Shopping is done!

I have officially finished all of the Christmas shopping! Now all that's left is the wrapping. I am currently beating Chris in this endeavor, 18-6. We still have alot remaining.
Tomorrow is the big program at school! Caris is super excited. She has been practicing her songs at bedtime each evening. She always says, Mommy-you do the motions. But what are the motions? Its dark and I can't see what she is doing. Our neighbor Brenda brought over some banana nut bread this evening and later while we were eating dinner, McKenna suggested that we take something to her in return. I replied that I was already trying to think of something. Caris piped up with...maybe we could take her some cornbread. Its not as funny when you type it, but it totally cracked me up.
McKenna had her ears pierced last Friday and was so brave. She chose her birthstone and they look great. We went to Sweet & Sassy and the girls were very nice and patient.
Guess that's it! Have a great evening!
~Beth

Shopping...

After dropping Caris off this morning, I spent a fun day with my friend Mindy. We had a great time...roaming the aisles of Target and then we headed off to the mall. The mall was flooded with kids~they were performing Christmas songs in front of Macy's. I was able to get several names crossed off of our list, but it seems we still have a ton of gifts to buy. Then we headed back to pick up the girls. It was freezing when we came out of the mall!!! Thanks friend for a great day!!
I have to get started on cards and wrapping gifts. I told Chris that my goal was not to wrap all of the gifts on Christmas Eve! On Saturday, Mom and I are going to finish up the last batch of coasters, which means I have to make a trip to Home Depot before then. It seems that time is running out before school gets out!
I also have a box taunting me to open it...from my SS on Simply Obsessed. I can't wait to open it and see the goodies inside. I have really slacked on scrapbooking the last couple of months...its gotten so hard since school started. The days just get away from me!! I'll have a ton of pics from the holidays to scrap, including our upcoming trip to Vegas!!! So excited!!
Hope everyone has a great day!!
Beth
Can't wait to see our Huskers in the Gator Bowl! Go Big Red!!

Happy Birthday McKenna!!!

Today is McKenna's 7th birthday. It is hard to believe that so much time has gone by! She is an amazing little girl~smart, funny, kind-hearted and generous! Chris and I are blessed to call her daughter. She brings joy and challenges, lots of laughs and even more love to our lives. And she is a great big sister! Over the past few weeks, Caris has been calling her McKenna instead of Sissy...and it is driving McKenna crazy. She said to Caris, "that's not my name! My name is Sissy!" Too funny~I guess they're both growing up! So, my sweet girl~Happy Birthday! We can't wait to see what the next year has in store for you!! We love you so much!!

Have a great day everyone!!

Beth

10 years ago...

Chris and I were married. So I thought that I would list 10 things that I love about my wonderful husband!

1. He loves me unconditionally. It doesn't matter what I say or do, how I look or anything else. I have never doubted how he feels about me, even when we were dating.

2. He is an awesome dad. Chris loves our girls so much. It is wonderful to hear them laugh and scream and run to him when he gets home from work each day. He is super at helping with whatever they might need. He would get up in the middle of the night and help with a feeding or change a dirty diaper. Whew~I'm glad we're past that! Chris plays with them, helps them and teaches them. Awesome!!

3. Chris can quote lines from movies at the drop of a hat, that is perfect for the situation. I mean from thousands of movies. They had a contest at work~seriously.

4. He is the funniest person I know. There is no one that can make me laugh like Chris. Stories from work, impressions or comments. He can getting me laughing.

5. When Chris cooks something, which is not often, and he thinks it looks really good, he will photograph it. We have pictures of waffles, with syrup and granola sprinkled on top, an omelet wit a sprig of rosemary along side...

6. He is generous of himself and his time. Chris will go out of his way to help you. He cares about others.

7.He loves his family~his parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, our nieces and my side too. Family is important.

8. He indulges my Mexican food obsession at least once, sometimes twice a week. Chris likes it too, just not as much as me.

