The Brown Family

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

2012-01-20T23:44:00.006-06:00

I was determined to upload our Christmas pictures before tax season began. With just over a week to go, I made it! Skye rec'd books 2 & 3 to her favorite series, then finished reading them both in less than a week...

Reiley splayed out Christmas morn...
Ladies in blue...

The perpetual playing of Mario Kart...

LOVE this one...

It took me two hours to get this dang post completed because I came across old pictures like this...

and this...

and it made me remember the good ole days of being a mom and nothing else. Ah, those were the days.

Backstage at The Nutcracker!

2011-11-26T15:52:00.013-06:00

Here we are all dolled up and ready for a night on the town!

One of the Principals in the Houston Ballet Company, Sara Webb (who is amazingly graceful and looks like the ballerina on a music box), is in Mom's church ward. She was also Skye's Young Women leader when we lived with mom. Anywho...she met us after the show and took us backstage for an up and close look at the props and the stage! The girls were totally delighted. Sara even gave Michaela a pair of her worn ballet slippers!

Here's Michaela in the Snow Queen's sleigh...

Michaela, Sara, and Skye... Sara played the Sugar Plum Fairy last night.

Michaela also scored a few of the dancer's autographs. Here she is with First Soloist, Kelly Myernick...

Skye in the throne where Clara watched the Sugar Plum Fairy and her entertainers dance...

Skye on stage. If I knew how to work my camera I probably wouldn't get pictures like this. But it's a cool shot anyway despite the shakiness.The girls and I with a very cool statue downtown...

This night was the greatest way to kick off the Christmas season!

As American As...

2011-11-26T15:33:00.005-06:00

Apple Pie!

Thanksgiving was fabtabulous this year. After a dozen or so Thanksgiving dinners I guess the time comes when you feel like you've finally got it down. Even the pie was perfect.

When I Grow Up

2011-11-04T11:41:00.003-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Asf3Q85MS1U

All Dressed Up with Many Places To Go!

2011-11-03T21:56:00.007-05:00

This year we had a Butterfly Ballerina and Minnie Mouse...

And a um, scary face?

Skye's Sunday Schhol class was in charge of face painting at the church's trunk or treat. Reiley actually let her paint her face, then immediately wanted to touch it so she smeared her pretty flower all over her face and her hand. I just noticed the grip she had on Reiley's head. Maybe that's why Reiley sat so still! Ha!

From Heaven To Seven

2011-11-03T21:46:00.007-05:00

October 29th, Peanut turned SEVEN!

Boo! Looks Who's Two!

2011-11-03T21:35:00.004-05:00

Our Reiley Bug turned 2 October 16th. She's growing up too fast! :(

The Depression Begins

2011-10-31T12:44:00.008-05:00

Tax season starts in 3 months and I am already dragging it. After 3 years at the job I've learned that it's not taxes I detest, it's the clients. You wanna know why? Because they ask stupid things like this...

"Can I write off my dog? He's so expensive!"
"Can I claim haircuts as a work expense? It's written in my handbook that I have to be clean cut".
"Do I have to claim the money I made at a temporary job? It was less than $600."
"Does my wife have to sign this?"
"Why isn't my refund bigger? My buddy got back way more than I did!" Sure, he's married has three kids and owns a home, but I'm single with no kids and rent. Why would that make any difference?

Then they answer my questions with stupid replies like this...

Me: How many miles did you drive to your extra job?
Client: 10,000
Me: How many total miles did you put on your car last year?
Client: 8,000
Me: *roll eyes* really?

Me: Do you have your Social Security card so we can check the numbers and make a copy?
Client: Why do you need my Social Security number?

Me: How much did you spend on ammo (or weapons, or union dues, or dry cleaning, or basically any other expense) this year?
Client: The same as last year

Me: How much was your tuition last year?
Client: I paid $500/mo. on my student loans

I need a new job. Or less stupid clients. Or just no clients. Something.

Homecoming 2011

2011-10-16T12:49:00.010-05:00

I have spent the better part of the morning shuffling through the thousand pictures both on my camera and Chris' mom's. There are so many good pictures I was tempted to just include a link to the entire album. But I have narrowed it down for a sampling and here's what you get. Perhaps the rest will be on Facebook. Chris, by the way, is Skye's best friend.

I think I need to explain what it is you're looking at in the photo below. The "Mum" and "Garter" are Texas traditions. She makes him the garter that he wears on his arm, and he makes her the mum that she wears either pinned on or in this case hung around her neck. They are meant to show school spirit, hence the blue & yellow for Klein's colors. The bigger & gaudy-er, the better. If the girl has a bear on hers, then she is considered much cooler than those who do not. Skye's mum came not only with one bear, but two. And the bears are dressed in a Cross Country uniform and an ROTC (Chris is in ROTC) uniform. He wouldn't tell me how many hours he put in to this, but Skye put in like 6 or 7 and look at the size difference! The kids wore these on Spirit Day, the Friday before the Homecoming dance and also to the football game that night.

GO KLEIN BEARKATS!!!

Daddy & Daughter. Awwww...

Me & Skye. Yes, she is that much taller than me...in heels.

This is the funny one...

Isn't she BEAUTIFUL??!!

They laugh about their height difference all the time. The heels didn't help :)

They had such a great time at the dance! They both told me it was better than they expected. I am so glad they will always have this great memory!

Our 10th Anniversary!

2011-09-26T15:50:00.006-05:00

Mike and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on September 22! What an awesome decade it has been! I can't wait to see what the next ten years will bring!

We got tickets to see Ralphie May at the Improv in Houston. He put on an AWESOME show that lasted 3 hours! He then met us outside to take pictures. LOVE RALPHIE!!! He is freaking HiLaRiOuS!

The Week in Review

2011-09-17T13:17:00.009-05:00

We visited the zoo last weekend since the temperature finally dropped below 100 degrees. Even the goats were trying to stay cool by laying in the tubs. Reiley worked up the nerve to brush this tired goat.

Michaela is playing her first year of soccer with the Klein Soccer Club on the Dolphins. She did awesome at their first game this morning! A definite Forward.

The poor Bearkats had a rough CC meet last night. It was about 94 degrees when they ran and the course was hilly and sandy. I was hot and tired just standing there. I can't believe they ran 2 miles!

Blue & gold take the lead in the beginning!

Cross Country Meet #1

2011-09-09T22:45:00.004-05:00

Skye ran for KLEIN HIGH SCHOOL tonight at her first Cross Country meet! She ran the 2 mile race, but I have no idea what her time was since I got there just in time to see her cross the finish line (and sat behind the clock. Bad strategy.) Since I didn't get to see her run, I asked her to reinact for me. I hope this isn't how she really looks on the field...

There's my Bearkat!

Vegas, Baby!

2011-08-16T20:07:00.017-05:00

I surprised Mike for his (gulp) 36th birthday this year with a trip to VEGAS. His parents from Maui met us there for the long weekend. It was definitely one of the greatest trips we've taken.

