousins. Sunday morning we attended church, and then went to Brenham for Easter lunch and one more Easter egg hunt. It stormed pretty hard that morning, but the sun was shining by lunchtime, and we hunted eggs outside with no problem.
I don't know how I could talk about Easter without mentioning Jesus. It is unthinkable what Jesus went through those days before Easter, and I can't begin to imagine what his mother felt. All I know is how grateful I am that Jesus loved us all so much.

The kids pretend to read the hymnals while we visit after church.KatieLynn and Dean work on their coloring sheets at church Saturday morning.I don't have a picture of Dean with the Easter bunny, because he had absolutely no interest in getting very close. After KatieLynn sat with the bunny, he gave her a little cup and pencil, and Dean was interested in that... we tried to bribe him to pose with the bunny, but the best the Easter bunny got this year was a wave from Dean. The wave did get Dean the cup and pencil. :) KatieLynn was happy to sit with the bunny; she's not scared of muchDean would check out the eggs before he put them in his basket, and it didn't take long for him to drop his basket, and play on the playground equipment.KatieLynn filled her basket to the brim (Darren bought this longaberger basket on her first Easter, but we may need to get a bigger basket for next year).Cousins: Emma, Claire, KatieLynn, & Dean

Our Girl turns 4!!

2009-04-08T21:32:00.000-05:00

This year, KatieLynn wanted an 'orange' birthday party. One of her favorite shows to watch is Strawberry Shortcake, and she really likes the girl named Orange Blossom, plus her favorite fruit to eat is oranges; she eats one nearly every night... anyway an orange-themed birthday party was what she picked so we did the best we could. On Saturday, we had close family and a couple of KatieLynn's favorite friends over to celebrate. The kids ate and played, then sang Happy Birthday, and ate and played some more. It was a fun party!

KatieLynn passes out some of her oranges to Claire, Emma, Dean, and Hadley.Monday, March 30, was the actual birthday, and KatieLynn chose to have lunch at Chuck E Cheese. The kids had a large time playing, climbing in the tunnels, and eating pizza, and I think even Darren had fun.While Dean will eat practically any dessert, KatieLynn is a little more pickey. She does love icing, but not a cake fan, and ice cream is one of her favorites. On her real birthday she asked for brownies and ice cream for dessert, so that's what we fixed.This past weekend, we went with Darren to haul hay to the cows. The kids loved playing on the trailer while Daddy loaded it up.While Daddy & Dean fed the hay to the cows, KatieLynn picked flowers and stacked up rocks. Special things

KatieLynn is great about finding the silver lining in all things; even when she's in trouble, she can smile and say "but tomorrow I'll get to... :)"
Before she goes to bed, she wants to snuggle with me between her bedtime story and kiss good-night.
She remembers Everything!
She's good about taking turns (though sometimes she very much prefers to have the 1st turn, she then gives away the next turn very quickly)
She always includes Dean and wants to make sure he has what she does.
She gives great hugs and kisses.
KatieLynn is very confident, but also knows her limits, whether it's physical or social, and she stops when it's too much.
She's a great eater! Queso and chips is her favorite (she is after all my daughter!), but also loves pizza and red meat. She likes practically every fruit, and is good about eating raw vegtables like tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and celery. Milk and water are her main beverages, but lemonade is her special drink.
Playing outside is her alltime favorite: swinging, riding her pedal tractor and trike, jumping on trampoline, digging in the dirtpile, helping me in the flower beds, exploring the yard, hayfields, ricefields, riding tractors with Daddy
Inside is fun too: Diecast Thomas and friends trains, dollhouse, taking care of babydolls, toy tractors & hay, painting, playdoh, reading books, play cooking and real cooking
Favorite to watch on TV: Strawberry Shortcake, Thomas the Train, Sesame Street

I truly can't believe the little baby I brought home from the hospital 4 short years ago has grown into the sweet, young girl she is now. As soon as she was born, I loved her more than I could have ever imagined, but now we love her even more! God has blessed us so much! I pray that we will be Godly parents and good examples for both our kids.

Houston Rodeo Days

2009-03-30T21:04:00.004-05:00

We had a great time at the rodeo this year! We wound up going 3 times; twice with the kids, and once without. The kids said they loved the horses and the fireworks the best. The kids loved the rodeo. Ever since, we've had lots of 'rodeos' in our garage, including calf roping, steer dogging, barrel racing, calf scramble, and mutton busting (kids riding sheep). We attended the Toby Keith concert, but we didn't stay very long because it was just too loud. I know I sound really old when I say that, but truly, it hurt our ears. Darren and I went back by ourselves to see Brooks-n-Dunn. The rodeo was very exciting, as it was the finals, and although the concert was loud, it was nothing like before... the music was great, and we stayed to the end.Waiting in line for the pony rideDean loved the pony rides; he talked about it for days before and days afterward!KatieLynn, too loved the pony rides!We rode the park-n-ride, and there was a girl on the bus who had the same shirt as KatieLynn; they were both quite excited!! For the next two days, KatieLynn kept asking me when she could play with her new friend from the bus. I said I didn't know where the girl lived, and she came up with "Maybe we'll see her again next year at the rodeo."Playing at Zube Park with the Gracie & ChipperThe girls are up high! Today is KatieLynn's 4th birthday; hopefully I'll post more soon! :)

