The New Playscape!!!

I have been trying to get the girls a playscape (swing set) for about a year. I wanted a nice wooden one that had a fort and all the bells and whistles but I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. So needless to say it has been hard to find one.....but I found one!!! My mom and I have been searching garage sales, e-bay, and Craig's list and found a few in the right price range but they would either be sold before we were able to look at it or not very nice. Last week I found one on Craig's list 4 hours after it was posted that I was very interested in. I e-mailed the guy and he said that they have 3 couples already lined up to come see it and it will be first to put the money down gets it. It was a real good price probably because he didn't know how much it was worth since they just moved in that house and it came with it. I e-mailed it to Schuyler and he approved of it. So I was a little weary about doing this but it was a chance I was willing to take...I Western Union'd him the money before anyone could go see it and he said SOLD and took it off Craig's list. Yes, I was worried about him running with the money but I had a good feeling about him and had is address, cell number and first and last name. Then after the sale was final and Schuyler said we could go Sunday I told him that it was in DALLAS! He was not totally thrilled about that but knew it was a good one for a good price. So we made the trip to Dallas on Sunday and we were happy with what we found. It is in good shape and looks like the girls will have a great time playing on it. But, it was a little bigger than we had expected (bigger than the trailer) and it was a little bit scary pulling it home. I felt like we needed and over sized load sign on the truck! :o) We made it home in one piece but will not be able to put it together for 2 weeks. We will need some help as the fort is a big one and no way that we can move it to the back yard ourselves. Here are some pictures of the playscape taken at the house that we bought it from.

Schuyler's Surprise B-Day Party!!!

I GOT HIM!!! I have been planning a surprise party for Schuyler for the past 3 months and we had it Friday night. He was TOTALLY SURPRISED! I don't know why I didn't take a picture when he walked in. Maybe because I was holding 2 children still and quite and manning a light switch but I wish I got his expression when he walked int he door. He was completely shocked! Then turned a few shades of red and didn't know what to do first. It was awesome. Our final guests left about 2:30am, after playing a fun game of poker and Schuyler could not stop telling me how much fun he had. To all that helped out thank you so much!!!

Parents of twins...sleep? What is that?

So my poor brother and sister-n-law are so excited about Brandon and Brianna being home and doing pretty well, but man they are both exhausted! I even heard one of them refer to the other as "looks like death warmed over". I know that the first 2-3 months were hard with an infant but I can only imagine with 2 infants! Keep them in your thoughts as they are mentally & physically struggling. Hang in there guys! It can only get better! If not at some point you will get used to no sleep! :o)

Random pictures

My Funny Sweet Girls!!!

Skyler made me take a picture of this....it was the smallest lizard that we have ever seen. This is a regular size marker next to it. It was so cute...

Just a little thought...

This is my blog and I will blog my thoughts if I want to :o)
My Alaskan Cruise...I am SOOO very happy and excited to get to go on a possible once in a life time trip. But...my husband and girls are not going with me, as I am going with members of my husband family and we are saving money to go on a Disney Cruise or Disney trip next summer. I know that I will enjoy myself but will also miss my family. We are a very close family and are rarely apart so I know that this will test all of us. I have mentioned the trip to Skyler (5) and she is not ok with it. The thought of me being gone for any amount of days made her cry and beg to take her. I had to end the conversation and not bring it up again. I will be gone for 7 days and can't tell her that because I know that she will have a complete melt down. I am so gratefully that my husband is willing to let me go and keep the girls for the week. Ok....on one had I hope he sees what all I do on a daily basis with the house and the girls but on the other had I don't!!! I am worried that I am going to come back and he is going to be ready to run away! :o) I hope that him and the girls will take that time to bond. The girls are both mommy's girls because I am the main caregiver and I hope this will help all 3 of them. I love my family and I know that we will all miss each other.

Our 1st trip in the boat

We took the boat out this weekend and boy was it hot. We had a lot of fun....the kids laughed and giggled the whole time on the tube, which in turn made us laugh too. We all really enjoyed ourselves and Skyler's friend Allyson came with us again. They both play so good together Skyler is so lucky to have such a good friend at this age. We are just a little sad that she will be moving in the next few years....gives us a little time to talk her parents into staying. :o)

The girls showing off their new life jackets

A funny picture that I took of all of our new life jackets that I thought was cute. (I know that it is a little weird but I can't help but post it)

Skyler and Allyson on the tube. This is the first time on a tube for either one of them. They were so funny.

Walt on the tube....not to bad for an "old man" :o)

Daddy on the tube catching some air.

Skyler, Allyson and friend Garret on the tube.

Memorial Day!