The log bench...

The view from our room at Treasure Island- 22nd Floor...

My mother-in-law in front of Paris with a full moon...

You say you want a...

The Grand Canal Shoppes inside the Venetian. Probably one of the greatest places in Vegas...

This weekend had a pirate theme since we stayed at Treasure Island. Here is Mike & I with his parents showing off our new skull tattoos...

While there we met up with my beautiful cousin, Star, who lives in NV and just happened to be staycationing on the Vegas strip this week!

The only New York I've ever seen...

My favorite hotel/casino was the new Cosmopolitan. It's all glittery and fancy...

We had to experience Freemont Street. Once. No need to ever go back. Ever. Though I gotta say the light show was worth seeing.

Some of us were brave enough to eat on Freemont Street. You know what they say, "what happens in Vegas stays [on the blog!]"

The Beach 2011

2011-07-13T16:27:00.015-05:00

The girls, Mom and I just got back from our annual family reunion in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. As always, a super fun week filled with sun, food, and games. Mom and I try to take different routes each year that we drive. This year we stopped in Gautier, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia. Not our greatest route, but it was still exciting to see new things.

Each year Unle Dick brings flags to represent where our family is from. He changes them out every day and we snap a shot of everyone living in that state.

Showing our Texas pride...

Michaela did really well with her boarding this year. She caught several really good waves all by herself!
Skye outside our favorite souvenier shop in Calabash...

Michaela hates the beach. She pretty much cried the entire time and wanted nothing to do with the sand or water. She played with this shovel and pail for about 15 seconds. Notice my cousin, Carrie, in the background relaxing and reading because her baby took a nice little nap right there in her pack & play. Hmph.

Michaela also took her first boat ride on Uncle Bill's sailboat. She was very brave to ride right in to the waves, but learned she really prefers the shore. She cried for about 95% of the ride.

My cousins and I who all had babies under the age of 2. It was fun and a little loud. ;)

First cousins represented at The Beach this year, minus Walter, whom we could not find when taking these photos...

On our way home from the beach we detoured through Florida for a few days. We drove all over Orlando taking in the sites, then stopped in Pensacola our last night. This was taken at Pensacola Beach. The sand was amazingly soft- no shells or rocks whatsoever. Skye found 1/2 of a sand dollar that must have been 6" across when complete and about an inch thick. As you can see, Reiley wouldn't even let me take her shoes off.

We loved spending time with eachother and our extended family on this trip, but BOY! are we glad to be home!!!

Mexico!

2011-06-27T18:41:00.011-05:00

This past week my entire office closed and the owners took us all on a 5-day cruise to Mexico! We got to take our spouses too! It was an AWESOME week!

While in Progresso/Merida, we took a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to see the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. All I can say is WOW! I have always wanted to see these and could have spent an entire day rather than the 1 1/2 hour available to us.

I had no idea the real construction of this temple was just a big pile of rocks. By the way, 90 steps to the top...

One of my favortie things to see was the "basketball" court. It had 4 walls of carvings which are so fascinating! It was an honor to win these games and to have your head cut off. That way you die a martyr rather than a nobody. If you look close at the carving below you will see the winner of the games kneeling. His head is cutoff and you see what represents blood spewing from his neck.

The carving below here is apparently the one who cut off the winner's head. You can see him holding the head in one hand and his knife in the other.

Our second stop in Mexico was to Cozumel. We took a 35 min. catarmaran ride over to Passion Island; a little tiny picturesque island. My boss and his wife joined us for the closest day to perfect I will ever see. We layed in hammocks, swam in crystal clear water, and enjoyed the endless free bar and buffet. It was paradise.

MARIA

2011-05-11T10:51:00.002-05:00

my super-buff, super-fabulous new personal trainer, is going to change my life. I can feel it.

This Summer...

2011-05-07T08:32:00.009-05:00

We are going here...

And here...
and here...

and probably here...

Oh, what do you do in the summertime when all the world is green?

Provident Living

2011-05-07T08:26:00.004-05:00

I have always wanted to grow my own garden. I resolved to making it happen this year, and sha-bam! Here it is. I started small since I have never successfully grown more than a bean in cup and also because Texas summers are b.r.u.t.a.l. and I wasn't sure how this would affect things. Hopefully in the next month or so I'll be able to pick my first tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, eggplants and carrots!

Such amazing girls we have

2011-05-07T08:14:00.007-05:00

Reiley was doing this in the bathtub while shouting "DADDY!". I have no idea what spawned it, but Mike happened to be home at the time. It was nice to make him think we do this all the time.

Just wanted my teenager to be included in this photo op. She can kill me later.
Michaela lost her first and second teeth. You can hardly tell since her adult ones have already starting coming up.

Matt's Wedding!

2011-04-24T20:57:00.015-05:00

My big brother, Matt, has tied the knot. The wedding was gorgeous. The bride was beyond gorgeous, and my brother was so happy. Now exactly when are the babies coming??? See how great these two look?! The wedding party. I had to chose this photo merely for Becky's face. Love it.

One side of our family...The other side of our family...

Matt and I

Our family that was able to attend...

Attempting to pin on Matt's boutonniere...Beautiful Becky...

Sweet Skye...

Mike & I...

Fun with Food

2011-01-15T09:08:00.002-06:00

I love my husband. A lot.

2011-01-15T09:06:00.000-06:00

This Year

2011-01-02T15:33:00.004-06:00

I will be Anxiously Engaged in...

a healthy lifestyle

family mealtime

daily scripture study

building faith

quiet moments

a balanced budget

motherhood

prayer

making new memories

laughter

teaching

learning

and trying to do the best thing possible at any given time.

Beg Your Pardon, Yo?

2010-12-30T22:58:00.003-06:00

I took Peanut to the gym with me this morning. She enjoys the kid zone there. I also think it's important for fitness to be a part of her daily life and seeing me go will hopefully be a good example. Anywhoooo... after the gym today we rushed home and picked up Skye so I could take them to get their hair did. There was no time for a shower in between. While sitting on the couch in the salon, Michaela turns to me and says "Mom, you look ghetto. You need to do your hair." **Jaw drop** What did you just say? Who's raising this kid?? Seriously. "That is one doodle that can't be undid, home skillet."

Ho, Ho, Ho!

2010-12-29T16:34:00.003-06:00

High School Majors???

2010-12-17T20:19:00.003-06:00

So...Skye and I attended a parent/student meeting at the high school for all the incoming freshmen. First of all, Skye is going to be a Freshman!!! Second, when did high school becoming so career-oriented?!?! Hoooly. Mooooly. We left there a little excited, a little overwhelmed. The cause of all this confusion? The fact that the classes are divided into 16 "career clusters". Whhaaat? I don't remember this at all from my high school. Which is probably the reason I floated through 4 years taking classes like Mythology and Interior Design, then graduated without a CLUE as to what I was going to do next.