9. Chris likes to shop and he has the clothes to prove it. He will never have to go on "What Not to Wear."

10. He is my rock. I can lean on him and know I will not fall. He has proved with countless times over the past 14 years (10 married). I am blessed beyond measure by having Chris as my husband. I know that our life will just get better as we continue to be together and raise McKenna and Caris and see what else God has planned for us. I can't wait!!
I love you!!!

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Beth

Field Trip

Yesterday we took the girls to the Kimball Art Museum to see the Impressionist exhibit. It was amazing to see these works of art up close! Monet's "Water Lilies" was my favorite. The girls weren't quite as excited as I hoped they would be. They were the only children there...hmmm? We did get to enjoy a scrumptious dinner at Pappasitos! My absolute favorite~and it did not disappoint! We hadn't been there since my birthday in July, so I was pretty excited. In fact, we'll be eating it again tonight, seeing as how I brought home about half of my fajitas! Yummy! And I don't have to cook!

We are headed to the Pumpkin Patch on Saturday after McKenna's soccer game~should be fun!

Have a great day!!

Beth

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty in now on DVD! Caris is beyond excited~she has been counting down the days until it would be in her little hands. And Mrs. Brenda was kind enough to pre-order it for her birthday, so all I had to do today was pick it up! Excellent! Of course, it was the first thing that Caris wanted to do after school today! And she wanted to watch it by herself, not with McKenna. While picking it up, I bought them each a T-shirt; SB for Caris and Tink for McKenna. The one for C is too big, but it was all they had!
Besides that I made a trip to Costco, where I scored a great deal on toothbrushes! I know, pretty exciting, huh? But I got 8 for $6.97! They are normally almost $3 a piece at Wal-Mart or Target! That was my deal of the day. But, it is hard for me to go there and not want to buy something from the bakery items. Goodness! I bought a pack of mini cinnamon rolls and they look delicious!
Have a great day!
Beth

It's Back!!!!

The Office, that is! We are super excited!! First and foremost, it's hilarious!!! Seriously one of the funniest shows e-ver! Catch the reruns on TBS sometime!! Secondly, this is only one of two shows that Chris and I watch together, the other being The Amazing Race-which begins on Sunday-yea! I'm not including the Huskers or Cowboys, because those are events, not shows. Speaking of, Huskers will be on Saturday night! We'll finally be able to see them! We've had to listen to the games online so far this season. Go Huskers!!!

Have a great day!!
Beth

We are busy!!!

Time flies when you are busy! Caris has started school, Chris had a birthday, we went to East Texas, tiled our bathroom, McKenna started soccer and we've been sick! Whew! I'm hoping to post some pics soon!
Hope everyone is doing well!

Beth

First Day of First Grade!!

Well, it is official! McKenna is in first grade! She started on Monday! However, it was very quiet when we got home from taking her to school!

Two comments:

From McKenna~ "Mom, did you miss all of my questions while I was at school?"

And later...

Me~ "So, it sounds like you had a good day."

McKenna~ "It wasn't just good, it was amazing!"

So, its just me and Caris until school starts for her next week. She has been wanting me to play...alot. Like tea party, beauty salon, dance recital...etc! Today she came into the living room with the saddest face. When I asked what was wrong, she said "I miss Sissy." Awwww!!

We are planning on tiling our bathroom this weekend~sounds like a fun way to spend the holiday!

Have a great day!

Beth

My Baby is Four!

It's hard to believe that four years ago today, Caris was born. It seems like yesterday! Caris is sweet, dramatic, sensitive, funny and a cuddler. Does anyone in the world love Disney Princesses as much as Caris? It would be hard to believe! She loves to dance and watch herself in the mirror. And she loves her big sister! She has been excited for this birthday for weeks now. But one of the first things she said was-"after I'm four, I'm gonna be five!" So we will celebrate her birth today and all of the blessings that she brings to our lives. I know God has big plans for her and I can't wait to watch as each day as she continues to grow! I love you my Bug!!!

