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Friday, April 30, 2010

April 2010 Pics

Mayfest 2010

Mayfest has returned to Fort Worth!  Last year, it was cancelled due to Swine Flu (boo!!), so everyone was geared up for this year's version!

After early naps/rest time, Kendra and I packed up our kids for a fun trip to Trinity Park.  We had a great time in the Children's Area, including thumbrint magnets, rock painting, paper flowers, face painting, and sand piles.  Then we ventured out to see the monkey, ride swings, pet some baby animals, and ride the ponies.  Thankfully, Steve's flight was on time and he met us there for the pony rides and escorted us back to our cars.  We all enjoyed a dinner at Macaroni Grill - suprisingly good behavior, considering the late hour of 8:45 PM.  Can't wait for next year!

the little girls
From April 2010
big kids
From April 2010

rock pile
From April 2010

painting rocks - oops - left them there!
From April 2010

making paper flowers
From April 2010

face painting for Hannah
From April 2010

Cute Gwennie!
From April 2010

Handsome Zachary
From April 2010


I did It!
From April 2010

more sand play
From April 2010

confetti eggs
From April 2010

scary clown - but the kids loved him!
From April 2010

big kids with little chicks
From April 2010

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Surprise!

Mandy and I came up with the idea to surprise my Mom for her 60th birthday.  Since her sister, Rae, was already going to be here, we invited her other sister, Robin, to come in for the weekend.  Then we invited her other friends to my house for a Ladies Luncheon. 

We managed to pull off the surprise with some good luck (Mom was out of town for a week before the party) and some help (Dad kept it a surprise and got her to our house on time). 

It was a fun party, and while I don't have too many photos, these are the ones I do have.

Mom's Surprise - Aunt Robin

The "Little Girls"



The Holden Women



Happy Birthday, Mom!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

TCU Baseball

We really enjoyed going to the TCU baseball game tonight!  Zachary and Sophie really enjoyed all the baseball treats.









The Mighty Horned Frogs pulled out a win over the Aggies!  We can't wait to go again!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Challenger Steam Engine

A steam engine came to town today and we had the opportunity to go see it at the train yard.



Check out the steam!


Zachary and the Conductor


What a really cool experience for Zachary!

Main Street 2010

We enjoyed a fun lunch at Main Street with Grandma and Grandpa M today!
Cream Puffs

Frozen Chocolate Custard

At Grandpa's Office


Can't wait for next year!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Play time with the McDaniels

It's been a busy year, and we have seen a lot less of the McDaniels than I would like!

Kendra and I were so fortunate to be working on the same project at RadioShack when we were both pregnant.  If you know Kendra, you will know that she did not look pregnant at all, while I was eating every donut in sight and LOVING it.  But we still became friends because she is so nice!

She was so kind to invite me to her baby shower, and I went (8.5 months pregnant) only to realize we have several friends in common.  So Fort Worth...

Then I took Zachary to her work shower, and then baby Gwen was born.

So Gwen and Zachary have known each other since the womb!

We soon realized how closely we lived to each other.  Their first year of life, we saw each other several times a week, with playdates, music, zoo trips and Little Gym.  Gwen and Zachary fell in love, and we like to say that we already know our in-laws. :)

Sweet Hannah was born in 2007, and she was a welcome addition to our happy group, and then Sophie came along in 2008.  Poor Zachary is still the only boy with now 5 ladies, so he tries to keep us in line (haha).

Zachary and Gwen are still so in love, and Sophie adores Hannah and Ms. Kendra, and I love them all.  We are so lucky to have them as our sweet friends!

This spring seems to have gotten away from us, so we decided to do lunch today after Museum School.  It was a perfect day to eat outside at Central Market and let the kids (even Sophie) run around and burn energy.  It was great to catch up, and pick right up where we left off. 

Thank you, McDaniels, for being such a blessing of friendship to our family!

XOXO!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Playing in the Dirt

After we finally put a patio in last year and got patio furniture, I decided we needed to do some beautification.  The hydrangea (that I have somehow not killed) was moved to the patio to make room for front porch Christmas decor, and my sister gave me two flower pots for Christmas, so they were keeping everything company. 

On Monday, Mom brought over some extra dirt from the lot next door and leftover bark and we filled the two empty pots.  I was not surprised when Sophie jumped right in to help.  That girl is a magnet towards anything messy!

On Tuesday, I took the kids to get flowers - two flats of them - and Zachary helped me choose zinnias and portulaca.  I planted the some of the zinnias when we got home, but realized that there was definitely not room for the rest, nor the portulaca, so it was relegated to the yard. 

On Wednesday, I took Sophie to Costco, where we found a HUGE resin flower pot for $19.99, so in the cart it went.  After school, we had to run to Lowe's (for the 53rd time in one week), where I bought the rocks, potting soil and bark.