Any-hoosier...in case you're wondering what a career cluster is, it's such things as business, IT, art & communications, hospitality, manufacturing, engineering, etc. Each cluster has a list of classes to take in high school which prepare the student to either enter that field or further their study in college. After a week of reading, studying, pondering, discussing, researching, Skye has come to a decision as to what she would like to "major" in during high school. Ready to find out?? Drumroll please...................

JOURNALISM

Visions of Sugarplums Danced in their Heads

2010-12-16T15:48:00.003-06:00

Skye had her Christmas choir concert on Tuesday night. As you can see, I wasn't going to be able to get any good shots with my camera. This was the best I could do. There are 4 choirs in all, this is all of them singing the last song. My little Sugar Plum

Not a Creature Was Stirring...

2010-12-16T15:37:00.004-06:00

Not even a mouseMichaela's kindergarten class put on "The Night Before Christmas" this afternoon. They did a great job!

Run, Run As Fast As You Can!

2010-12-01T16:52:00.005-06:00

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!

Christmas is upon us! Wooo-Hooo! Michaela has officially taken over as decorator. And please leave the little man in the bottom right corner alone; he's had a rough day.

Our Little Cookie

Fall Colors Have FINALLY Arrived!

2010-12-01T16:42:00.003-06:00

Michaela's 6th Birthday!

2010-11-01T21:51:00.006-05:00

Peanut's birthday fell on a Friday this year. She shared cupcakes with her kindergarten class, the had pizza with the family. After pizza we went out for ice cream and played at the park. She couldn't look happier, could she?! The library at her school has a Birthday Book Club. We paid $15 to donate a new book to the library, and they put this plate on the inside cover. The bookplate will stay forever and Michaela got to be the first one to check out the new book. It's such a great idea!

Here's a picture of the cool pizza we had for Michaela's birthday dinner...

Her party was on Saturday and we held it at Bouncin' Bears, which is exactly like Pump & Play if you've been there. She had 13 kids from school & church attend- a perfect number.

Michaela & Maryn

Michaela & Connor...

Reiley's 1st Birthday!

2010-11-01T21:35:00.002-05:00

Our baby girl turned ONE on October 16!! She would like to thank her fans- I mean grandparents- for her new house. She (and Michaela) love to play with it! Where's the cake??!! She hated it, by the way. We got her a cute baby pumpkin cake which she quickly destroyed. A few minutes later though she just burst into tears. Skye tried to feed her some of the frosting, but she wouldn't have it.

Choir Concert

2010-11-01T21:21:00.002-05:00

Skye had her first choir concert a few weeks ago. She's in the center of the back row. The choir did awesome!

The Butterfly Experiment

2010-11-01T20:48:00.007-05:00

If you've never ordered a butterfly kit, I HIGHLY recommend it! It was so awesome to watch them grow and change! The caterpillars arrived in this cup and were just tiny little motionless things. Just a few days later they looked like this... A week or so later we had...
All 5 of the caterpillars turned into butterflies which we were able to release in the backyard...

This one sat on Skye's finger before flying away. It was so fun to watch them flutter around before taking off out of sight!

Butterfly #5 only made it this far. He didn't (couldn't?) fly like the others. So we named him Walker John and kept him in his cage until he lived out the rest of his little life. It was so cute to have a butterfly pet for a week :)

So much, so much, so much!

2010-10-19T11:38:00.002-05:00

To blog about! I had to take notes just to remember it all! There is more to come later after I upload my pictures, but for now my current complaint is all about Thanksgiving.

Our family is having Thanksgiving alone for the first time in my memory's history. Well, not entirely. Mom works at the temple until 3pm at which time she better be joining us. But after last year's family feast with many, many visiting relatives it seems strangely sad to count so few for our table. But I won't let it keep me down. I've got a plan! Well, not entirely. But I have some ideas for a new tradition...

* Run in a turkey trot (I've talked about it for several years)
* Volunteer at a soup kitchen

What traditions does everyone else have for Thanksgiving (aside from the usual cooking)??

Mojo

2010-09-30T17:49:00.006-05:00

Us after enduring ZZ Top and waiting for Tom to really start the night. Ooooh! The excitement!Check out Skye! She was SO happy!

Mmmmm....Tom...

Mike Campbell.

The Waiting really is the hardest part. Tom had to reschedule his May performance in Houston due to Mojo's release date being pushed back. I FINALLY got to see him last Friday. As always, he was A*M*A*Z*I*N*G!!! Since he rescheduled to a weeknight, Mike had to work so I took Skye to her very first concert. She enjoys Tom enough to make it worthwhile to give her my extra ticket. We were row 14 (my closest yet), but way to the side. It worked out well though because we were right under one of the large screens- which is why the pictures on my camera phone look so good. Skye said it was "the best night of my entire life!!!" Glad I could help.

Look Out, Sista...

2010-09-09T21:26:00.002-05:00

there's a new diva in town! Michaela got out the camera tonight to take some pictures (her new favorite hobby). All she had to do was aim it at Reiley and the Bug immediately turned and gave her this shot. SO FUNNY!
Sisters...

The Cockroach Crawl

2010-08-28T09:04:00.004-05:00

Daddy & Reiley

This is Reiley's Justin Beiber look...(sorry about the leftover food on the face)

We just think this is funny...

And this is the video proving Reiley is now mobile! I call it the cockroach crawl because it's exactly what she resembles with one leg out like that. I think though that it is her clever way of handling the dress issue.

First Day of School, and Other Stuff

2010-08-24T20:54:00.009-05:00

Other parents are rejoicing in the fact that school started this week, but I feel like I'm treading water with all the stuff I have to juggle. And the homework hasn't even really begun yet. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

So enough of my complaining. On to the excitement of the first day of school! Michaela started Kindergarten! Walking to pick her up I had visions of us holding hands all the way home while she told me every detail of every moment of her first day of Kindergarten. Here's how it really went...

Me: "How was your day??!!"

Michaela: "Good!"

"So what was your favorite part?"

"We got to go outside to play!"

"Yeah, recess is so fun!"

"What was your next favorite thing?"

"Lunch time. Because we get to talk and eat. **singing now**talk and eat, talk and eat."

"Fun! What else did you like about the day?"

"Rest time!"

Ok, I see how this is going to go. She then tripped on the sidewalk, wailed (I mean wailed) at the new boo-boo on her arm, and continued to cry all the way home in front of every other kid & parent on the street. But all & all, a great beginning!

1/2 an hour after picking up Michaela, we pile into the car to go pick up Skye from her first day of 8th grade.

When we arrive, Skye is busy chit-chatting with friends. But she stops immediately when she sees me and runs to the car. She is smiling ear-to-ear. Her reaction to the first day...

"I LOVE my classes! I LOVE my teachers! I LOVED seeing my friends. This is going to be a great year!"

Oh, I love it when they're happy.

We drove up to Dallas Friday night to see some family. Aunt Mary & Uncle Ray have a little farm. I think I've posted pictures about Dolly the Goat before. Anyway, the girls rode horses- Michaela for the first time. Isn't this a great pciture??