Have a great day!

Beth

PS-The Olympics rock!

McDonaldLand Cookies

Do you remember them? There was always a bag in your Happy Meal...Well, they are my favorite cookie, besides chocolate chip, and you can't find them anywhere here!! They all sell the "made-from-scratch" ones. This past January, I found them in Kansas~at a McDonald's on the turnpike. So, on the way back, I bought 5 bags. They would need to last until June, when I went through again. Barely made it! So, in June I bought another 5 bags~gone! My wonderful Dad drove up to KC last Friday and stopped and bought me 3 bags! Sadly, there are now only 2 bags remaining. Does anyone know where you can buy them in the DFW area? In Kansas, they aren't on the menu, you have to ask for them! Let me know if you have some information! They're so yummy!

Project Runway!

"Suede loves Tia. So Suede would never give her up."

"How are you this morning Suede?"
"Suede's fine."

"Suede is here to bring it!"

Suede was selected to be on this season, not for his designs, but quite simply to make me crazy! Ugh!!

And did Jarrell sleep with that stuff on his face? Gross!

Loved Tim trying to figure out how to say "Holla atcha boy!"~too funny!

I absolutely loved the skirt that Leanne made tonight. You couldn't even tell that it was two pieces! And, I gotta say, Kenley is rockin' it! I think she has a distinctive POV. And Terri's was pretty cool as well~loved the pants!

I really thought that Jennifer would be sent home tonight, but when Nina had NO comment about Emily's~that pretty much sealed the deal. It was pretty hideous. Maybe if she would have made the dress itself a vibrant color, instead of black, that would have helped.
Can't wait for next week!

Too many?

How many is too many? Did I take too many pictures?
In 30 minutes...I snapped 260 photos of McKenna and Caris during Fun Day at swim lessons. Did I go overboard? What are some of your photo numbers?

A couple of rants...

First off, I can't stand Love Field! I went to pick up my sweet Grandma yesterday and ugh! Its far, the parking is awful and the parking is awful! We drove around for at least 10 minutes to find a space and then it was a long hike to the terminal! But, Southwest gets the job done! The flight left KC at 1:05-they were in the air at 1:05. It was dues in at 2:30-they were at the gate at 2:15~amazing!
Second, for all of you who watch Project Runway...is it just me or why do some of the designers~Suede and Blayne~think they need to have some kind of schtick? Like Suede (is that the name your Mom gave you?) talks about himself in the 3rd person~so annoying. And Blayne ~he is way too tan~saying everything is ____licious! Babelicious, tanlicious and on and on.
I loved the dress Kenley made last night! It was so cute! The other one I liked was Terri's-it looked very wearable. But sending Wesley home was the right choice! His hem was a mess!!!
Well, we are off to take my Grandma to lunch and a little shopping! Maybe I will have time to scrap later. I'm almost finished with the mini album from our trip to Dinosaur Valley at Spring Break! It's pretty cute!! Have a great day!!
~Beth

Happy Fourth of July!!

Well, we made it back from our trip through the Midwest! Yea!! We were so glad to be home! I'll update and share pictures on that later! McKenna said she never wanted to get in the car again! So we spent the rest of the week doing laundry and getting caught up on stuff around the house. I did have a massage on Wednesday and Chris played golf yesterday. Last night we celebrated the 4th a little early-by watching the fireworks in Southlake. We continued what has become an annual tradition by watching with our great friends the Phillips. Here are a few pictures from last night. We always have such a great time together!!

Here are our beautiful girls! We hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th!!

Beth

School is out!

Caris has been out for two weeks and she misses school so much! She wants me to invite her teachers to her birthday party! This is from her program on the last day. And beside Caris is her best friend Emma. They are soooo cute!! Caris had a great year. She learned so much and had so much fun with her new friends! She can't wait to start again in September!!


