School Portraits - Spring 2010

I just got the kids Spring Portraits in yesterday and wanted to share...I wish school pictures would have been done like this when I was in elementary school. They did 3 different poses with each kid!!

Shelby's Collage...I like this a lot, especially with the year on it.

My beautiful almost 10 year old!!

I think this is my favorite...

And here's Mr. T's collage...

Wasn't smiling very big (because of his braces), but still a great picture!!

What a handsome boy we have!!

James looked kind of sad last night when I showed him these...when I asked what was wrong he said..."They went and got big on us!" :-(

We are definitely doing a family portrait this year too!! My plan is to do it either in August or September!! We will all be 39, 10, 9, and James will be 40 on September 3rd!

Bringin' on the HEAT - Game 2

Hello all!! I couldn't post yesterday because blogger was messed up and it wouldn't let me!! So, today, I didn't want to wait any longer to post a few pics from our 2nd softball game. Spring Break pictures can wait. =)

My rough and tough girl here in the dugout before the start...not really, she was drinking and I just caught her by surprise. I still like it though. =)

Here she is with her buddy Logan!! Miss Logan is also a 4th grader and she goes to our church. Her family is also part of our small group and her parents are very good friends of ours, so we were thrilled when she joined Shelby's team at the last minute. They are great friends, one that I think will only grow as they get older. Logan plays catcher and sometimes left field. Logan and Shelby are close in size and age, they both have a birthday in July!

The Heat played a team called the Stars on Saturday and at first, it wasn't looking pretty. They scored up on us and before we knew it, it was 4-1. Here's Belle at bat.

Shelby in the field, she played short stop on Saturday. She told me after the game that she missed playing 1st base but that she liked short stop too. =)

And look, here's a monkey on the fence watching his sister...

And who is this handsome guy?!?!?!...Shhhhh, nobody tell my husband!!! =)

Dog pile...

The Heat came back late in the game and we ended up winning 6-5!! It was awesome and the girls were so excited!!! Shelby had a lot of firsts in this game...her first official hit, her first stealing of 2nd base, her first scoring run, and her first win on a team!!! Woo Hoo!!!

Here's a little clip of her first hit caught on Moma's camera!! I followed her not the ball but she hit it in between short stop and 3rd base. Way to go Belle!! So proud of my baby girl.

Next game is this coming Saturday at 3pm!! Hope to rack up another win!! We are practicing more and more at home with her plus she practices on Mondays with her team. I plan to post some Team and Individual Photos by Thursday so stay tuned!!

Last of the Rodeo...

Here it is folks, my last Houston Rodeo post!! Can I get an Amen? =)
We couldn't go to the Rodeo without getting some yummy cotton candy...

All that riding and walking built up their appetite. We had also eaten some really good burgers and fries at the Rodeo for lunch. This was the only "junk food" we got!!

Shelby is the cotton candy monster!!

We also couldn't go to the Rodeo without seeing some horses, specifically barrel racing!!

Shelby loved it, she couldn't believe how fast these girls were going compared to what she did at Saddlebrook last year (Shelby had only worked up to a trot around the barrels!) We hope she can go back to it one day, when we can afford it again. =)

I forget this horses name but he was VERY sweet!!

BUT, Shelby's favorite was this girl named Shelly. Shelby and Shelly formed a bond in a few short minutes and then Shelby didn't want to leave Shelly. HA!

We had a great time at the Rodeo this year and next year, we plan to go back and actually stay for the real bull riding and concert part of the rodeo! I hope you enjoyed all of my Rodeo pictures. Now I can finally post Spring Break Pictures tomorrow, plus I will have softball pictures coming.
Love,

Rodeo Rides, Yo-Yo & Fun House!

My children are some where on this Yo-Yo!! This is another one of those rides that I don't ride anymore due to the dizzy factor...it was fun watching them though.

You can see both of them here and James even got in my picture...

They both said afterwards that it was fun but that it was one of their least favorite rides because they didn't like kids around them trying to bump their swing.

Another one of their favorites which cracked us up was the Fun Houses. They went in this particular one twice!!

I think the best part was at the end, they had to walk through bubbles...here's Thomas coming out the first time...

and then Miss Shelby...

This clip shows them on the second run going into the Fun House...

This clip was taken at the exit on the second run. They liked going through the Fun House but once they were out, they both wanted those bubbles off!!! Thomas had a stomping strategy. HA!