And we thought this would be a great photo...The beautiful blonde is my cousin, Catherine. She has 3 boys and I have 3 girls. Get it? :)

Kayaking the Bayou!

2010-08-01T09:40:00.006-05:00

If you're not a native Houstonian, you may be surprised to learn there is a bayou running through the center of the city. I was. Mom & I found out that we can kayak the bayou! It was so great. We took along 2 of mom's friends, or rather I got to be included in their plans because they needed a fourth person. :) Whatever. I was just happy to go kayaking! The trail we rode was 8.4 miles. Apparently there are more (3?) paddling trails in the city and several oustide the city. I see my future.

This picture was taken near the end of the 2 1/2 trip...

This is more typical of what we saw all along the way...trees. It was beautiful and reminded me a little of Michigan; except the water was so muddy gross.
This is where we landed. Awesome!

Here is Mom & I at the end, having survived the bayou!

Feeling Creative?

2010-07-28T08:27:00.004-05:00

A most noteworthy blog has come to my attention. Check it out, then let me know if you can ever take a normal picture of the kids again.

http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com

Finally! An Update...

2010-07-22T20:12:00.007-05:00

So I'm still being blog-lazy, but at least it eventually gets done.

Papa & Tutu and the grandgirls...

Tutu bought Skye a "Team Jacob" shirt. This was the reaction...

One of Skye's recent drawings...

My pretty girl...

My other pretty girl, licking the brownie bowl...

My other other pretty girl sleeping cutely...

I am so blessed to have such an amazing family!!!

Birthdays, Hobbits, Clapping, and an Uncle

2010-06-15T20:48:00.014-05:00

I have so much to post that it seems an unsurmountable task and I usually give up without even an attempt. Plus it is much easier-and more entertaining- to read other people's blogs, which is what I end up doing every time I log on to my own blog. But alas, I am here to conquer the goal I set for tonight. Well, at least until Mike calls on his lunch break in 8 minutes at which point I will reassess the situation.

I don't even know where to start. Hmmm....I guess with the fact that I now have a TEENAGER!!Yep- Skye turned the lovely 13 on June 1. I think I'm actually relieved that the tween crap is over and we can now move on to the real deal. (I'm going to eat those words in another year. Maybe I should just do it now.) This also means that somewhere along the road I too had a birthday. The Big 3-0. Yes, it's true, I'm 30. Wow. This may not be a very attractive photo of myself, but Skye sure looks cute. And look how much taller she is than me!

This is just a cute picture of Reiley in navy...

Another cute picture of Reiley in her pjs....

Now for some real excitement...I have uncovered a hobbit hole! There really is such thing as The Hobbit Cafe in Houston where one can dine on really yummy and fresh food while enjoying Lord of the Rings decor. I'm not a fan of Tolkein, but I am a fan of food (in case you couldn't tell). And I give this place two thumbs up! Delicioso! Oh- this is me in the furry chair...

These are my wonderfully amazing friends, Layne on the left and Tolkein-fan Katy on the right.

Michaela snapped this shot of me & Smiley Reiley. Not bad, minus the tv screen in the background. I guess I could have edited.

More exciting news!! Reiley learned how to clap this week! We took about 100 photos of the event. I chose to post this one because she looks funny. She's so smart.

This is another picture I just wanted to post because it's so cute. I came to the realization this week that Reiley is not my baby, she's our baby. I don't even get to hold her when I want to sometimes. Especially when Skye is around- she's a baby-hogger. (Skye, by the way, is off at girl's camp this week with the other Young Women in our church. Lucky Duck.)

This is another of my recent favorites. My brother Matt with Reiley. Isn't it adorable?!

Did You Know???

2010-05-21T17:29:00.003-05:00

Did you know that I LOVE Tom Petty??? And chocolate??? And steak??? Some people do, and some people know how to wrap it all up in to one pretty little package. This is turning out to be a GREAT birthday! And my birthday isn't even here yet!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! (You know who you are!)

The Wish List of a Teeny-Bopper

2010-05-18T15:45:00.004-05:00

Skye turns 13 in less than 2 weeks. Here is the wish list this year (in her order):

1. Money
2. Cute Clothes
3. Anime stuff
4. Avatar
5. Books
6. DS Games
7. Shoes
8. Parfume
9. Jewelry

Who is this teenager and where did my child go?!?

Look Who's Sitting!

2010-05-18T15:44:00.000-05:00

Swimming, Sort of

2010-05-18T15:38:00.002-05:00

Art Car Show, Part Deux

2010-05-08T18:39:00.004-05:00

I told Skye this was going to be as close as she ever got to dogsledding. She was game.

This sidewalk statue offered lots of fun for the kiddos.

My posse for the night...

Clapping Lobsters and Winos

2010-05-08T18:14:00.012-05:00

Mom & I took the girls downtown last night for the Art Car Preview Show. It was amazing! This car made me think of Olive Garden. How about you?

This was Skye's favorite...

Yes, those are saddles in the back of the bus. The owner wasn't around, so I'm not sure if they were mechanical or not. I'm guessing they are.

This was my favorite. Clevery name "Shattered Vanity", it was covered in mirrors. When I had my gallbladder surgery, this car was in the parking lot of the surgery center. It was my first encounter with an art car. (I know my pictures aren't great. It was a little difficult maneuvering the stroller through the crowds. I had to take what I could get.)

The Sock Monkey car came with its own puppeteer...

I wasn't quite sure if this was supposed to be paint or wax. It looks like wax, but I'm pretty sure those are paint cans pouring on the paint.

The cat hearse...

This is the epitome of an art car...

We also saw a car covered in clapping lobsters, a mermaid van with a live (drunken) mermaid, and a jeep that shot fire 50 ft. in the air (which freaked Reiley out and we moved quickly away from that one). It was a great show!

Yesterday I Discovered...

2010-05-08T18:04:00.003-05:00

DISCOVERY GREEN

The most awesomest, wonderfulest park in Texas! Smack dab in the middle of downtown Houston, a new "green" park opened up last year. We finally checked it out yesterday. The park has a playground, water fountains to play in, gardens, a pond, a dog park, a jogging trail, a library, dining, and a stage for concerts! And it is surrounded by skyscrapers which makes it even more great! I LOVE this city!!!

Animal Attack

2010-04-21T20:41:00.016-05:00

We went to San Antonio for a little getaway last weekend. Mom, Matt (my brother), and Becky (Matt's girlfriend) came too. It was a TOTAL BLAST. We had so much fun! The Krispy Kreme sharing a parking lot with our hotel was the first sign of a great weekend. There are no KKs in all of Houston, sadly. So be ready for a long post with lots of pictures...

Cute Baby Reiley

Matt & Becky. Aren't they cute??!!! Love them.

We visited Natural Bridge Caverns. Didn't know we had these in Texas, but it was a nice surprise.

A rare photo of Mike & I together. This is us at the entrance to the caverns.