McKenna's dance recital was last week and she did great! They were the 1st dance to "Sugar, Sugar". Their next dance was to "It's Hairspray!" Both dances were really cute! And if I do say so myself, isn't she beautiful? Yes!!!


Well, McKenna is now a 1st grader!! I can't believe it. She had a fantastic year and learned so much. McKenna's teacher is awesome and its just amazing how much she has changed and grown since the beginning of the school year! Here she is at graduation!

We are getting ready for playdates and vacation!! This summer is shaping up to be pretty busy. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our playdate today because Caris and McKenna were sick with some type of stomach bug-yuk! And Caris and I only got about 3 hours of sleep night before last, and she ran a fever and then last night, she stuck a bead up her nose! So, off we went to the urgent care facility! She was very brave, didn't cry or wince when the nurse removed it. I just can't believe she stuck a bead up her nose! I'm glad Chris's trip was delayed or I would have been nutty!! Tomorrow we are meeting some friends at the local waterpark, and on Friday I'm off to the Great American Scrapbook Convention! I'm taking a Basic Grey class, which I'm really excited about! And to shop~since we have no scrapbook stores around here anymore! Then I'll be giving the SAT on Saturday, church on Sunday and maybe see Kung Fu Panda next week! Hope everyone has a great week!!

Colonial

Wow! What an awesome experience! Of course, Chris goes to Colonial every year, but this was my first time. Chris went on Friday, but wanted to go again since we had tournament badges.
We went on Sunday and got a VIP parking pass from Stephen-thank you!! Thankfully, the humidity had dropped so it wasn't too miserable. There was plenty of shade and a nice breeze. Chris knows the course, so we were able to strategically get ahead of the crowd following Phil. We were able to see Phil quite a bit. At one point, we were waiting for him to cross over to the next tee box and I was standing right at the rope and he walked right by me and handed a ball to the little girl standing in front of me-awesome!! Phil rocks! After his awesome shot on 18 and victory, he thanked the soldiers for serving. And thanks to my Mom and Dad for taking care of the girls! We spent yesterday swimming and hanging out at my parent's-the girls did so great and had so much fun! My parents bought a basketball goal and it was so much fun! We are wrapping up school, have McKenna's recital and tons of other stuff! Hope everyone has a great week!

Weekend Project: Part One

Well, it took some prep work during the past week, but this is how we spent our weekend! We tiled the girls' bathroom! And for first-timers, I think that we did a pretty good job! We just finished grouting and we will need to caulk and re-set the toilet tomorrow evening. We also plan on painting, putting in a new light fixture and a new mirror, but that is for another weekend! Have a great week!!
Beth

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Pedigree - Family tree program

MS 150

Chris finished his third MS 150 yesterday! Here are some pictures from the weekend!

Day One
This is the start in Frisco. There were over 4,000 riders in this year's event! It was freezing and very, very windy!

This is at the finish line at Texas Motor Speedway. At the end of day one, Chris rode 86.1 miles!Day Two
The day started at TMS and ended in Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth. At the end of day two, Chris rode 74.3 miles! From left to right: Alan, Chris, Laralynn and Keith

Chris, after finishing day two.
Great job honey!! We are very proud of you and love you very much!!!
Beth, McKenna and Caris

Happy May Day!

Here are some pictures from McKenna's field trip to the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth. I hadn't been there since Chris and I had our engagement pictures taken there-about 10 years ago! It was beautiful! And all of the kids had a great time!

Saturday is the MS 150 Frisco to Fort Worth! Chris has been training really hard. A big thanks to everyone that has supported him and in finding a cure for MS. And its still not too late to donate! Every little bit helps! So keep Chris in your thoughts and prayers this weekend that it will be a safe and fun ride! I hope to post pictures from the ride next week!

Have a great weekend!

Beth

Busy!