Little Farming Kids

2009-02-23T21:19:00.004-06:00

The kids new favorite spot is Daddy's hay shed. It's back behind our house, and they are ready to go there every chance they get. They climb on the round haybales, and jump from row to row. A few days when I was working on something in the house, and the kids were supposed to be playing in the yard, but instead they hiked down to the hay shed. They were just innocently playing, but I think they finally understand that they need permission to go down there.

Daddy's little helpers put the corn seed in all Daddy's little holes, after they put the fertilize out (which KatieLynn said smells just awful!). In the next few weeks, we'll add more vegtables, but Darren wanted to get the sweet corn planted a little early.

We all had a great weekend. My mom graciously came down to stay the weekend with the kids and Darren. Darren continued to work long hours, though he helped with bath and bedtime. KatieLynn and Dean had a wonderful time playing with and entertaining my mom. And lucky me -I had a girls weekend of sleep, rest, and scrapbooking in Fredricksburg. It's the first time I've been gone 2 nights, and I did miss the kids, but I came home completely recharged.

Good Weekend

2009-01-27T14:22:00.005-06:00

Hi there. We had a busy weekend, but my camera was left at home, so I have no pictures. :( We celebrated birthdays Friday night at Darren's parents' house. I made a birthday cake for Darren's dad with a horse on it, that the kids (especially Dean) were super excited about! Then early Saturday morning, we headed to the deer lease with a bulldozer. Once we got there (about 5 hours later), the kids laid down to rest, and Darren dozed some of the roads. Around 4pm, we all drove around, looking at the deer, hogs, and rabbits. The kids had a great time, but their favorite was climbing up the tower blinds! Darren shot a couple of hogs, which KatieLynn thought was cool to put her hands over her ears. Dean wasn't so sure about covering his ears, but did say that the hogs were going night-night, after the shot. We came back Sunday afternoon, but I think next time we'll plan to stay at least 2 nights. Lots of fun!

Here's a couple of morning pictures, after breakfast, while I clean up the kitchen. Dean loves his tractors, and KatieLynn is playing with the playdoh.

The kids enjoy riding their tricycles. Dean has just started pedaling in the last couple of weeks, but starting to get pretty good.

KatieLynn loves her new trike!

Happy Birthday Darren!!

2009-01-19T20:34:00.003-06:00

Darren turned 35 today. I think this was one of the most exciting birthdays for the kids (except their own!). They picked out his singing birthday card, helped me buy several of his gifts, and of course, they helped me bake the cake. Both of my kids personify everything from animals to characters in books, to cars, to trains. They imagine they are one of the objects, and sometimes imagine other people close to them are also objects... if that makes sense. Both the kids love trains, but especially KatieLynn, and she always says Daddy is Big, Strong, Henry, who's a green train with Thomas. So, when Darren said he didn't care what we put on his cake, KatieLynn picked big, strong, Henry. They were so excited about the cake all day long; KatieLynn just from pure birthday excitement and Dean really wanted to eat cake.

Daddy has help blowing out the candles.

Eating cake and ice cream Very intently eating!
Darren opens one of his presents (to hang in the garage).
This picture is from last week; the kids are pretending the treadmill is their bed.

Merry Christmas

2009-01-10T20:36:00.014-06:00

I hope everyone had a very, merry, Christmas! We certainly did, and are just now getting back in routine again. I know I haven't blogged in a very long time, and I really don't have a good excuse, except that we have been enjoying all the busy holidays. My sister took these pictures outside of Robert Lee at an old Millican family place.

The kids loved decorating the house up for Christmas. They each had their own little Christmas trees in their bedrooms, and we tried to decorate some Christmas in each room of the house.

Dean, Emma, and KatieLynn open presents at Darren's parents' house.

Every year, my dad always reads the Christmas story from Luke, a tradition which I love, though Dean isn't too appreciative of the timing in this picture. I believe he's ready to open a present!

KatieLynn & Dean love their new hay bales and fork to haul hay around the house.

Dean and Daddy are excited about his new pedal combine. Dean especially likes the auger!

cousins: Emma, Claire, & KatieLynn

My angels playing outside

Dean playing in the yard

The kids crack pecans with their feet, though unfortunately, none of the pecans taste good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-02T13:52:00.006-06:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We got to see lots of family and ate great food for several days. We started the weekend before, by driving to Yoakum to visit Friedel family members. On Thanksgiving day, we ate and visited at Darren's grandpa's. Then we got up bright and early Friday morning to drive to San Angelo for lunch with the Lacy family. We spent the rest of the weekend in Robert Lee, and got to visit with the Millican family on Saturday. KatieLynn and Dean loved playing with all their cousins from all sides. Unfortunately, even though I took my camera, I didn't take any pictures. :( However, here's a few pics from this morning of the kids playing at home. As you can see, they absolutely love playing in the dirt pile! Darren also killed an 8 point buck last week; I don't know why he doesn't look happier in the picture!