All three girls just being their adorable selves.

This is the group-minus myself of course- after the hike through the caverns. I think it was about a mile long, but super hilly, steep, and HUMID.

Nadja, ahem, Skye, looking pretty among the bluebonnets.

Here's where the craziness began. Next door to the caverns is the Natural Bridge Safari. You drive your car through an African safari and get to feed the animals. I heard there were zebras. Read on if you care to...

This was just a pretty scenery picture. Not too exciting. Keep reading...

This little guy got lots of food. Look at his tiny little baby horns.

We didn't feed the ostriches. Something about those long necks and pointy beaks just didn't make us very comfortable. They were so big! This one just walked along with our car staring at us. I almost felt guilty about not feeding it. Almost. Had to find the zebras.We found the zebras. The green car is my mom's with her, Matt, Becky, and Michaela in it. I was so excited about being this close to the zebras that I crawled through the sunroof to get a better look. I was astounded that the zebras were coming right up to their car. Then...one zebra reached through Matt's window and stole his bag of food! That's the white thing you see one of them eating. The bag of food excited the zebras and they started bucking eachother. It was nuts. But still I was so excited to see them this close.

Then it was our turn. They were so aggressive! Check out this zebra! Hes started nibbling the steering wheel, then went after Mike's pants! It was hilarious.

Look at them! Greedy little suckers. I just couldn't believe we had 2 zebras sticking their heads into our car! All fun and games until they came to my side of the car. It was a little freaky to have them so close nibbling at anything they can get. At one point Mike and I both had zebra heads in our laps and we were as close to the center console as would allow. I don't think I have ever felt such a strong sensation to laugh and scream at the same time. It was CRAZY! This zebra kept showing me his pearly whites. That was when I rolled up the window. How do we find those cute little mountain goats again??

Day Trip to Galveston

2010-03-28T20:19:00.008-05:00

I woke up this morning NEEDING to see the ocean. Ever have those days? So we packed up the kids and drove an hour south to Galveston Island. The weather was sunny and 70- perfect for hanging out on the beach. We played in the sand for awhile then crossed the street to eat a seafood lunch- well, they ate seafood...I stuck to poultry. We even got some ice cream before heading home. It was THE GREATEST day I've had in a while. I am totally recharged and ready to face the last few weeks of tax season.

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!

2010-03-28T19:47:00.003-05:00

Michaela was jumping on my bed one night and Reiley thought it was hilarious. I kept taking all these pictures trying to capture the moment because Reiley was laughing so hard. Then I remembered to put down the camera and enjoy the moment. Some things are better stored in your heart than on a memory card.

Smiley Reiley...and other things

2010-03-10T14:57:00.007-06:00

By far, Reiley is the smiliest baby we've had. All you have to is smile at her and she does it right back. It melts my heart everytime. The saddest part of recent, is that her hair is starting to fall out. Everytime you kiss her head a little hair or two sticks to your lips. Her crib looks like Chubaka slept there. Isn't she just CUTE?!?!

Michaela has dubbed herself the "Medium" sister. With temps in the 60s & 70s, it appears that spring has hit in Spring. Michaela is outdoors whenever possible...climbing trees, drawing with sidewalk chalk, digging holes, etc. Skye is, well, Skye. She thinks its great she can take pictures of herself in the mirror. This seems to find this amusing (she's 12) . She is changing more and more everyday. That adversity she had toward anything pink? Gone. She is looking forward to high school already and is starting to talk boys. Yikes!

But, the most exciting news, you ask?! Tom is coming to Texas and he's bringing the Heartbreakers!! And I got row 14!!!! The closest I have been yet! Love me some Petty!! May 16th is the day...just in time for my *gasp* 30th birthday.

Tis the (tax) Season!

2010-02-05T21:40:00.004-06:00

Therefore, don't expect anything great out of me for at least the next 3 months. I am crazy busy juggling my usual accounting job, my mother/wife duties, a church calling, and now adding 20+ tax appointments a week on to it all. But I LOVE what I do and wouldn't trade it for the world.

The real excitement of the week is this... Reiley learned how to grab! Nadja, Michaela and I were all hovering over her the night she did this for the first time. Every time she would grab a ring we would all shout and clap. That in turn scared the living daylights out of Reiley. She got a big (alas freaking adorable) pouty lip and cried.

Pictures of the Week

2010-01-20T16:24:00.007-06:00

I feel too lazy to write much on the blog anymore, but here are some great shots of the girls.

Michaela had her dance show at the Little Gym (thank GOODNESS it's finally over). She liked dance, but wants to go back to karate. We're looking in to our options.

Isn't this a super cute picture?! I framed it for my desk. Now I just have to remember to take it to work when I go.

With Nadja gone at school all day, then busy with homework and Young Women's at night, I have to make more of an effort to get her picture taken. Fortunately she doesn't mind.

Reiley LOVES bathtime and it shows.

Surgery Sucks

2009-12-29T17:45:00.002-06:00

I don't recommend it. Unless deemed necessary by those who know, like my surgeon. I'm home- sore, bruised, loopy, tired, and drugged. My discharge papers say not to sign anything in the next 3 days. I thought it was a little extreme, but if you've seen how long it takes me to type-due to all the misspellings-you would agree I ought not be signing anything in this condition.

On the brightside...I told those gallstones who's boss.

Christmas Week in Review

2009-12-27T12:40:00.009-06:00

Mike's parents flew all the way from Maui to spend Christmas with us. It was one of the best weeks EVER! You know it's good, when 9 days seems like 3. We had so much fun just being together. Unfortunately, the greatest hellos always end in the sadest goodbyes.

Michaela took this picutre. Not bad, huh?

The girls had their first drink at a bar ;) We stopped in at the Hard Rock for a snack after touring the downtown aquarium.

Reiley looking pretty!

Nadja & Michaela decorating the gingerbread house on Christmas Eve

The girls with Papa & Tutu at the Houston Zoo
Mike & Dad showing off their new Hard Rock T's

Michaela loving Papa at the Zoo

The Downtown Aquarium

2009-12-27T12:13:00.008-06:00

Here are a few of the highlights from our trip to the Downtown Aquarium!

So This is Christmas

2009-12-27T12:06:00.004-06:00

With all the hustle and bustle, Christmas morning was best caught on video camera. I did snap a few shots of the girls, but these seem to be the only blog-worthy ones.

Grandpa & Nana hit a homerun giving Nadja a book about drawing anime characters.

Michaela got a Leapster video game which remains unplayed as of yet. I think she forgot about it.

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

2009-12-07T19:15:00.001-06:00

All we need now is our Papa and Tutu...

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-29T19:36:00.013-06:00

Mike's mom, stepdad, 2 sisters and their families visited us in Texas for Thanksgiving this year. It was so much fun to have everyone together!

