Christmas 2011

Unbelievable...another Christmas has come and gone!  As I put away decorations today, I felt a little sad~these thoughts crossed my mind...how the years are flying by...another year gone...how my boys are only young for so long...how THANKFUL I am to have another Christmas with them...how one day soon, they will be having their own family Christmas. 

So, I will try my best to recap all that happened this Christmas.

Here are a few pictures of our home all decorated for the Holidays...We put our tree in a different spot than last year and I loved it!

We spent the night before Christmas Eve with Mike's side of the family.  After eating dinner and opening gifts, Mike, Rhonda, Gary and I played a game Rhonda has been wanting to play forever...Red A**...IT WAS SO FUN!!  We played for hours and truly had a blast!

Group pictures...

The kids enjoyed their hot dogs and Frito pie...

Cade got a Dallas Cowboys blanket and an Under Armor shirt.  Drew got his infamous camo coveralls and matching hat!

Mike had to go to the fire station on Christmas Eve.  After lounging around the house all day, the boys and I headed up to see him~chocolate pie in hand and Drew dressed in his camo attire!  We got there just in time for dinner...which, once again was SUPERB!!  We ate, visited, and of course the boys played on the fire trucks.

Cade had a hard time sleeping the night before Christmas...I think the thought of Santa coming in the house had him a little freaked out!  The only way I could get Cade to sleep was to let him sleep in my bed.  With Mike being at the station, I was left to get "things" done on my own.  Having one of the kiddos in my bed didn't make my job any easier, but I worked my magic anyhow and got things done! 

Daddy had someone relieve him from the fire station early (5am) so he would be able to make it home in time to have Christmas with us.  He arrived home about 6am.  Drew (who got in my bed  @ 4am wondering if Santa had come-I told him it was TOO early) heard me letting Mike in the house...he couldn't wait any longer...he ran to the tree, saw his trick bike and said, "He did, Santa came"!  Cade then got out of bed and joined us at the tree.  We proceeded with our tradition of  opening gifts, going back to sleep, then heading over to my parent's for breakfast and more gift opening.
Christmas afternoon and evening was spent at my parent's house.  We ate (again) and had a white elephant gift exchange.

Glenn gets the returning bacon wallet!! Gary gets a returning gift, too...the Hilary Nut Cracker!!

Jen sitting pretty with the scarf I brought. Amie laughing at Ricky...he accidentally opened a "girl" gift, which included a necklace!!

Aunt Jane with the pups...Samantha with the blanket I stole from her...

My little Family

Some of the Maples

Grann & PawPaw with some of the grand kids

Cade~Sammy~Kynslee

Christmas 2012 will be here before we know it...I PRAY that GOD BLESSES you with a FABULOUS 2012!!

Oh CHRISTMAS TREE, Oh CHRISTMAS TREE

It's the PERFECT time to start a new FAMILY TRADITION of cutting down our own CHRISTMAS TREE! Why?? This will be our FIRST Christmas in our new house, and our FIRST time to pick out, cut down, & have a REAL Christmas tree!

The weather was PERFECT...cold and sunny! We went here to find our PERFECT TREE. The boys loved it, as did Mike and I!

We began by grabbing a saw and measuring stick...



Drew knew just what HE wanted to do with the saw. Cade waited patiently.



Next, we loaded up on a trailer (pulled by a tractor) and headed out to the farm.



After about a 45 minute search, we found the PERFECT TREE...8 ft. tall and a pretty shape...



Now to cut it down...the boys helped Mike...



After cutting the tree down, Mike drug it to the main road, where we waited for the tractor and trailer to pick us up.



Here are Cade and Drew on our ride back to the front of the farm...



Drew STALKED Santa until he was able to ask him if he could take a picture with him...Santa said, "Sure".



One last picture...we will be back next year!

THANKSgiving Day 2010

was REALLY nice...we started our day by heading to the fire station to visit with Mike. Occasionally Mike has to work on holidays. If he works on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, the boys and I usually go to the fire station and see him. We enjoyed a FABULOUS lunch with Daddy...the firemen had the ENTIRE spread, and it was SO DELICIOUS! I'm so THANKFUL that Mike's job is like a "HOME" away from HOME, so that when he can't be with us, at least he is at his second favorite place to be.

Mike and I with our boys...



Cade & Drew/Our Family...



Playing in the fire truck NEVER gets old...





We left Daddy, and went to my parent's for yet ANOTHER meal!! This year we had a small, intimate crowd...only about 12 of us. It was REALLY nice to get to visit with EVERYONE! The food was UBER GOOD and the company was, too!!