Farmer & Ladybug

2008-11-06T19:35:00.004-06:00

The kids had a large time for Halloween. We attended a fall festival at our church the weekend before, and then went trick-or-treating with Darren's brother, Greg, Courtney, and Emma. This was the first year that we've trick-or-treated, but the kids caught on immediately. Dean loved just going from house to house and didn't even collect candy at first, but it didn't take long and he made sure to say 'trick-or-treat' and wait for his treat. :)

Dean & KatieLynn are ready to go to Emma's house.

Darren baled hay around our house that afternoon, and while we were waiting for Darren to get dressed, the kids played outside, checking out Daddy's round bales.Emma, Dean, & KatieLynnDean & KatieLynn love playing in the pack-n-play! My college friend, Melanie, came to visit us with her husband and 3year old son. They slept in Dean's room, so he slept in a pack-n-play in our room, and the next morning the kids had a great time pretending to go 'night-night'.

Birthday Boy

2008-10-13T21:27:00.007-05:00

Dean turned two today. It's hard to believe that 2 short years ago, Dean was just a little newborn (well, a 9 lb newborn isn't that little, but he was a newborn nonetheless). I still can 't believe that my 'baby' is two; I remember when KatieLynn turned two, she seemed all grown up, compared to 6 month old Dean, but now 2 years still seems pretty little.

Dean's favorite things are playing outside, playing with his tractors, hay baler, trucks, trains, and going with Daddy on a real tractor. He is a great communicator, though he has been talking in his own language for a while now, he is starting to say more words that anyone (not just family) can understand. He does a great job using the potty, and only uses a diaper to sleep. Dean and KatieLynn play well together, though Dean is still learning to take turns and share. They are great friends, and miss each other when apart.

I made a chocolate chip cookie cake for Dean's actual birthday.
KatieLynn cheered him on to blow out the candles.

Dean loads hay (blocks) onto his new flatbed and pickup.Happy Birthday to Dean!!
We had a very small birthday party on Saturday with only immediate family and friends.

Dean & KatieLynn eat cake and ice cream. Gracie & Dean have fun. KatieLynn pedals her tractor.
The kids play at the sandbox.KatieLynn & Dean watch Thomas the Train.

The kids play outside at the playhouse.

Waller Co. Fair

2008-10-06T15:11:00.002-05:00

This weekend we went to the Waller Co. Fair with the Schultz's. The kids had loads of fun riding all the rides, and us grown-ups had a good time just watching them. Dean and KatieLynn had both taken great naps that day, so they were ready to stay up late and party. We did the carnival rides, snocones, cotton candy, and the rodeo. We didn't get home until nearly 10:30pm, and that is very unlike us!

Here's a shot of the kiddos flying in a helicopter.
Darren, KatieLynn, & Dean
Jack & Hadley Schultz Hadley & KatieLynn ride a train.
I ride the carousel with the kids.
Dean rides the tricycle, at our house outside.
KatieLynn wants to swing;
we so need to get a 'big kid' swing!

Playing Outside

2008-10-01T15:15:00.002-05:00

Darren brought a load of sandy dirt, and dumped it in a corner of our yard. The kids absolutely LOVE it! They dig and dump, over and over and over. The downside is that my house may never be the same; it seems like my floors are never clean! Shoes, socks, and pants come off on the back porch, but still the house always has sand everywhere. But the upside is the kids have a great time and sleep good after playing outside. :)

KatieLynn & Dean work together to fill up the dump truck.

Queen of the Sand Pile!The kids have a good time playing with Brody & Lauren Bolcik.KatieLynn is ready to go with Gigi and Emma to the Waller Co. Fair parade.Dean plays on the playground at the park in Hockley.KatieLynn loves swinging in the 'big girl' swing.KatieLynn & Gracie take a break to get more nourishment.

We're Home!

2008-09-23T17:08:00.005-05:00

Sorry I haven't written sooner, but we have been home for several days now. Our power was restored Friday afternoon, but the kids and I had already planned to go to the County Fair in Brenham, with Bebe (my mom). We went Friday morning to look at all the animals and displays, and then went back that evening to enjoy the rides. As soon as we pulled in the parking lot, and KatieLynn saw all the lights at the carnival rides, she said, "Oh, I'm so excited!" So we were excited too! Dean was excited, and loved the carousel, but on the next ride, I couldn't ride with him, or stand close, so he wasn't too sure. I let him get down, but then as soon as the ride started, and he saw KatieLynn having fun riding, he wanted to get back on, but too late. However, he did ride all the other rides with his sister. :) Unfortunately we forgot our camera that evening, but here's a picture from the morning.