Rachelle & I at the Hard Rock in San Antonio

Mike, me, Skye, Matt, Chrystal, Collin, Michaela, and Katelyn at the Alamo.
Skye, Katelyn, and Michaela

The Alamo! Skye, Chrystal, Collin, and Michaela

Mike & I at the Alamo

Katelym & Reiley

Connor & Skye

All the Cousins

Happy 5th Birthday, Michaela!

2009-11-02T14:20:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Michaela's birthday on Halloween since that was the first time everyone would be home. QUITE the sugar rush that day! (for the record- I HATE Spongebob. Mike likes it and encourages Michaela to like it too. I left the cake ordering up to Mike for the last time. The cake is cute though, isn't it?)

12

2009-11-02T14:04:00.003-06:00

is apparently the age where trick or treating loses its appeal. Michaela, on the other hand, enjoyed dressing up as Cinderella and filling up her bag with candy. (I'm such a lame mom and forgot to find a better shirt to go under her costume. She only owns 3 long-sleeved shirts, this was the best matched :/ )

We Are Totally Smitten

2009-10-26T18:09:00.007-05:00

October 16, 2009...The Story

2009-10-19T19:21:00.004-05:00

6:00 am: We left for the hospital

7:30 am: Dr. Norton arrives. (I got a call from Dr. Norton the night before I went in and was told that my doctor, Dr. Cantu, is no longer with the practice for reasons she could not discuss. Dr. Norton said she will be my Dr. from now on. I'm happy about this, b/c Dr. Norton was who I wanted in the first place but she wasn't taking new patients. She is the founder of the practice I go to.) I was already dilated to 3cm and 75% effaced. She hooked up the IV with Oxytocin and breaks my water. We wait. I watch TV, Mike sleeps in a chair.

9:45 am: Contractions are coming hard and fast

11:00 am: Contractions are almost unbearable and I am practically in tears...Just keep focusing on that TV. I called the nurse for the epidural. She says he'll be there in 10 minutes.

11:10 am: BEST anesthesiologist ever! The epidural was NOTHING compared to the contractions I was having.

12:30ish pm: Get the doctor! I feel the baby sliding down!

12:44 pm: She's out! And holy moly does she have a lot of black hair! Her forehead is bruised from sitting in the birth canal while the delivery team prepared, but she's still beautiful!!

Welcome To our Family...

2009-10-19T16:13:00.002-05:00

REILEY ERIN

October 16, 2009

12:44pm

8lb. 15oz.

21 3/4"

The Scarecrow Festival

2009-10-10T21:29:00.002-05:00

We attended the annual Scarecrow Festival in Chappel Hill today. It was better than we had imagined. The weather was PERFECT for spending the day outside, and the girls were both very well behaved. We were tempted by the deep fried twinkies sold throughout the festival, but didn't partake. Aren't we good?! I am curious though as to what in the world a fried twinkie would taste like. Maybe next time...

In Memory Of TJ

2009-10-10T20:44:00.004-05:00

Todd Robilliard

12/10/1987 - 10/07/2009

Obituary Notice
ROBILLIARD, TJ age 21. October 7, 2009. Loving son of Lisa McCauley and Todd Robilliard. Dear brother of Evan, Austin, Samantha and Cody. Dearest grandson of Bob & Linda Robilliard and Foy & Shirley Palmer. Great-grandson of Dorothy Horn. TJ was a 2006 graduate of Lanse Creuse and was owner of TR Design specializing in Audio/Visual needs.

The oldest son of my very best friend. He was such a GREAT KID...sociable, friendly, funny, successful...the list goes on and on. He will be sorely missed by everyone who ever knew him.

And my Lisa, how could I possibly even try to comfort you when I know your boys are your pride and joy? How could I even pretend to know what you're going through? How could I tell you that life will ever be the same? I love you. I love your boys. I want so bad to be there with you at this time. Just know that I am thinking of you night and day and that TJ will forever be in my heart.

Induction Scheduled!

2009-10-10T20:20:00.002-05:00

It turns out this baby is just as stubborn as her siblings. She has actually retracted! What the heck?! So, doctor and I have decided to induce on my due date. Come next Friday at 6:30 AM, I'll be on my way to electively having a needle jabbed into my back. Oh joy.

Today's Dr. Update

2009-10-02T15:41:00.002-05:00

Not much has changed since last week. 30% effaced, dilated to 2. Head is more anterior than posterior. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Place Your Bets!

2009-09-25T16:03:00.002-05:00

The doctor told me this morning she expects me to go into labor within the week. I don't understand what would make her think this. I'm only 30% effaced and 1 1/2cm dilated. She was able to touch the baby's head, but said it was still posterior. SO...any gamblers? When will I deliver this baby?? Still a full 3 weeks to my actual due date. Entertain me!

8 Years Ago Today...

2009-09-22T19:27:00.002-05:00

I had the wedding of my dreams to the man of my dreams. 8 years later we're happier than I ever dreamed we could be.

Happy Anniversary, Honey. I love you!

Congratulations, Skye!

2009-09-13T21:35:00.002-05:00

Skye tried out for and made the Doerre Speech Team/Theater Club!! GO SKYE!!

My Baby Shower!

2009-09-12T13:39:00.005-05:00

The ladies at church put on a GREAT baby shower for me and another pregnant companion (who was in the hospital fighting off contractions during the shower). It was a wonderful shower and such a blessing to reacquire all the baby essentials I gave away when we moved.

I couldn't tell if this cake was supposed to be reminiscent of me, or some other random big-chested, blonde princess. :)

Mom & I with the cake

Me and some other pregnant friends from church. Tara in the middle (due a few days ago) and Bonnie on the right, who just delivered triplet boys last week! Don't ask why we're the same size.

And The Trophy Goes To...

2009-09-12T12:56:00.001-05:00

RACHELLE! My amazing, wonderfully-terrific sister-in-law took a week away from work and her family to help us move into our new house. She spent 2 long days in a diesel truck driving down to Texas, then spent the rest of the week cleaning and organizing our new house. She worked from sun up to sun down lining my cupboards, washing windows and doors, scraping paint off of glass, hauling camping gear to the hot attic, taking endless trips to Walmart with me to pick up various items, and a whole laundry list of other chores. She also found time to answer homework questions for Skye and play games with Michaela. Being as pregnant as I am, you can imagine how incredibly helpful this was! Mike and I tried and tried to find a way to keep her here permanently, but she assured us we couldn't afford her. And she's right. I couldn't even put a price on what she meant to us this week. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

Down on the Farm

2009-09-12T12:33:00.000-05:00

The girls and I spent Labor Day weekend in Dallas visiting family while Mike was in MI picking up our furniture. There's a place called Stockyards in Fort Worth that has a little historical district (we went b/c Skye gets extra credit in Social Studies for visiting TX landmarks).

It turns out, if you pay this cowboy on the street $3, he'll let you sit on his longhorn. Totally worth every dime. Look how huge he is! -Mind you, Nadja, ahem, Skye, is now 5'8".

I just couldn't get over the size of these bulls! Their horns can measure up to 6' from tip to tip!