We have been super busy! Brent, Nicole and Callie were here last week-and we all had a great time! The girls always have so much fun together! We ate at Pappasito's(a given when Nicole is here and my fav!), went to Build-a- Bear, celebrated Grampy's birthday and just hung out! It just went by so quickly!
Chris rode on Sunday-it was very windy. Only a few more weeks until the MS 150! I'm not sure if he will start riding in the evening as well..? This is his 3rd year to ride and it is always an amazing event! We make it a little bit of a getaway too. Since it begins super early, and in Frisco-a world away from us-we drive over Friday evening and eat dinner, spend the night at a hotel, then get up for the ride the next am. All while my folks keep the girls. After the start, I head back, gather our stuff and make my way back home. The half-way stop is at TMS, about 8-10 miles from our house, so the girls and I go and sit at the finish line. And on Sunday, they ride from TMS up close to Decatur and finish in downtown Fort Worth. It really is an awesome event and a super way to raise money to find a cure for MS!
Caris cut her hair yesterday. It must be a rite of passage-McKenna did the same thing around this same age-took a big chunk out of the middle of her bangs! Fortunately, with her hair, it was hard for me to even see where Caris had cut it! I just saw pieces of hair on the floor! It scared me because today is Picture Day at school-of course. But where Caris did cut goes up when I put her bow in...so no biggie.
I planted flowers yesterday and finished up today. It is supposed to rain today and tomorrow, so I'm glad I got them in! Guess that's all for now-have a great day!

Beth

**Oh and mark your calendar for May 2-3-there will be big happenings over at SO for National Scrapbooking Day!! Too bad for me since this is the same weekend as the MS150, but I still hope to get some time in scrapping!

After a break...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! We spent time with our families, went to see Horton Hears a Who, went to the Mavs game (they lost) and drove down to Glen Rose to Dinosaur Valley. We had a great time, climbing and exploring. The girls thought it was great, especially McKenna. Here are some pictures...

Here's a LO that I completed during the awesome SO crop. It was so much fun and I got alot done. Yea!

I'll post some Easter pictures after I get a chance to download them. The girls had a great time with Camry and Adi, hunting Easter eggs and just having a great time together!

Have a great day!

Beth

It's Friday!

And so begins Spring Break! I'm thinking about taking the girls to see the new Horton movie either next Monday or Tuesday, since it is supposed to rain. Chris is off next Thursday and Friday. We are headed to the Mavericks' game Thursday night. I'm excited because I haven't been to a game at the AAC. The girls are going to be entertaining Gram and Grampy that evening.
It's hard to believe that Easter is just about a week away. It's early this year! I went and bought candy for the girls' baskets yesterday. I'm hoping for a nice Easter...it was so cold last year! The girls didn't get to wear their Easter dresses until a few weeks later.
We are also looking forward to a visit from out Florida family! Nicole, Callie and Brent are coming at the end of the month-the girls are so excited to see their cousin!
Hope everyone has a great weekend-head over to Simply Obsessed...the big crop starts today!!
Beth

What is this foreign substance??

Oh, its called snow! And seriously, it coming down hard. We usually only get snow once a year and this is it. Honestly, I've never seen flakes this big-and I was in Iowa in January! Of course, about an inch of ice/slush is already covering the roads, so we can pretty much count on two things: no school and lots and lots of program interruptions to update us, you know that its snowing outside. I love the weather updates! Chris thinks that he could do just a good a job as the certified meteorologists-you know just taking a guess-haha. When McKenna and I went to pick up Caris, there were a total of 3 kids remaining in her class.

Just wanted to share some Texas weather with everyone!!

Beth

Cool Project

Here are some photos of the fabric-covered canvas that I made to organize and store all of the bows that Caris has. It was easy and I think it turned out pretty cute.

Happy Wednesday!