Ohhhhh....it was so nice to have a 3 day weekend!!! We started the weekend off with Skyler having pink eye but antibiotics straightened her out by Sat. evening. We headed to the lake for a camping trip after that with an extra passenger, Skyler's little friend who lives next door. We all had a really good time. We swam, went for boat rides, saw and Elvis impersonator at the RV park, (a little weird) fished, and the girls played & played & played. Oh, and my extremely spontaneous husband bought a boat! An older used boat but a good boat. I guess since he sold all of the 4-wheelers he decided that they needed to be replaced with another toy. I can't help but be a little happy too. I grew up boating and I am sure that me, Schuyler and the girls will love it. Here are a few pics from our mini-vacation and from Skyler's kindergarten graduation today.

My girls on the boat

My hubby and dad on the boat.

Skyler and her friend on the boat

Madison and daddy

Madison and mommy dancing while Elvis sings

The girls watch and listening to Elvis... Elvis had just placed a scarf around Skyler's neck and she was showing it off.

Elvis singing...a little weird huh?

While cooking dinner in the camper I came out to find some of the girls playing "cheerleader" and this was their lift and cheer. It was so funny.

Having fun

Well...I am so happy that Madison's hair is finally starting to grow in but it is growing in curly... and curly hair with a dash of sweat and a lot of boat ridding makes for a major FRO!!! I am trying to embrace the "froness" and thought this would show off the mess that she came back with.

Here is the new boat. (new to us)

Skyler's kindergarten graduating class.

With her certificate.

Skyler with a mouth full of brownie and telling me to wait to take the picture, but I thought it was cute with the cupcakes in the background saying congrats class of 2008. Man... I just realized that Skyler will graduate high school in 2020!!! That sounds crazy and sure makes me feel OLD! WOW.

What we have been up to...

I have not posted many pictures lately so I decided to add some. A lot has happen the last few months. Skyler's softball team got 1st place and were in the news paper, I hosted a baby shower for my sister-n-law, she had her twins a few weeks later, Schuyler took Skyler to the father daughter dance at her school, my mom hurt her finger pretty bad, we went to a birthday party where there was a clown, Skyler started soccer again, I had lasik and Madison is really starting to talk a lot more. Here are some pictures.

GO AGGIES!

Skyler softball team is tied for 1st place and tonight they are playing their last game of the season with the other team...so the team that wins tonight will win the season!!! The girls are very excited. We will see how tonight goes. Cross you fingers for the Aggies. :o)

The funny thing is that Skyler is not very competitive and wants 1st place but would even be happy for the other team if they got it. She talks to the girls on the other team while they are on base and tells them good hit and gives them five. When the other team is batting she will say things like "oh..good try...or good swing". It is so funny. Some of the older and more competitive girls on our team look at her weird but she doesn't know. She is in her own little happy and supportive world. She has been playing pretty good.. she hits off the coach pitch almost every time and even gets some grounders when they are hit to her. Her main challenge is speed, she is pretty slow and there is always the occasional desire of a 5 year old to put their glove down and play in the dirt in the middle of the game. :o) I am very proud of her though.

Happy Mother's Day to my self. :o)

I decided that I am going to get Lasik. I have wanted it for years and now that my eyes will no longer tolerate contacts and I am in glasses full time I am getting it done. It will be this coming Saturday and I am a bit nervous but still excited! :o)

Welcome Cargill Babies!

I have a new niece and nephew!!! My sister-n-law Guen went in for a Dr. visit last Friday May 2nd and the Dr. decided to take the babies. They were about 4 weeks early but are doing pretty well. The names were also announced....Brandon Ray and Brianna Eve. They were about 2 minutes apart and Brianna was almost a pound bigger than Brandon. Guen is doing great with very little discomfort. They have been told that Brianna may come home next week but Brandon requires a little more care and will stay in a bit longer. Congratulations Shane and Guen!

Welcome to the world Brandon... family of 3... (for 2 minutes)

2 minutes later Family of 4

Welcome to the world Brianna

Guen holding the babies in the NICU


Sweet little Brandon sleeping


Beautiful Brianna learning to eat

My poor mom

Well, over the weekend my mom and dad went fishing and when my mom was tying off the boat to a tree stump in order to fish something went wrong. Her hand got smashed between the boat and the stump, cutting off part of her pinky finger. We are not 100% sure how much was lost since some of the bones were also broken which made it look worse and has not been able to see it since it happen. She is heading to a hand specialist today to see what and how bad it all is. My poor mom...not only is she in a lot of pain but she is also worried/upset about how bad it will look after healed.

Mom...I hope you hear some positive news today at the Doctor, hang in there.

***UPDATE***
Mom will be having surgery on Thursday. However she is very sad about how bad it will look when it is all over with. She will never have a finger nail again. She is although greatful because it could have been worse, like her whole hand or major fingers or thumb.
***update #2***
Mom's surgery went well. She doesn't seem to be in as much pain as they were telling her she would be in. Also they were able to save part of her nail bed and put a fake finger nail on it so it will look more normal than we all originally thought. She is pretty happy so far. She hasn't been able to look at it but she hopes it looks pretty good.