After visitng with my brother & his girlfriend in NW Dallas, we headed to NE Dallas to visit my aunt & uncle on their mini farm. (we also got to pick up Bishop Bear who has been living with them since we moved to TX last Sept.)

Uncle Ray introduced the girls to the riding lawnmower which was an instant hit!

This was the funniest part-Michaela just ran and ran after Skye while she was driving.

Feeding Dolly the goat.

Dolly was Bishop's best friend. They ran up and down the fence line once or twice, then Dolly would try to butt him with her little horns. It was so cute!

Welcome Home, Frigidaire

2009-09-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

Our new stove was delivered today. All shiny and new. This is when you realize you're old-when new appliances are the highlight of your day. So sad.

Dancing Queen...Only Seventeen...

2009-09-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

Like a good daddy, Mike gets up early to come watch Michaela dance. You can see the bags under his eyes, poor guy. Since he works nights, he usually doesn't get to sleep until at least 2 am, but usually more like 3.

We realized today while watching dance class what a skinny mini Michaela is. It's funny to watch her little legs as she spins around the room. Today the teacher had brightly colored silky scarfs that the girls got to twirl while dancing. Michaela was in her glory.

Dancin' With Myself, Oh Oh uh Oh...Oh, Oh, uh Oh...

2009-08-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

Got ya Billy Idol fans, didn't I?

Michaela started dancing in the "Giggle Toes" class at The Little Gym today. But since I'm such a great mom, I forgot to take pictures. I DID have my camera, but left it sitting in my purse. It was a little early for such nonsense anyway...class starts at 9:30. Anywho...she LOVED her class. She put on quite a show for me tonight-tapping her heels and toes and spinning around the living room in her ballet shoes. The girl was meant to dance. For those of you fortunate enough to witness her "Happy Feet" dance, imagine that with tap shoes on. It was hilarious!

Pictures to come soon...like next week.

Anime, Anime, and more Anime

2009-08-25T20:40:00.000-05:00

Are you a fan? I'm not. Nadja on the other hand, is a HUGE fan. I want to like it for her sake, but I'm really not excited by it, and I admit-I'm way too stubborn to give in easily. But she lives and breathes this stuff! So imagine her face when she learns that her new school has an anime CLUB!! Oh yeah-a whole club dedicated to the japanimation crap. Woo-Hoo, I say. So come this very October, there is an anime convention here in Houston. The club is planning on attending. I looked up the convention website tonight to get some idea of what to expect. Yeah, it's exactly what I expected...people in full, blown-out costume. Adults, mind you! Yikes. How am I supposed to attend this thing without showing concern for all these people on my face?? Hmm...maybe I'll send Beach Grandma. After all, I will have just had the baby.

Here We Go Again

2009-08-25T12:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of school for many Texans...and also Nadja (who, we've been told, will never be a true Texan. Only the baby has a chance of being a real Texan, and even that is questionable since both her parents are Yankees). Nadja...aka Skye (as of 3 days ago) started 7th grade at her new and improved school district of Klein. Her school's name is Doerre (like the fish in Nemo) and she is SUPER excited. She had a great 1st day!

Onward we go with what is supposedly the hardest year of middle school!

Happy Birthday to Daddy

2009-08-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

The birthday boy. A little grayer in the beard, but still as handsome as ever!

The girls & I got Mike a new fire pit for the new house. It came in this huge box, so the girls spent the morning making their own wrapping paper.

Mike's parents sent a new MauiBuilt shirt from the Aloha state. He loves the new "Respect the Culture" shirt. Great choice!

The All-American Game...in Houston

2009-08-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

If you want to feel totally patriotic, you stand for the national anthem at a baseball game. It feels
so American!

Nadja, Michaela, and Beach Grandma enjoying the game (and the nachos!)

Ocean Isle Beach 2009

2009-08-03T14:54:00.000-05:00

Another successful family reunion in North Carolina has come and gone signaling the end of summer. I can't believe school starts in only 3 more weeks!

I took this picture b/c I thought it was funny that so many family members were standing the same way. I later found out it was a shark they were all staring at. We saw 2 this year very close to shore!

On the way home, we saw a sign for Dunn's Falls in Mississippi and decided to go see what it was all about. We were glad we did! It was a beautiful waterfall that led to a river calm enough for swimming.

This was on the way TO The Beach. We stayed in a hotel just on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River.

Both girls tried kayaking for the first time this year, both with my cousin, Walter. This is Nadja heading out. They flipped on the way back in, which was Nadja's first "near-death" experience of the trip. Really, she was fine...just a little scared of the sharks.

Here's Michaela's turn at kayaking. Again with cousin Walter, and also Skye (my cousin Eliza's oldest).

Nadja was a pro body boarder this year!

Michaela learned to board also and caught a few great little waves!

SPAAaaaaahhh

2009-07-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

I spent 3 wonderful hours at a day spa yesterday, thanks to my amazing husband!! I had an hour long prenatal massage, a spa pedicure, and a spa manicure. I was absolutely pampered! The spa had fantastic service and amenities. THANK YOU, honey! You definitely know how to make a ga-normous pregnant lady feel good!

Is it Possible?

2009-06-29T17:41:00.000-05:00

To be homesick for a place you've never lived?

The best feeling in the world is looking out at this ocean knowing you're miles and miles away from everything.

Hhhhiiiii-Yaaaa!!!

2009-06-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

Michaela finished up her 2nd semester of karate. During the last few weeks though all she could talk about were the girls in leotards walking into the ballet studio next door. So come fall, it's all about BALLET.

Tour Our New House!

2009-06-24T21:49:00.001-05:00

Here's the new project we've gotten ourselves into. We are SO excited! We closed on Monday, but won't be able to move in until September, when Mike has time off to fly to MI and drive all our stuff down. It's another fixer upper, but not nearly what the MI house was.

The master bathroom is HUGE and also PINK. But fortunately, easily changed.

Living Room

Breakfast nook

The kitchen is enormous. An island could be added with plenty of room left. The cabinets are GREAT. New counters, floor, and appliances will do it well.

The girls' bathroom-also the main bathroom of the house. Fortunately, the oh-so-pretty walls are paint and not wallpaper like we first thought.

Can't you just picutre Michaela swimming in this tub?!

The Ultrasound Revealed...

2009-06-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

It's a

GIRL!!!!!!

My Little Nadjita Mamita is 12!!!

2009-06-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it??!!!

We had Jack in the Box for dinner and chocolatey chocolate cake for dessert. Mmmm...healthy.

My little girl is growing up so fast!

YANKEE Doodle Dandy

2009-05-01T13:57:00.001-05:00

I met so many interesting people during tax season. Some people were just interesting themselves, and some had really interesting jobs. (My firm specializes in law enforcement-about 95% of my clients were police officers, SWAT, air marshalls, FBI, etc. but I also had my fair share of real Texan cowboys) Anyhow, one of the most common conversations I had was with people trying to guess where I'm from by my accent-which I never before realized is that strong. Here's my favorite story...

