Iphone pictures

Sorry for the delay in posting pictures. I had good intentions of getting some pictures up last week but our computer got a virus and was MIA for a day while it got fixed.   I also spend a LARGE majority of my day going back and forth to the bathroom with Brynn, so sitting down is not something I do very often these days. That being said while Brynn walks around the house moaning for no reason (I am so sorry Mom for any moaning I did as a child, I know now how annoying it really is) I am posting some pictures.

Ryan grows some of the most delicious corn in the field each summer. He picks it at noon and we eat it before 7 p.m. I had been cutting it off the cob for Brynn but one night she was particularly stubborn and showed us all she could do it like a big girl!

with one of her favorite dogs “Dopey” aka Kobe

diving for Mickeys like I did as a kid

fashion dance party with friends.

problem solving with King Kong

 

Reese doing a workout video. On her own she decided one afternoon that she needed to do a workout video. So I let her. She hung tight for the full 25 min and even did burpees!

morning cartoons in my bed

Disney has a show called Jake and the Neverland Pirates, the girls love watching it. So Meems had some leftover fabric and Nana sewed them their own pirate garb

Reese lost her first tooth!

We took the girls bowling. With the aid of bumpers and this fancy ball roller thing they both bowled a better game than I did.

Our great neighbors the Fergusons went out of town for their son’s wedding so we watched their dog Kaya for a week. Brynn was obviously in LOVE as soon as Kaya laid down. Brynn kissed her goodnight every night and Kaya was the first thing Brynn asked for in the morning. Kaya was a great house guest.

We had to walk Kaya twice a day. This was day one, after our first morning walk. She was exhausted. I learned a valuable life lesson on these walks as well. We live about 1/2 a mile or less from the school Reese will be going to for kindergarten. I previously vowed that we were going to walk to school each day and walk home from school to avoid using the car and being stuck in the car pool lane. After a week of two a day walks with Kaya, I am second guessing our plans to walk to school. Maybe when it cools off but I am not putting myself through the torture of walking. Although I suppose if we did walk she would really have something to complain about as an adult…”my mother made me walk to school uphill both ways in the oppressive heat” (and there are hills in both directions)

The day of the wedding we thought it would be cute to dress Kaya up and send a picture to her family.

Cool kids wear undies!

Even cooler kids are potty trained. I am happy to report we’ve made several trips outside of the home this week, all of which have been successful for Brynn. She still has a few accidents here and there (at home), but she’s doing very well and I am proud to say we are DONE with diapers!

This witch prefers dogs

We took the girls to see Despicable Me 2. Reese didn’t see her first movie until she was 3, but both Ryan and I wanted to see it and we thought we could make it work. I had a spot on game plan. We were going to break a rule and buy popcorn at the movies. I figured that it would keep Brynn in her seat longer. Well Brynn discovered that the hand dryers in the bathroom were MUCH more fun than eating popcorn in the movies so she and I spent the first 20 min going to and from the bathroom. After that I decided to spare myself and we just went to the car. Ryan and Reese loved the movie. I guess I will watch it when it comes out on video.

singing on the floor

working out

the girls!

We are less than 3 weeks out from school starting. Today we went and bought all her uniforms. She had fun trying on the clothes and is very excited for school to start. Here’s to hoping we can fit a few more fun things in before summer is over.

Big Girls all around

So it appears that we no longer have any babies around here.  Last week while we were in Kingwood, Brynn woke up dry one morning. So we put her on the potty and had success, but only that one time. The second day she woke up dry again, and same drill. After the 3rd day I had to accept the fact that Brynn was ready to potty train. I had been fully on board with doing it as soon as Reese went back to school, (for my own sanity) so I was set to start the last week in August. I didn’t want to miss Brynn’s chance since she was waking up dry. On Saturday a.m. she was dry again for the 3rd morning and even though she had an accident in her diaper before we left for the long drive home, she stayed dry all 4 hours in the car. So as soon as we got home, she told me that she had to go, and she did. With that we were in big girl undies and doing the potty training thing.

Today is day 4  of not leaving the house and she’s doing well. We’ve had a few accidents here and there. Our biggest hurdle is that she goes about 16 drops and then says she’s done. Repeat that 4 times in a row and I think she’s done. So we’ll see how this progresses. Keep your fingers crossed. 

I will post some pictures when she is sleeping. Right now I have to go be on potty patrol!

July 4th and a new kitchen!

For the 4th of July we flipped our usual plans of going to Kingwood and Mom and Dad came here instead. We hit the pool, the beach, cooked some yummy dinners and had fun!

This girl was pooped!The American Flag cake Ryan and I made for the 4th. It was delish!

On the 7th the girls loaded up and headed to Geronimo for  a few days vacation at Oma and Opa’s house. I wasn’t there so I don’t have pictures to put up, but they had a blast. They went to Landa Park with the cousins, went to the Children’s Museum, had Cinderella grilled cheese and Jiminy Cricket Pudding. Reese got sick so the trip was shortened by a day but both girls had a LOT of fun.