The resin pot came with instructions to put down a layer of rocks first.  Good thing b/c otherwise I'd have a GIANT mess on my patio!  And also, who knew that there were different kinds of dirt - some for flower beds and some for flower pots?  NOT ME, and boy was I upset when I realized the flower pot dirt bags were way bigger (and heavier) than the flower bed dirt bags!

Lowe's also scored some major points since the nice employee who insisted on helping me load the car, also kept an eye on my crazy children while I pulled the car around.  Exact opposite experience I had when hauling a cart of 18 foot chair rail through Home Depot while 7 months pregnant.  And why I have yet to set foot in Home Depot since.

Zachary declined his nap - yet again - so we decided to get to work on this project of planting.  He generously loaned me his wagon to get the dirt/rocks, etc. from my car to the patio, and then BEGGED me to not start until he was completely ready to help.  So we scooped the rocks, and scooped and poured the soil in, and then he helped me get the flowers in the pot.  Zachary did great - getting dirty and everything!  When his crocs got dirty, he just took them off and walked over to the spigot and cleaned everything off.  All this created some fabulous splashing puddles, which he thoroughly enjoyed!

So now our patio has been made a little prettier, and hopefully everything will hold up through the direct all day sun!

Thanks, Zachary, for being a great helper!!



From April 2010


From April 2010

Monday, April 5, 2010

Miller Family Fan Club

Zachary and Sophie are the newest members of the Miller Family Fan Club.  Zachary has always loved Alex, and I am fairly certain they will be lifelong friends.  Sophie loves Alex, too, and his parents, Ashley and Brian, and can already say "Abby". 

In California, she was with Brian as much as possible, and sat with Ashley for part of the wedding.  While they were walking back from Communion on Easter Sunday, she was chanting their names, and as soon as they were seated, she made her way over to have some quality time with Brian.  As soon as church was over, Zachary booked it over to play with Alex in the pew, and they were inseparable through lunch afterwards.

We're so lucky to have the Millers as our friends, and so glad that our kids love them, too!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter!

Zachary woke up bright and early this morning, anxious to see if a certain Bunny had left him any eggs to hunt... and insisted that his sister be woken to help.  Sophie was happy to oblige, and lucky for us, the Easter Bunny did a great job on Easter baskets and hiding eggs.  The kids loved their goodies, chocolate bunnies and hunting for eggs. 

The church service was very nice today, and included performances from the Chapel, Chancel and Bell Choirs, which was a real treat.  Then we joined the Boggs, Christensens, and Millers for lunch at Mira Vista. 

Sophie pretty much passed out at naptime, but Zachary resisted.  Oh well.  After rest, we went to the Hollander's for dinner and playtime.  We took a walk around the block and also down to the park area by their house.  My kids were hunting roly polys like nobody's business, and Sophie left shouting "bye polies!"

It was a wonderful Easter for our whole family!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Adventure Week

Or perhaps, Misadventure Week...

It started last Sunday when I fell at the JWC house - on top of Sophie - and busted my knee.  Lovely...

On Tuesday, Sophie tripped on the driveway and collided with Zachary and his Big Wheel.  Giant cut on her other eyebrow and 2 scratches on her nose.  Just in time for Easter...

On Thursday, we had the meal from H!@* at Charleston's.  Not necessarily anybody's fault, just the magic happening of the stars being misaligned for everything to go wrong.  So fun...

On Friday, Steve's eye started hurting, but we pushed through.  No biggie, right?  Stay tuned.

On Saturday, Sophie fell backward in a kid chair and bit her tongue.  Blood.  Yuck.  All was better after she realized her proximity to the pantry.  She may be a bleeder, but she's tough!

Then, the Easter egg hunt at Mira Vista started 1/2 hour earlier than they had said.  Nice.  Disappointed kids.

As we were leaving (with Sophie crying about not getting more chocolate), Zachary trips on a rock.  Basket flies, eggs fly everywhere, chocolate flies everywhere.  Zachary crying, Sophie trying to run into the parking lot and crying.  Nobody wants to sit in their carseat, and did I mention it feels like 95 degrees.  Yes, we were that family.

Everyone napped - thank goodness.  This was our "Easter Miracle".

During naps I heard from both tenants - Garage Door and Dishwasher issues.  Oh Boy!

Steve gets home from golf wondering - maybe I should go to urgent care.  Aforementioned eye now hurts pretty badly.  Turns out to be a scratch well on it's way to infection.  YUCK!  Plus he went at 5:30 and most pharmacies close around here by 7.  Thank goodness for Albertson's pharmacy and staff.  If it was a drive thru, we'd all go there.

And thankfully the week has come to a close!!!