Dean liked all the animals, but his favorite thing was the tractors (of course!). He keep wanting to climb on all of them, and he couldn't climb on the antique tractors, so he would touch their tires, and anything else in reach. You'd think he never got to be around a tractor!

Bebe has lots of Thomas the Train DVDs, and the kids loved them!

Our house weathered the storm like a pro (it has lived through over a hundred years of hurricanes, so it is kind of like a professional). There were lots of limbs down, but Darren had them pretty much all picked up before we got home. We never found the trampoline, except for three leg pieces in the hayfield... the kids are sad, but I bet we'll get a new one in the next few months. :)

We had a wonderful visit in Brenham. My parents could not have treated us better, from sharing their beds, food, TV (my dad let us watch whatever he wanted -how sweet!), and everything else they had. The kids behaved very well, so it was a great 'vacation'. I know there were many who were not as fortunate, and my heart goes out to them. God Bless You!

Hurricane Weekend

2008-09-13T15:15:00.003-05:00

Hurricane Ike hit early this morning, and I feel very sorry for all the people that had damage from the winds and flooding. We thankfully, haven't come out too bad. The kids and I came to my parents' house in Brenham, yesterday morning, and have had a great time visiting and playing. Darren stayed in Hockley, at his parents' house, so he could keep an eye on our house and cattle, but still be in a brick house when the winds came. The wind really blew apparently, but the house is still in good shape. The bad news for the kids, is our trampoline is missing. I'm hoping we'll find it in one of the fields, still intact, but Darren is doubtful. I haven't seen the yard, but Darren said there's sticks and limbs everywhere, and it will take both of us a full day to get it all picked up -he's quite worried about it! All in all, we are very lucky! Our power is still out in Hockley, so Darren came to Brenham to visit us, take a bath, and sleep in the A/C!

The kids and I went swimming this week, and we had a great time! Dean and KatieLynn love to jump in, and then climb out, and do it again and again!

Hi Dean!KatieLynn jumps in!
KatieLynn gets ready to throw the ball.
Dean could spend hours in the sandbox.
KatieLynn takes care of Molly (her doll)
KatieLynn and Dean drive their tractors all over the yard.

Dean wears his hat that he got at Vacation Bible School.
He will rotate between this hat and his JD hat.

My Baby Boy is Growing Up :) :(

2008-09-03T21:14:00.004-05:00

Dean is getting so big, and is a great kid. It makes me proud to watch him grow, but also a little sad that I don't have a baby anymore...

This summer we have spent lots of time outside swimming in our little pool, and Dean usually went around in just his swimsuit, with no diaper. He got a real feeling for when he was 'going'. He started telling me when he had to go, just when we were outside, so he would go #1 outside pretty well. Then later when KatieLynn would need to go to the bathroom, she'd go in Dean's bathroom, so that Dean would sit on the little potty. In early August I put underwear on him, and after the first day, he got the hang of it. For several days we switched back and forth between underwear and pullups. Now he goes everywhere in his big boy underwear (except to sleep), and enjoys looking at the trains or cars on his undies. I think if I could have found some tractor underwear, he would have kept them dry from day one. :) I looked everywhere for the tractors, but we settled for Thomas, Lightning, & Mater.... but if anyone finds tractor underwear, please let me know!!

Dean likes to read his books when he goes #2 business! I'm a big boy! Every time he goes (I go with him), whenever he returns, he always wants KatieLynn and/or Darren to brag on him. KatieLynn now starts telling him 'good job' and 'I'm so proud of you' as soon as he walks back in the room. Sweet girl!
In cleaning, I came across some potty training scrapbook stickers, and realized I had no real pictures of Dean on the potty, so I started taking some! KatieLynn kept telling me to take a picture of her so she could say cheese and laugh, so I am including her in the bathroom. :)

Corn Harvest

2008-08-13T06:59:00.002-05:00

The kids and I drove over to see Daddy in the cornfield. Darren drove the combine when shelling the field closest to our house, and then dumped it straight into the truck. We rode in the combine with him for a while.

The kids are anxiously awaiting for Daddy to stop, and pick us up.

Dean & KatieLynn were living it up as they played on Emma's waterslide.

KatieLynn slows down for a picture.
Dean loves the water!

Colorado Wedding

2008-08-04T15:52:00.006-05:00

KatieLynn and I had a girls' trip this weekend. Johnny (my brother) got married in Colorado this past weekend. Darren and Dean were supposed to go too, but it turned out that Darren was right in the middle of corn harvesting, so was unable to go. and as much as I hated for Dean to miss his uncle getting married, I wasn't brave enough to take two little ones on that trip by myself. :)

KatieLynn makes some sweet friends as we wait to board the plane.