Up next, one more rodeo post and then I'm done!!!! =)

Rodeo Rides, La Grande Wheel

James rode this huge Ferris Wheel with the kids at the rodeo...I opted out so that I wouldn't get dizzy feeling. I really like this photog shot I took looking up at it from below...

My children are not afraid of anything!!

James took the camera with them so he could take some shots from up high...

You can see how high they were above the whole carnival...it is the biggest Ferris Wheel I think I've ever seen except maybe for the one at Disneyland in California.

And look...there's me looking up with my blue cap on. I had no idea he was taking this!! =)

Up next, the Yo-Yo, Fun House and Misc...

Rodeo Rides, The Hydro Slide!

My three most special people getting ready to ride the Hydro Slide, also known as a log ride!! This was probably the kids #1 ride at the rodeo this year! James of course had to ride it too!!

Climbing up...there were two drops on this ride, a small one and a big one!! They got pretty soaked on it and LOVED it!!

Here's the small drop...it looks like James is actually hiding, Shelby is sandwiched in the middle and look at Thomas, he's ready!!

LOVE this shot!! This is the big drop and they know they are about to get soaked!! =)

These clips were taken on their first run when Shelby is sitting in the very front. They go down the first drop and then they look for me but can't find me in the crowd.

This was the big drop and you can plainly hear Belle screaming!! Too funny!!

Up next, the huge Ferris Wheel!!

A New "I Am Second" Video!

Michelle Aguilar, Biggest Loser Champion
I had to post this...I am a huge fan of The Biggest Loser and she was definitely one of my favorite all-time contestants. Watch her testimony - very moving and touching!!

They just released another new video today with atheist and vampire novelist, Anne Rice. It is powerful - she is no longer an atheist and no longer writing vampire novels. She is now devoting herself to writing novels for Christ!! I will post it too as soon as I can get it.

Rodeo Rides, The Giant Slide

The Giant Slide, by far, was one of Shelby and Thomas' favorite rides at the rodeo this year! Here's T.J. hiking up the tall steps, it took a couple of minutes just for them to climb it. =)

Shelby got stuck behind two little girls so by the time she got to the top, she couldn't sit by her brother.

Here's the first run...he's in Lane One!

This shot I took on the second run when they did get right next to each other...somehow Thomas got in Lane One again! I love the looks on their faces!!

Wheee...they both have different strategies...Thomas would stick his arms straight out and Belle is just all over the place. HA!

Sliding into the finish...Thomas came in first and Belle was 2nd place on that run.

Here's a film clip of them on their first run when they were split up...they had SO MUCH FUN doing this!!

Next up, The Giant Ferris Wheel...

The Rodeo Rides! Part One

As you can see from this picture, the weather was PERFECT last Monday when we went to the rodeo. It really couldn't have been better. This Free Fall was the very first thing they rode - Shelby is on the far left and Thomas is right in the middle.

Then we got on my favorite thing, the Sky Ride. I was able to take some cool pics from up there.

Miss Belle rode with me...

And the boys rode behind us...

James rode this spinning, whirly thing with the kids, called The Cyclone!! I am SO GLAD I didn't get on this thing...

They of course, loved it!!

More ride pics coming tomorrow...there are so many!!!!

More of the Rodeo...the Exhibits!

I'm continuing to post our pictures from the Houston Rodeo, I have a lot of catching up to do. These pics were taken inside the building where all of the exhibits were.

Here's T.J. right at home on a BIG John Deere Tractor!

Belle had to take a turn...

In the area where you can see all the Grand Champion winners, this cow for instance, is worth $185,000!!! There was also two pigs, a goat, and a couple of lambs and they were all worth over $100,000. Those 4-H kids should be really happy!!! =)

Now he's sitting in a brand new Chevy Camaro...pretending it was the Transformer, Bumble Bee!

Shelby really liked this car...it could've been ours for a mere $60,000!!!

Then the kids found a Dooley and seriously asked if we could get one!?! HA!! James and I told them if we ever live on a farm, we can get one!! That made them excited. The Dooley was a cool ride, had all the bells and whistles. The back seat was rigged up like a movie theater, comfy seats, movie screen, speaker system and a mini table for drinks and snacks.

One of their favorite exhibits was watching these little chicks hatch...

before their very eyes...too cool!!

Once they were out, dried off and walking, the little fluff balls were put into this cage!

The Exhibits were really cool and there was tons of vendors and shopping to do...if we would have been kid-less, I could've shopped til I dropped but the kids had one thing on their minds...
Up next...the RIDES!!!