Sunday, July 28

SUMMER 2013

We had a pretty amazing summer.  Here is just a small peak at all of the fun.  I have been so busy that I have not blogged in a couple of months.....I guess just running crazy and living life, so that I actually have something to blog about.  I have the most pics of Madison.  It's not because she is my favorite....it's just because I happened to take more pics on a couple of the days!!
MADISON
Madison was blessed again by getting to go to the Pines Catholic Camp this summer!  She always has such a great time and always feels like her faith is really strengthened there....what more could we ask for.  We would never send any of our children away from us for a week if their soul was not in the safest hands possible!
(Olivia, Madison, Gracie, and Claire) 
These are Madison's amazing friends that always go to the camp with her.  We feel so blessed to have these awesome girlfriends that come from such strong Catholic families in our lives!
Madison's bunk bed that she of course shared with her favorite soft friend, Nunny!!
 The day that we picked Madison up from camp.  These are her same sweet friends and 2 of their brothers that were also there
I love this pic!!
 Madison and her sweet friend Natalie on a shopping spree at the mall.....notice that they both have the exact same bags.....it's so fun being a 13 year old girl!!
 Madison and her great friend Olivia at the Four Season's Spa acting like little ladies
 Madison and Olivia at the Four Season's Spa NOT acting like little ladies...but they are still precious!
A LITTLE MOM RETREAT
My dear friend, Celeste and I enjoying a quiet girly chat at the spa with the girls!!  What a great day that was!! I just love my inspiring friends.  They truly lift me up!!

NICHOLAS
 Nicholas at golf lessons with his sweet friend, Vance....they look like such little men in their dry fit golf shirts and khaki shorts....it's even cuter when they are carrying their little golf clubs around
 Here is Nicholas practicing his swing before the instructor started the lesson
Where do 2 young future pro-golfers want to eat after their 3 hour lesson????
Chick-fil-a of course.....then Vance came over to play and spend the night!!

SAVANNAH

 What did Savannah and I do while Nicholas was at golf lessons and Madi was at camp?? MANI/PEDI's!!!
Savannah and her BFF Abby "listening" for the microwave popcorn to stop popping so that they could pull it out and start enjoying.  It was a fun movie sleepover party!!

FAMILY FUN TOGETHER
My sweet friend Gisele and her daughter Claire (Madi's bestie) invited us to "A Night at the Museum" Scavenger hunt and movie at the Ft Worth Children's Museum
Museum staff were dressed as historical Characters for the Scavenger Hunt and then we all enjoyed TONS of popcorn and the "Night at the Museum" movie in the Omnimax Theatre
Here are me and Gisele....the MOMS!!  We had so much fun too.  We laughed the entire time!!  Gisele hauled around Chicken strips in her purse all night.....How do us moms find ourselves in these situations?!?!  It is a "you had to be there" story so I won't even try to do it justice..... but it was caused by a typical "Kerry Move" and just SO FUNNY!!  Her purse was so hot!!

Jeremy's cousin Mandy got married this weekend and so all of the family flew in for the celebration.  Here are a few pics
 My love and myself before the ceremony (it was our 16th wedding anniversary that weekend!!)
 My handsome little boy...so virtuous.....so precious.....and he's is all mine!!
 My gorgeous teenager.....prayerfully finding her own way....helpful....thoughtful....and she wants to be my vest friend.....what a blessing!!
 My beautiful young lady...sensitive.....never wants to disappoint her mom and dad....extremely caring and funny...and she will always be my little love bug!!
TOTAL SILLINESS
They had a dress up photo booth at the reception.....here is Nicholas and Savannah with their cousin Elizabeth in the middle...they were laughing so hard at themselves!!

A LITTLE BIT OF WAKE BOARDING AT THE LAKEHOUSE




Summer was great!! Now it is time for us to get back to our quiet homeschooling life.  Thank you Lord for summertime and for a new school year to look forward to....I love school supplies!!



Friday, July 19

NICHOLAS TURNS 9

OUR LITTLE NICHOLAS TURNED 9 TODAY....AND BOY, HE COULD NOT WAIT TO CELEBRATE.
He even noticed that on the morning of his birthday, he was taller!!  What an amazing day for Nick!!

THE PARTY

Everyone came together to help our little Nicholas celebrate this 9th birthday.  We had it at a Trampoline park.  It was so much fun!!  Grammy and Oompa, Uncle Jason and Aunt Destin, Aunt Kelley and Uncle Chris, even Nana and ALL of the cousins came into town to wish Nick a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.  What a joy it was to have everyone with us on his special day
Here is the party room decorated in Nicholas' favorite theme from his favorite movie...."Despicable me"
Sweet and Little "Minions"are displayed on each tasty "buntini"from our favorite bakery, "Nothing Bundt Cakes"
Matching napkins, plates and tablecloths make the party room even more fun!! 
 Nicholas was a great party host and birthday boy, making sure that each guest felt special and was having a great time!!
 This is such a cool place to play!! You can literally BOUNCE off of the walls- perfect for active little boys
 Now it's time for a private game of Dodgeball with all of Nick's party quests
 Everyone is laughing and screaming!!
 Caught a pic of Nicholas with his sweet friend, Michael before they enjoyed their pizza
 Time for cake!! Mom.....did you get me a HUGE #9 Sparkler for a candle!!  I cannot even blow it out....but I will keep trying because being a boy, I love that my cake is actually lit up with fireworks!!
 All of the party guests......Nick's friends along with his cousins!!
 There were even more presents to open when we returned to our house after the party
 "A flying Turtle!!!"  
 "Oh wow.....Take is out of the box, Dad!!"
 "It really does fly!!!"
 More fun treasures
 "My very own iPod Touch!!"
"Finally, the gift I have been praying for, for over a year!!!!!"