Except for missing our boys, we had a great time! KatieLynn behaved very well with all the traveling Friday, and then swam (by herself) Friday night. After dinner that night, lots of our out-of-town family and friends visited by the hotel pool, and KatieLynn was begging me to go swimming. I think it was what she most looked forward to of the whole trip! Anyway, I told her that I wasn't going to swim with her, and she said that was just fine. So Papa & Bebe (my parents), Aunt Natalie & Uncle Harper, and I all took turns staying close to her while she swam. She slept like a rock, though right after we turned out the lights, she said that she could hear Daddy and Dean coming in....

Saturday morning we ate breakfast with family, and then you guessed it, went swimming again. But this time, I did get in with her. :) We swam for about an hour and a half, and we had a ball. The wedding was at 1pm (2pm Texas which is usually prime nap time), and KatieLynn couldn't have behaved any better. We explored the entire church early on, and then during the ceremony, she sat very still and quiet, mostly reading her books. I read part of 1Corinthians 13 in the middle of the ceremony, and when I sat back down, she told me she had sneezed -I'm not sure if she was confessing that she hadn't been completely quiet or just missed someone saying 'bless you.' At any rate, I smiled and said, "Bless you!".

KatieLynn makes sure I'm all fixed up nice. Natalie, Harper, and my parents
my little girl angel
KatieLynn used her toy camera to take lots of pictures
Johnny and my new beautiful sister, Lauren
KatieLynn rode on the carousel after we ate lunch at the mall, by our hotel.

Summer Fun

2008-07-31T16:17:00.005-05:00

We are thoroughly enjoying the summer, though it's getting a little hotter than I would prefer. :) We are spending lots of time swimming, wherever we can find water, whether it's our little pool at home or another pool with friends. KatieLynn and Dean are fascinated by the caterpillar-chrysalis-butterflies! Our passion flower has gone crazy this summer, and has attracted thousands of caterpillars. The kids love watching them, and have seen up close how they make their chrysalis. For some reason, lots of caterpillars have chosen the kids' little slide to make their cocoon/chrysalis. I had butterfly boxes in my classroom for 3 years, but never actually saw the caterpillars make their chyrsalis step by step until this week -it's pretty cool!

KatieLynn counts all the chrysalises (sp?), as Dean points them all out.

Dean squeals at each caterpillar.

and there's lots of caterpillars and lots of bites out of the passion vine!

Here's one of the passion flowers; it smells so good!!!

Dean ate some chocolate pudding, but most of it wound up on his face!

The kids love picking up sticks and then riding with Daddy to dump them at the lake.

Darren started shelling corn on Monday, so we have gotten to take several rides with him in the Peterbilt.

KatieLynn likes the roomy sleeper in the back of the truck.

Dean LOVES Daddy's big truck!

Look at the little farmers.

July 4th Weekend

2008-07-08T15:57:00.006-05:00

We didn't do anything real exciting over the weekend. Friday we mostly relaxed at home, though we did get out, to eat at On the Border for lunch. I had been out of town Wednesday and Thursday, and didn't have any meat thawed out to cook, so going somewhere was really the only option. KatieLynn requested 'mesican food'; I think our whole family could eat it every day, and not be tired of it. :) By the time it got dark, Dean was tired and ready for bed, but KatieLynn stayed up with Darren and I. We could see tons of fireworks for miles around, from our front porch. Saturday night we spent with the Schultz family, and Sunday celebrated my SIL, Courtney's birthday.

The kids got to play outside all weekend long. KatieLynn's favorite outside activities are playing in the water pool, jumping on the trampoline, and riding her pedal tractor. Dean loves pushing and loading/dumping rocks into his big dumptruck and tractor w/loader, plus the sandbox, and also the pool and trampoline.

Dean is giving Daddy some big hugs.

KatieLynn & Dean love the trampoline and
Ring around the Rosies!

Dean loves falling down on the trampoline!

The favorite move in the water pool is going upside down on their backs.
Here's KatieLynn preparing for launch!

cousins, Emma & KatieLynn Friedel
they always enjoy getting together!

Swimming and Cake

2008-07-01T17:10:00.005-05:00

Here's a few pics of the kids playing in the water pool today. We had cousin Claire over to play, and the kids all had fun.

Ring around the Rosies, Pocketful of Posies,

Ashes, Ashes, We all fall DOWN!

I took a cake decorating class, and with the class and help from my good friend Heather Petton, I feel much more confident in my ablilities. Here's the cake I made at last night's class. KatieLynn loved the flowers, and liked the icing, but she let me have her actual cake. Dean however, loved it all!

Weekend to Remember

2008-07-01T16:38:00.004-05:00

Our weekend getaway started with a bang; diarrhea that is. We decided to wait and just leave on Saturday morning, so Darren and KatieLynn left early that morning for the donut shop, while I finished getting myself ready and got Dean up. Getting Dean was way more involved than usual, as there was brown all over his crib bedding, blankets, and bears, not to mention in his hair! I give him a bath, which he didn't like, because generally you have about 30 seconds from the time you get him out of the crib, to his booster seat with a cup of milk, or he is quite unhappy. It took me several minutes to accomplish this task, but as I poured his milk, in walked the donuts, so that made it all better. I had to wash everything before we could leave, in part because it was just nasty, but I really couldn't let it just soak, because we needed to take at least one blanket and one bear to Bebe & Papa's (my parents) to spend the night. Darren was great; he took the kids on an errand to the cows and tractors while I got everything all clean. I thought about cancelling our our trip, but Dean was acting fine, and both Darren and my mom insisted.