Our kitchen reno is complete and Ryan and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. It looks amazing!

They wanted to pose!

Words can not describe how IN LOVE I am with my new kitchen. Ryan works his tail off getting it done in time for me to host Bunco last night and I am so glad it’s done. I love how the backsplash looks with the granite. I LOVE it…I’m so glad we did it, and that we can say Ryan did all the work. It was a labor of love but it’s done and it’s amazing!

This is my new file cabinet. Our old file cabinet was particle board and the drawer just stopped working. So I looked on Pinterest and saw this neat idea to take an old metal one and paint it with chalkboard paint. I found one at a resale shop and while the girls were in Geronimo I got to redo it. I love how it came out.Along with revamping the kitchen we also replaced the blinds in the office.And moved the girls’ kitchen out of the family room. The family room, as you can see below looks a little less cluttered now…AND Ryan hated to admit it but he is going cave and buy a new flat screen for the family room and hang it up on the wall. So soon more changes to come!

Next week we’re dog sitting for our neighbor’s 1.5 year old lab. It should make for a pet crazy week here at the house, but the girls love Kaya and I know Thurman will have a blast having another dog to play with.

Reese is on the verge of losing her first tooth. It’s been wiggling for about a week and the big tooth has already broken the skin and started to come in. The darn thing is barely hanging on but she is being a big wimp about it. If it doesn’t fall out by Monday I have threatened to tie a string to Kaya’s collar and let it get yanked out.

She’s BAAACCCKKK!

The girls and I hit the road for Houston last week. We had plans to make a trip home when Mom finished work, but it was an extra special treat when Leslie decided to come home from her excursion in Central/South America.

After having Father’s Day at home with Ryan we packed up on Monday for Kingwood. We made great time, arrived for lunch and hung with Meems and Grampy for the afternoon. We went to dinner with Nana to celebrate a late Father’s Day AND Dad’s birthday before we headed to the airport to pick up Leslie.

We told Reese we were going to look for Justin Bieber because we heard his plane was landing in Houston. Mom found the girls these shirts at Old Navy. How great were they? “My Aunt is the coolest”…and she sure is after that awesome trip she took!

Waiting for her to arrive!

The anticipation was killing us. We were all so excited to see Leslie, but I think Mom and Dad were on pins and needles. It had been 4 months since they saw Leslie, which is the longest they have ever gone without seeing her.

There she is!So happy that Leslie made it home safely.

Reese was so excited to see Leslie!

After a joyous car ride home, we indulged on delicious cake for Dad’s birthday and Leslie’s homecoming. Everyone went to bed late that night since we were all up enjoying Leslie’s homecoming. Dusty Girl was really excited to see Leslie too!

Reese spent almost every day at Nana’s for lunch and play time. They both had a blast. We visited Grandma everyday and both girls enjoyed their time with their great-grandmothers, especially since Grandma’s new place has fresh baked cookies in the lobby. Reese even stayed at Nana’s when the rest of us went shopping in the Woodlands! Uncle Bill came in for a visit too, so the girls had a ton of fun!

While I was in Kingwood I got to see my awesome high school friends for the afternoon. My friend Kara and her family are stationed in Kenya, where her husband is working with the Air Force. She happened to be home the week we were visiting. Dad agreed to cook a BIG Texas BBQ for my friends, (he’s awesome) and it worked out that Leslie came home for it too. Uncle Bill was a huge help for the BBQ. My friend Mandy leaves in Friendswood so she drove in for the afternoon to see Kara and I as well. It was great seeing these girls and even cooler that all our kids played together like they have known each other for years. It’s nice to know your good friends can still be great friends after all these years. I miss those girls!

All our kiddos playing together.

We took this picture when Kara was home from Germany right Lion was born. He’s about to be 9…

8.5 years, and 8 kids later…we were just missing Emily

We departed from Kingwood on Saturday morning, saying bye to Leslie, Uncle Bill, Meems and Grampy.  Saturday was Ryan’s birthday so we came home, made a cake and celebrated some more. He requested Grimaldi’s pizza for dinner and this super deluxe chocolate cake that we hadn’t had in ages.

Brynn was so happy to sing “Happy Birthday” to Ryan

While in Kingwood, Grampy gave Brynn the name “King Kong” for the path of destruction she makes when she walks around. It’s true, she’s a handful. I remind Ryan constantly that he needs to keep our bedroom door shut because she goes in our bathroom and can open up the childproof locks. Those cabinets are like a moth to a flame for her.  He has trouble following directions. I was washing dishes and he was eating dinner when she came into us saying “lotion” with a bottle in her hand. She had gotten in the cabinets, opened lotion, applied it to herself. Upon further inspection she also dumped out an entire bottle of shower gel. HUGE mess!!!!

June is flying by already…