Hope everyone is having a great week-going towards the weekend! We are having our pictures made Saturday morning and then onto celebrate Doug and Camry's birthdays!! Doug turned 40 last Saturday and Camry will be 10 next week! She was just a baby when Chris and I got married and now she's 10? Where does time go?!? Then church on Sunday...
Still waiting on the car to be repaired after the wreck last Thursday. But I have a really nice rental car-2008 Toyota Highlander. Chris jokingly asked if I would want the van back-
Oh, and the guy who caused the accident doesn't have enough coverage for everyone that was involved(yikes-4 cars), so I have to file on my insurance as it being "underinsured". Boo on that! But the deductible is $250, not $500, so I guess that's something...
We finally got a new computer and the flat screen rocks!! Love it!
I have some new layouts that I need to post, just haven't gotten around to it...but head over to Simply Obsessed and check out the kit for March! It is fantastic-the colors are bold and vibrant! Can't wait to get it!!
Beth

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope everyone has a great day and that you can share it with the ones you love!!
A big welcome to Preston!! He was born on Monday to proud parents Kourtney and Patrick-he is the cousin to Alivia and Andrew, who were welcomed in the last post. Congratulations to your family!!!
In other news, I have been fighting some kind of cold this week (Thanks Chris!) and haven't done much of anything. I was able to get all of the Valentine's goodies for the girls ready.
McKenna has class pictures today and her party. She also pulled another tooth on Tuesday! Awesome!!
Caris is the line leader today. They are having pizza and she is taking mini cupcakes for snack!! She is very excited!
Guess that pretty much sums it up! Hope everyone has a great day!
Beth

Welcome!!

Just wanted to say welcome to sweet new babies: Alivia and Andrew Nacar! They were born yesterday afternoon, about 9 weeks early, but are doing well. My friend Kristen just had her shower on Saturday. I said to her, we didn't think on Saturday that you would be a Mom today. Congratulations to Kristen and Chris!! These two will surely bless your lives!

Chris has started training for this year's MS 150. It will take place the first weekend in May. This will be his 3rd year to ride and it is something that he really looks forward to during the year.

Here's a cute picture of Caris...

Have a great day!
Beth

Good Friday Morning!

Well, it is cold and rainy here. I don't mind one or the other, but can't stand the two of them together.

It is shaping up to be a busy few days. McKenna is at school, has dance this afternoon and then a birthday party to go to this evening. Tomorrow I am giving the SAT and then onto a baby show for my sweet friend Kristen. She is expecting twins-one of each! Baby hugs to her and her hubby, Chris.

McKenna lost another tooth-she pulled it herself! Wow. The tooth fairy managed to dig up $3.05 in dollars and loose change.

Here is a new layout with McKenna. Chris took the picture when he took the girls fishing-I converted it to B&W.
Enjoy your day!
Beth

Its been awhile since I last posted...before Christmas? Where does time go?
In my case, it went to Iowa...my Grandmother passed away on January 11. She had been in decline for some time, and fortunately my Mom was able to get up there Thursday afternoon and spend some final time with her. Although my Grandma was pretty much out of it, due to pain medication, I really believe that she knew my Mom was there. My Dad and I drove up Saturday morning and got in about 10 that night. It was a relief just to be there for my Mom. By the way, Iowa is very cold in the winter, not sure if anyone realizes this...and there is snow-the real stuff. Not like what we have here. On Sunday, there was actually a man out running-running!! It was about 10 degrees-crazy!!! Anyway, we wrapped up all of matters and we will have a memorial service in late June-when its warmer...
We headed back on Tuesday, stayed in Kansas City and then drove on home on Wednesday. We were able to see the rest of our family while in KC, which was nice, just sorry circumstances.
On to lighter subjects...is anyone else tired of the writer's strike? No more new episodes of CSI:, Without a Trace, SVU, The Office and only 2 left of Brothers and Sisters! Thank goodness for Project Runway and my guilty pleasure, One Tree Hill.
I have really been doing quite a bit of scrapbooking lately and have actually had the nerve to post some layouts on my favorite site, Simply Obsessed. There are some talented ladies over there and I get inspired from them daily. Oh, and the monthly kits rock too! Check it out!