So we take the kids to Brenham, but somewhere along the way to Stephenville, my stomach starts acting up; I blow it off as hunger cramps, since we were running late for lunch. We pull into Stephenville's Montana Restaurant at 1:30. The food was delicious, and we ate WAY too much! We drive around a little, looking to see what all has changed, and as much as I wanted to keep driving I knew my stomach needed some relief. We check into the hotel and realize I'm sick too. I don't think all the greasy food helped. We rest and watch TV for a few hours, and by 7pm I'm feeling better, though not hungry. We go see 'Get Max' at the theatre; it wasn't our first pick, but it was cute. To make a long story short, we've all four been sick by the time we get home. Though I'm really looking forward to the next weekend away! :)

On a very sad note, my 27 year old cousin, Erin, died in her bed this weekend. We aren't sure of the cause. Her mom and my mom are sisters. Erin had one of the sweetest outlooks on life; she was always a very happy girl with nice things to say in any situation. She will be greatly missed, but I know for certain that she is with Jesus now. Please pray for her family when you have a chance.

Long Time, No Blogging

2008-06-24T20:44:00.009-05:00

I know I've been an awful blogger, but I will try to do better! The last time I really blogged was more than a month ago when it rained last, and guess what? It finally rained again this weekend! I'm not really sure if the rain came in time to help our corn crop, but we always welcome rain, and I know it helped the rice and hayfields. Thank-you Jesus! Darren has told KatieLynn that when we say our prayers at night, she should ask God for rain on the corn, so every night she says, "Please God, help it to rain, rain, rain!" And now, it has, and we just have to trust the Lord's timing of it all.

Dean helps me tenderize some deer steak; he and his sister take turns helping me cook.
We have already had a busy summer, and one reason I haven't blogged is that I've been awful about remembering to take my camera, so haven't had many pictures. We went to the Oil Ranch and the Houston Zoo with the Burmans. I forgot my camera at the Oil Ranch, and then my battery died right after we got to the zoo, but I'm hoping my friend Heather got more. :) Here are her kids, Gracie & Chipper with KatieLynn in front of some monkeys.

Father's Day weekend we went to west Texas for a reunion in Robert Lee on my mom's side, and also to celebrate my Lacy Grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary in Miles. We had a good visit, and the kids traveled very well. Of course, nobody slept in the car, but still the trip was good. Here's a picture of Davis (a cousin) and Dean playing tractors at Aunt Gaye & Uncle Richard's house. For Darren's Father's Day present I had some aerial photos taken of our house. They took several, but here are a couple. We have Darren's pride-n-joy hayfield immediately surrounding our house. In the bottom one, you can see some of the rice fields close to our house, and a cornfield on the backside of the house. This past weekend, we had company from one of my Aggie friends, Heather Petton. Her daughter Haley is four, and her son just turned one, and KatieLynn and Dean loved playing with them. Haley and KatieLynn played dress up as mermaids; they were so cute!!

Here's a shot of KatieLynn after church one Sunday. She is putting her jewelry up. It's so funny because the nursery ladies think she is a girly-girl, always wearing a dress and sometimes a ring or bracelet to churh, when the truth is she does enjoy dressing up for church, but she usually has stripped down by 9:30am to put on 'her real clothes' (we're usually home around 9:20). Her favorite is jean shorts -she calls them short jeans.

KatieLynn & Dean are all clean in their pajamas and John Deere caps, watching one of Daddy's farming shows.