A few group shots of the ladies...these pictures include: Me (Amy), My Mom (Ann), My MIL (Rhonda), My Aunt (Jane), and two cousins (Samantha & Jennifer)...



left: Sammy, Cade, Callie, Drew/right: My In-Laws (Rhonda & Gary)



I am SO THANKFUL and BLESSED to have such a wonderful family!

Galveston, TX ~ Sept. 3-5, 2010

This year was a little different. Labor Day weekend has always been a LARGE family reunion. It was a very small reunion this year...but, no less fun or meaningful! PawPaw, Gran, and the Amy/Amie's families stayed in the Braden Bay House. AJ and her crew, in the house next door. We loved the set-up!

The ICE CREAM TRUCK had to be the biggest hit of the weekend!!! I think it came to us for a total of 3 times in only 2 days! What makes the sound of the ice cream truck so exciting? I don't know, but even as an adult, there is still something so magical about it.



Cade is puckering up from that sour snow cone & Sammy is all kinds of STICKY (with his snaggle tooth)...


The second biggest hit would have to be FISHING!! Drew was catching them like crazy!


Third, and maybe even a tie with fishing, would be getting launched into the canal! Thank you Daddy!!


Drew definitely flew the HIGHEST in the air...


And, as messy as it is, we always take a few trips to the beach...












Even with 6 kids, we had a blast!! These days won't last long...I am cherishing the memories we are making!

Steel Rake + 5lb. Weights =

A WORKOUT "CADE-&-DREW-STYLE". Our boys often see Mike and I working out in the garage...more Mike than me, because I prefer the gym. But, when time doesn't allow for a drive to the gym, I opt for the garage...where there's a will, there's a way, right?

On this particular afternoon, the boys wanted to "workout". Mike is such a FUN & CREATIVE Daddy...much more FUN than Mommy!! He never minds taking the time to "grant the boys their wishes". I guess he remembers what his own wishes were as a young boy, so he "gets" them. They wanted to "workout", but the barbell itself is too heavy for Cade & Drew. So, Daddy comes to the rescue...in a redneck-creative-kinda-way! Mike used a STEEL RAKE ("yikes" was my thought) and put 5 lb. plates on each end of the rake. VOILA!!

Daddy teaching them how it's done, and how to "spot" each other.



Cade "spotting" Drew...



Drew FLEXING...



Drew's turn to spot Cade. I ADORE the look on Drew's face here...he is CLEARLY loving this!



I LOVE the "STRAINED" look on Cade's face...and Drew is not being a very good "spotter"!



There we go...now Drew is doing his job!



And here we see Drew's "STRAINED" face!



This was SO PRECIOUS! It's a foreshadowing of what's to come...I hope so anyhow! I pray that Cade & Drew will have many more "workout sessions" in the garage...before we know it, they will BIG boys doing this very same thing, minus the STEEL RAKE!

As MAY comes to a close...

Cade not only finishes 1st grade, but his time at Greentree Elementary...Drew not only finishes another year of preschool, but his time at SBC Weekday Preschool altogether. Both of these have been EMOTIONAL transitions for me!! While it is on to NEW BEGINNINGS, it is also a time in which past events become MEMORIES...and it seems that the making of "MEMORIES" is happening all too fast!!

As Mike and I sat and watched Cade during his end-of-the-year program, I said to Mike, "Before we know it, we will be watching Cade graduate high school." That thought is SO SAD for me...I just want time to SLOW down...I don't want it to continue to FLY by. It is all the more reason to SAVOR each moment we have with those we LOVE!! Here are some shots from Cade's program and slide show:

Cade usually sings and does all the hand motions, etc. This time he did the hand motions, but barely sang...

The top, right picture is MY FAVE...Cade & R have been in the same class for both K and 1st grade! They are best buddies!

On to making more memories...we went to Galveston for our annual Memorial Day family gathering!

Drew enjoys the slip-n-slide...


as do Cade & Brock...


Beach time w/ the kids is always a must...


top: all 5 kids in the ocean...Brock, Drew, Kynslee, Blaine, & Cade
bottom: Drew trying to attempt a head stand in the hole he & Blaine dug!!



top: Kynslee & Brock playing w/ sidewalk chalk!
bottom: PawPaw takes a nap!


DREW

Kynslee & Sophie

ALL the boys with Daddy/Uncle Mike, playing games on the computer.

left: Amie trying to figure out her possessed phone!
right: Blaine