In the words of a 5 year old!

Skyler is always saying stuff that cracks me up but this morning we had a conversation that made me laugh and I had to share...

In response to Madison's "Mine" Skyler said "Not everything is yours, Madison"
Then she says "mommy, why does she think everythig is hers"?
I said "because she is 2 and we need to teach her right from wrong"
She looks at Madison and says "you need to learn that this is mine and not yours".
Then she asked me "when she is 3 will it all be mine again"?

After laughing I had to break the news that it will never be all hers again. That she will have to share most of everything with Madison for a long time.

Alaska Bound!!!

I found out over the weekend that I will be going on a 7 day Alaskan cruise (leaving out of Seattle, WA) the end of July! I am totally thrilled about the news since I have wanted to go on one since I was 19 and a fellow co-worker told me about how beautiful hers was and how it was like being in a different world. I am very excited and had to share the news!!!

A Little Bit of Everything!

This last week and weekend we took a camping trip to Corpus Christi and had a GREAT time. We stayed at a RV park that was right on the water and woke up to wonderful sun rises (a little chilly though) and even started fishing 1st thing in the morning before even getting out of our PJ's. We went to the Aquarium, visited the USS Lexington, went to the beach, Schuyler and my mom went on an evening gambling cruise (that they hated and didn't get back until 2:30 in the morning from), and went fishing a lot! Skyler and Madison had a blast. Here are some pictures of the trip. Brace yourself I went picture happy! :o)

Madison in the car on the way there showing off her binky talents!

Daddy and Madison on the USS Lexington

Skyler...ummm...being Skyler on the Lexington! :o)
Skyler and Madison on the Lexington.

Skyler on a REALLY BIG GUN!

The view from the Lexington...which I might add was within walking distance down the beach from the campsite.

my step-dad, Schuyler and the girls on the Lexington. I wore a sling since there was no room for strollers and we were up and down stairs the whole time. It worked out GREAT! Taking the tour was really interesting too.

A Turtle at the aquarium

The dolphin show was AWESOME, we got to watch it from above then went below and watch some there. So neat.

Madison fishing...that lasted about 30 seconds.

Papaw in his robe fishing

This is a bad picture but Skyler caught a fish all by herself (with her Barbie Pole). Papaw said "Skyler it went under water" and she went into action like a pro. She yanked on the pole and reeled and reeled and finally got it in. Not a keeper but she was so happy that she did it all by herself. Papaw took it off the hook and she ran around the campground with the fish in her hands (eww) telling everyone "Look, I caught my first fish" to every stranger she could see. Finally I made her throw it back before it died. She was on cloud nine.

Me and the girls goofing off.

At the beach

Our Camper after 4 days of camping and junk all around

Sunday morning was Easter and Skyler and I had left a note at the house telling the Easter bunny where to find us and Sure enough he did!!! There were eggs hidden all over the camper and Skyler said "I saw the Easter bunny open the door to my room and make sure I was asleep" I said "did you see the Easter Bunny"? and she said "no, he is magic and I think invisible" When Madison would see an egg while hunting them she would get all excited and tremble and would fight to get there as fast as she could so that Skyler wouldn't take it from her. You would never guess from these pictures that Madison was starting to get sick and we decided to go home early that morning. Monday morning at the Dr she was running a 104 fever. Man one minute they are fine and next bam... They are VERY SICK! Just a bad virus that is running course.

Wearing their shades from the Bunny!

There are 2 good pictures to sum up our trip...this one with our sun burnt feet with flip flop or sandal lines.

And this one right out of our door.

These 2 are just random pictures that I thought were funny...are you seeing a trend here?? Looks like no matter what she is wearing a pretty little outfit or her tough softball uniform, Skyler can strike a pose

This picture was from my grandma's 86th birthday party. I think 86. Oh well...whatever the age HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMAW, we all love you very much and appreciate everything that you do for us! We would not be who we are today if it wasn't for you, as you have made an impact on each and everyone of our lives at one point or another. In some of our cases (me) each and everyday! From being a young child and enjoying family get togethers at your house trying to play quietly while papaw watched his sports, to you "babysitting" me and the other cousins while our parents were away and you getting so frustrated with us you threaten to lock us in a closet, to you coming to as many sporting events that I had growing up as possible, to living with you my senior year to stay in the Magnolia school district, to your keeping Skyler from 3 months to 6 months old so she didn't have to go to daycare, to you always willing to drop everything and help me and anyone around you as soon as you are asked. You are such a blessing and I am so grateful that my girls have you in their lives now!