Gotta Love a Survey

2008-06-24T16:45:00.004-05:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:00
2. Diamonds or pearls? both!!
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Evan Almighty on June 26, 2007 (my anniversary -maybe we can go again this year!)
4. What is your favorite TV show? This summer- Army Wives, but I also enjoy Darren's favorites: Iceroad Truckers & Farmer Wants a Wife
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Cereal & Milk
6. What is your middle name? Lacy
7. What food do you dislike? sandwiches with a bunch of mushed up stuff, like chicken salad -I call it 'old lady chic food'!
8. What is your favorite CD at moment? I don't really buy CD's, just listen to the radio: old & new country
9. What kind of car do you drive? 2004 Tahoe
10. Favorite sandwich? Grilled Cheddar Cheese
11. What characteristic do you despise? Bad Attitude
12. Favorite item of clothing? Jean shorts & flip flops
13. If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go? somewhere with blue water, and someday I'd like to go to Europe too
14. Favorite brand of clothing? Target, TJMaxx, something cute, comfortable, and on sale :)
15. Where would you retire to? My house -I love it
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? This year??? Just family came over while Jack cooked fajitas; we had a ball!
18. Furthest place you are sending this? ???
19. Person you expect to send it back first? Julie, maybe?
20. When is your Birthday? January 27
21. Are you a morning person or a night person? Once I am out of bed...I love the mornings, especially when I get up before the kids. I enjoy getting dressed for the day, without the kids' help. :)
22. What is your shoe size? 9
23. Any pets? Nellie, a mixed collie breed that showed up the day we moved into this house, 6 years ago
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? Darren and I are going away for the weekend; our first time alone since before KatieLynn was born! :)
25. What did you want to be when you were little? lots of things, but always a wife and mother - I had a fabulous mom to look up to!
26. How are you today? Great!!
27. What is your favorite candy? Smoothie Skittles, they're a little hard to find, but that's good, because I would eat them too much if I had more access to them!
28 What is your favorite flower? Red Geraniums, and Red/White/Yellow Dahlias
30. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? this weekend!
31 What is your full name? Andrea Nicole Lacy Friedel
32 What are you listening to right now? KatieLynn playing in her room (instead of napping!), Dean napping (I don't hear anything, so that's a good sign) and the dryer running.
33. What was the last thing you ate? Ribeye Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and Watermelon; Yummy! Darren can grill a good ribeye!
34. Do you wish on stars? No, I pray!
35. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Green or Red
36. How is the weather right now? Breezy, but still plenty warm
37. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Darren
38. Favorite drink? Lemonade
39. Favorite restaurant? Pappasitos! that makes me hungry just thinking about it!
40. Hair color? Honey Blond
41. Favorite toy as a child? Babies, Barbies, Barbie Jeep, and my imagination -my brother and sister and I played outside with our imaginations a lot!
42. Summer or winter? Spring is probably my favorite, but I look forward to each season
43. Hugs or kisses? both!!
44. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
45. Coffee or tea? tea sweet
46. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes
47. When was the last time you cried? I don't know about cried, but a few days my eyes definitely watered when I heard the song 'If you're reading this, I'm already gone'. I don't know the singer...
48. What is under your bed? torso track -I need to use it :(
49. What did you do last night? attend transportation meeting, focusing on TTC-69
50. What are you afraid of? I try to trust that God will take care of me, and not worry
51. Salty or sweet? Both..at different times
52. How many keys on your key ring? 5
53. How many years at your current job? Stay-at-home mom - 3 1/2 years ; Field Rep for Senator Hegar - 1 1/2 years
54. Favorite day of the week? Saturday & Sunday
55. How many towns have you lived in? 12 towns - Hockley -6 yrs, Waller -3 yrs, College Station -2 yrs, Stephenville -3 yrs, Brenham -2 yrs, Elk City 5 years, Carrollton -9 mths, Amarillo -4 1/2 yrs, Odessa -2 yrs, Wyoming -1 1/2 yrs, Laredo -1 yr, Houston -1 yr (my dad was in the oil business)
56. Do you make friends easily? I think so!
57. How many people will you send this too? everyone who reads my blog????
58. Favorite Bible Verse right now? 2 Timothy 2:22 "Pursue Righteousness, Faith, Love & Peace ."
59. What are you most thankful for today? My family/close friends' good health, and a simple comfort knowing that God will always be there to take care of me, no matter what happens here on earth
60. What are you saving your money for right now? We just bought new couches for the living room; last week we were still sitting on the couches that I bought used when I was in college, though I had sewed some slipcovers to help them last a little longer. They were good couches, but I'm so excited to have new ones!

Getting Wet

2008-05-15T21:37:00.006-05:00

It rained again! We got just under an inch early yesterday morning; just the right amount! All of our crops look good, so we're very thankful. Our garden is also thriving, though it still has lots of grass. We have been enjoying strawberries, and got our first tomato today. KatieLynn was so excited, as tomatoes are one of her favorites.

The kids had so much fun sliding into the little pool, that we decided to buy a new pool that has a slide, and is a little bigger than last year's pool. Dean was still so little last summer, that I had bought the smallest pool there was, so he could crawl in and out, but as you can see, he is very capable of using a larger one now. :) The water was pretty chilly last night, but Dean and KatieLynn sure didn't notice!

This past weekend, we got the pool out, and the kids had a ball splashing and playing. They moved our little slide over so they could slide into the water, and loved it!
Hadley came to visit, but thought it was a little cool to swim, so she opted to swing instead.

Dean is very into sitting on the toilet. He has yet to actually do his business on it, but he really enjoys getting out the seat and getting up there. Then he wants to read one of Daddy's tractor magazines; it's quite hilarious to watch him!

It's Raining!

2008-05-05T14:13:00.004-05:00

We have had a wonderful week! The kids got to play at the park twice last week(with the Bolciks and Burmans), and loved every minute. The weather got a little cooler and we couldn't ask for prettier days. We also had a great time playing with Bebe and Papa, both at our house, and theirs. Darren worked very long hours last week, in the cornfields putting out fertilizer. He finally finished Friday evening, and was able to spend the weekend at home.