TWICE I had opened the door to the lobby and called out my client's name. "David and Michelle?". An entire lobby full of people just stopped and stared at me. Thinking my client ran to the restroom or perhaps went outside, I repeated "David and Michelle?". Finally, my client stands up and says, "Oh, I couldn't understand you because of your accent". (HUH?! Really? It's that bad??) So I laugh and say something like, "yeah, I'm not a local". The client? No response. Total animosity from the fact that yes indeed, I am a Yankee. TWICE this happened!

The joke in Texas goes like this... You may not have been born here, but you got here as soon as you could.

I'm Still Alive!!

2009-04-28T19:32:00.000-05:00

April 15th came and went, but life hasn't yet slowed down AT ALL. Here's a little of what we've been up to...

I found a FANTASTIC hair stylist through a friend at church. Paid big bucks to have Nadja's hair done and this is the result. Amazing, huh?!?! Have you heard stylists say "I'm a beautician, not a magician"?, this lady was definitely a MAGICIAN. It took her 2 hours to thin out and style Nadja's hair. Totally worth every penny!!! Nadja has learned to use the flat iron by herself and actually spends time doing her hair every morning. Wow! She also let me convince her to have her eyebrows waxed. ;)

Pregnancy is still agreeing with me... I made it all the way through the first trimester without getting sick. I had another ultrasound to keep tabs on the blood pocket, which has disappeared!! During the ultrasound the baby waved and we were able to count all 10 toes and 10 fingers. Amazing. I tried to post the video, but couldn't figure it out. We find out the sex on June 3. It seems like FOREVER away. Keep your fingers crossed for another girl. I am actually losing sleep over the fact that it could be a boy.

Some time during tax season I was offered a permanant job at Molen & Associates (molentax.com). Not doing taxes though, just general accounting. There are lots of perks: I get to work (mostly) from home and I also get to keep my office which means I have a place to go to escape the rowdiness of my house. I make up my own hours which is perfect for my flexible life. I love working for this company, and I love the people I work with. It's a great fit!

Mike's company created a night shift and made him the supervisor. He is supposed to have 8 guys under him, but he kept getting bad workers and was firing a few almost nightly. He decided it would be more beneficial for him and the company to keep only 4 workers and give them more hours. A win-win for everyone. Mike's hours are now 5pm-12pm. He gets an extra hour as a night premium. Since his daily commute is 1 1/2 hours each way, he is loving the night hours which gets him there in about 45 min.

We put an offer in on the perfect house, but were denied. The sellers accepted an all-cash offer. Can't blame them, but it totally stinks for us. We have narrowed down the perfect neighborhood, but there isn't much turnover so we have to be patient and wait.

I was called to be the Activity Day leader in our ward. (for non-Mormons, the Activity Day group is for girls ages 8-11. It's pretty much an equivalent to Girl Scouts. We meet twice a month for an hour)

Bluebonnets in Bloom!

2009-03-22T17:11:00.001-05:00

We have been so stressed and busy lately, it was time to get out of the city and enjoy some fresh air. The girls and I packed up the car and drove west to get in to the country. We drive down small country roads enjoying the scenery. We saw hundreds of cows, horses, and goats. We ended up in a small farming community that had this big field of bluebonnets. It was beautiful! The Sunday drive was just what we needed.

The Good Stuff is in the Details

2009-03-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

Baby Brown #3 is due October 16.

At my first doctor visit, the dr. saw a "small pocket of blood behind the placenta" in the ultrasound (which was given just to ease my worries of another miscarriage). She had me go back a week later for another ultrasound to see if the blood had dissolved as they most often do. At the second ultrasound, the collection of blood was still there, but smaller. I am going back for another u/s on April 8. The image at left was the 2nd one given at 9 weeks. The head is on the right. All the way to the left are the two little legs sticking straight up. One arm is visible at the top.

Not sure what you're loooking at? Me either. The part labeled CRI is the head and the line measures head to rump. This was the 1st u/s given at almost 8 weeks. At both appointments I saw the heart fluttering and could hear the heartbeat going strong at 159 beats per minute.

The Proof is POSITIVE

2009-02-21T19:24:00.000-06:00

Shocked?

Yeah, me too.

25 Random Things

2009-01-30T18:58:00.001-06:00

I got this from a Facebook friend, and thought it more appropriate to post here instead.

1. I HATE cheese. Makes me gag. Especially white cheese. So, yes, I take it OFF of pizza.
2. I have exactly 20 cousins, not including cousin-in-laws.
3. I firmly believe that if fruit is involved, the dish is NOT considered dessert. Dessert involves chocolate!
4. I'm part Jewish. Really.
5. I've been held up at gunpoint.
6. I once hit a parked car, then hit 5 more while trying to pull over to inspect the 1st one. (Have you SEEN how narrow the streets are in Puerto Rico??!!)
7. I cannot draw. Anything.
8. I played the violin for 9 years.
9. I am VERY addicted to chapstick and lipgloss. I get worringly anxious when I don't have any. I even left church early once b/c I couldn't stand it anymore.
10. I don't have very much patience.
11. I love all foods that are bad for me...Taco Bell, Buffalo Wild Wings, corned beef hash, etc.
12. I have seriously considered being a surrogate mother
13. I really enjoy geneaology and have been indexing for the LDS church for over a year now. (downloading scanned documents like census & marriage records and typing them into the Family Search database for others to use in research.)
14. I love to travel, especially roadtrips.
15. I am super fascinated with the Amish.
16. If it were solely up to me, I'de have more kids
17. I hold a slight grudge against my parents for not giving me a sister
18. My physical talents are limited to flipping my eyelids inside out and putting my hand under my ribs and grabbing them.
19. I am a naturally serious person, but love to laugh at other's jokes.
20. Writing is my forte, but math is my life
21. I am extremely competitive
22. I didn't have a license until I was 18. I failed the driving test twice in Puerto Rico, so just drove without it. It's not really necessary there anyway.
23. My first car was a 1985 wood-paneled station wagon that seated 11 people. (please refer back to #6)
24. Washington DC is my all-time favorite city in the world.
25. I've worn nothing but Gap jeans since I was a size 00 there in middle school.

She's A Sure Shot

2009-01-25T20:08:00.001-06:00

Now that Nadja is 11, I figured it was time to officially dub her in to young womanhood--Packer style. My mom and I took her to the shooting range yesterday. She was amazing! After one short lesson on gun safety and proper technique in the lobby, she was ready. I told her to aim for his chest, but she thought it would be better to aim for the "bullseye"-the guy's gun barrel. As you can tell, she was pretty close! For those of you in the know-she used a 9mm Glock.

This was the very first shot she fired.

Chopsticks Karate Show!

2009-01-14T10:09:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Michaela's last night of karate and the Chopsticks put on a show for us. It was great and we are so proud of our little karate kid!

(I don't know why this photo isn't showing up. I'll have to work on it)

I'm Employed!

2009-01-10T09:52:00.001-06:00