May God Bless you, my little one.....may all of your birthdays be happy ones and may you grow closer  and closer to our Lord with each passing year!!

Thank you, Jesus for little boys (especially my Nicholas) and for birthday parties

Monday, July 8

MEXICO

We were blessed with a fun cruise to Mexico over the 4th of July with all of Jeremy's family
(Well, my poor brother in law (Uncle Jason) was really sick and had to stay home.....we got to spend time his wife,  Auntie Destin and the kids (which was such a treat, but we felt so sad that Uncle Jason was SO SICK)
Here we all are preparing to spend an absolutely delightful day in Cozumel

We did not take a lot of pics on this trip, as we were totally relaxing and enjoying the company of our wonderful and loved family

COZUMEL

Jeremy and I have come to Cozumel a number of times.....we always rent mopeds and scoot around the island in style!!  This time, with all of the kids and older folks (Jer and I included) decided to rent jeeps for the day
This is a pic of Oompa's jeep (that housed Oompa, Grammy, Aunt Phillis, sweet little Madeleine and baby Jason) as we headed for the North side of the Island.....our jeep was blue
These jeeps were total jalopies!!  There is Madison climbing in the back window
 After stopping for drinks, here are the kids gearing up for a ride around the island.....visiting all of the places that Jer and I visit each time we come
There is my super handsome hubby!! Being in a jeep is like second skin to my outdoorsy and rugged guy.....I really enjoyed it too!!  It was a beautiful day!!
See what i mean by Jelopy?!?!  You could also see the ground from the floor being so rusted out.  I couldn't set my bag down by my feet.....it could have very easily fallen out the floor!! But it was still really fun!!
 This is me taking a pic of myself in the jeep
(view from our roof)
First order of business was to take the top of the jeep off so because it was such a glorious day
There is me further enjoying this glorious day!!  This is how you are supposed to enjoy a jeep...right?!?!  I felt like such a kid again......we really need a jeep!!
 First stop.....one of the secluded beaches set back behind the jungle....it just happens to be the location of one of me and Jeremy's favorite places to visit.....the "Bob Marley Bar"
(Nicholas, My niece Madeleine, Savannah, and my nephew, Jason.....we call him baby Jason)
We sipped on some refreshing drinks, while the children ran around exploring
 My kids are truly water babies!!!  We actually ALL are!!  Sun, Sand, Waves Crashing.....
 They could have stayed there forever....I felt the same way!!


 What was so exciting aside from the sun and the waves???

 Oh, I get it now.....you all found beautiful shells that were still occupied with their snails!!  We think that they were having a race, but we couldn't stay long enough to see who wins.....if you did not already know, snails ARE pretty slow
Next Stop......Another one of me and Jeremy's favorite places......."Mezcalitos"
This man had this really big iguana that the kids just HAD to hold

(Here's Nicholas holding the iguana)
 He was really leathery and cold.....God sure knew what He was doing when designing this creature able to live in such a hot climate, with little relief
 (Here's Savannah holding the iguana)

 (Here's Madison holding the iguana)

 Never dare a great grandmother to kiss and iguan....it has been proven now that she WILL in fact do it
 There was a swing set on the sand near the water
 We CANNOT visit Mexico without sipping back on a genuine mexican Coca Cola, made with real sugar cane and brought out in a bottle!!!
 So refreshing.....and the taste was amazing!! You cannot put this kind of taste explosion in a cup...you HAVE to drink it strait from the bottle
 Every time Jeremy and I come to Cozumel, we sign the tree that is in the middle of the outdoor restaurant.  Our children wanted to make sure that leave their mark on Cozumel as well (kind of the "so and so" was here theory)   It is a VERY important part of our culture
 Here is where Nick and Savannah signed
 The view from our table....it doesn't get much better.  Just imagine....this same invigorating view while feeling the cool ocean breeze and hearing the waves!!
 A sign that made us laugh at the front of the restaurant
 So many reptiles in Cozumel.....they are really vibrant and pretty...Wow, our Lord must have had fun creating these....
 You almost cannot even see them.....this sneaky iguana was standing next to about 3 more iguanas.....we did not even see the others at first....talk about some serious camo
 We headed back into the center of town to enjoy lunch at the famous "Carlos and Charlies"

This place is definitely the party scene!!  We even got to take home balloon hats
It was such a great trip!!

I thank our Lord every time I think about the amazing family that I was so blessed to have married into!!
Jer and I enjoyed every moment of that weekend reunion!! It was filled with many meaningful chats, lots of laughs, memories shared, a couple of jokes, an unbelievable amount of food, and tons of relaxing
We look forward to this special time with Jer's family every year!  Until next year.....