KatieLynn and I went to a festival in Bellville, where she got to ride a horse (sorry, I forgot my camera!). She was excited! We had a terrific time watching the parade and going to lots of different booths with Claire and her daddy, Glenn. We got to play with cousin Emma too. On Sunday, Papoo (Darren's dad) cooked lunch for us all. The kids always enjoy playing at Gigi & Papoo's, especially now that they have a swing set. Last night Darren watched Jack cook his famous fajitas, while Catherine and I watched the kids jump on the trampoline and play in the sandbox. The food was delicious, and the visit was lots of fun.

And some great news: It's rained nearly 2 inches today! Thank you Lord!

Playing Outside

2008-04-23T15:53:00.004-05:00

Hi All. We've been enjoying all the beautiful weather we've had the last couple of weeks. Last week the wind blew a little more than our liking, but this week the breeze feels really nice. The kids love to be outside, and we usually play out there for a few hours in the morning, and then again in the late afternoon/early evening. Here's a few pics:
Katie Lynn had her 3 year exam and Dean had his 18 month exam. They are both very healthy, and at the top of the charts for height at 40" and 34". Dean got his shot like a champ, and was more unhappy at being held down, than the actual shot. I was thankful to have Darren to go with us, as it always takes a while to do both exams with shots. Katie Lynn didn't have to get a shot this year, just a finger prick for bloodwork, and she was just excited to get a mermaid sticker!

Another Nice Weekend

2008-04-15T15:46:00.007-05:00

We've enjoyed lots of beautiful weather for many days, though it has been a little cool the last several mornings. The kids love to play outside, regardless of the activity. Here's a picture of them beside our (small) garden. KatieLynn likes to help me water, sometimes pulls weeds, but her favorite thing is to check to see it there are any strawberries that are ready to be picked. Dean also likes working in the garden, but the problem is that he sits on top of the rows (and plants) and often pulls plants up with the weeds... so for the most part he works on the outside edge of the plot. :)

Dean laughs as he 'pretend' falls down, and when KatieLynn giggles, Dean acts even more silly.

KatieLynn works on her new puzzle (Thanks Uncle Johnny & Lauren!) after church. She's wearing a dress that I wore as a little girl, that my Granny Millican gave me.

Beautiful Days

2008-04-07T15:26:00.013-05:00

We had a nice week and weekend. The kids got to spend lots of time outside, which they loved. Darren finished planting corn, and this week will be working in the rice fields. It was nice to have him home for most of the weekend. Sunday, we ate lunch at Darren's grandpa's house, to celebrate his(PawPaw's) birthday. We're so thankful he's close by, and so healthy. Here's a few recent pictures of the kids.

Dean is reading a John Deere book to his bear, and Katie Lynn is doing a puzzle.

KatieLynn's 3rd Birthday

2008-03-31T15:30:00.005-05:00

It is so hard to believe that it's been 3 years since KatieLynn was born! She is still my baby, but she's definitely growing as a young girl. She and Dean are able to really play together, and KatieLynn is so good with him! She is patient, helpful, sometimes motherly, and very sweet.
On Saturday evening, we invited only immediate family and friends to celebrate Katie's birthday, and she had a ball! The weather cooperated, so we were able to be outside, as well as inside. And it worked out that Darren was able to get out of the cornfield for the festivities, which was a relief.

On Sunday, KatieLynn's actual birthday, our small church congregation sang 'Happy Birthday' to her, which made her feel pretty special. We then were off to Brenham for the rest of the day to see Bebe, Papa, Natalie, Harper, and Johnny & Lauren, who were down from Colorado. We had a great visit!

Easter Weekend

2008-03-25T15:38:00.009-05:00

We're finally stepping into this century, and starting a blog. My sister has encouraged us to start our own website, so we are using this as a baby step towards a website...

We had a great Easter weekend. Saturday morning the kids and I went to our church, Macedonia Methodist, for an Easter egg hunt and pancake breakfast. The kids had a wonderful time hunting for the eggs, and were pleasantly surprised to find candy inside!

Darren has been busy in the fields for the last couple of weeks. It finally stopped raining so they could get all the corn ground disced up, and he started planting late last week. Unfortunately, he had to work over the weekend, but we are just thankful that the weather is holding for us. Darren is really burning the midnight oil, working way past our bedtime, and then getting up at 5am. I don't think we've been this tired since we had a newborn baby, though I'm sure he is more tired than me right now. I wait up for him at night, and then get up in the morning to cook his breakfast, but then usually go back to sleep for an hour or so. The kids are missing him in our regular daily activities, but we are still spending some time with him, as we take him lunch and dinner every day. The kids absolutely love playing in the dirt, and then we usually make a few rounds in the tractor with Daddy. It's fun for everyone, and I know it helps break up Darren's day. He has a new computer on the tractor, and working the kinks out has been a little frustrating for him, but hopefully in the long run, it will make things easier.
Here's a picture of Dean playing in the cornfield.