Christmas Chaos- Part 2

To say the least, the boys (all 4 of them that is) had an absolute BLAST this Christmas!!

Each year it gets a little more fun because they "get it" or "get into it" a little more! Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you, but my life is chaos...plain and simple.

So...I believe that I left off at Anderson's preschool Christmas program. He was a doll! He looked adorable in his Elmo Christmas pjs and he did so well! He walked in with his class, sang all the songs, did all the motions (he kept looking at the girl next to him to make sure he was doing the motions at the right time, it was so cute), smiled at Gigi in the audience, and walked out with his class. He did everything exactly as he was supposed to! It was so much fun watching him. I cannot believe how fast he is growing up!

As soon as his program ended, we headed to FW to spend some time with their 2 favorite little cousins (and our favorite little nephews)! That night we went to Timeless Christmas to see Granddaddy sing and as usual, we all went downtown Saturday morning to see Santa. And as usual, it was hilarious trying to get all 4 boys to cooperate at the same time, which never quite seems to work out! Anderson and Caleb told Santa they wanted chairs for Christmas! Actually, Caleb said it first and Anderson copied because he thought it was funny, you know how boys are! That afternoon, we all made gingerbread trains at Gigi's house (Granddaddy does not have a house by the way, he lives at the ranch according to Anderson). The boys had a great time making the trains and an even better time licking and eating the candy (while it was on the train by the way)!

On Sunday, we spent the day at Seth and Jessica's celebrating Christmas with all of the Vicks! As always, it was great to see Me-ma, Uncle Ray, Uncle Jim, Isabella, Camille, Robert and Sophia! If only we could see them more often! That night we headed back to Austin with 2 exhausted little boys, who were all partied out!

On the morning of Christmas Eve Eve, the boys awoke in train heaven! Everything they got from Mommy & Daddy this year was train-related and they loved it of course! That evening we went to the ranch for a Birthday Party for Jesus! Gigi planned it for the boys and it was so much fun! Not only did the boys eat pizza and birthday cake after they sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and blew out the candles, but they also got to watch Charlie Brown Christmas, which teaches the true reason for Christmas...Jesus' birthday!!

On Christmas Eve, we went to the AMBC Candlelight service and as always, it was a special time worshipping the newborn king, the one who came to save us, the one Christmas is all about. Immanuel. God with us. What beautiful words. Seriously, stop and think about them for a moment. Overwhelming.

After the service, we stopped by Bob and Becky's Annual Christmas Eve Open House and then headed to the ranch to celebrate with my family. The boys had a blast out there as usual, and they got more toys than they could ever dream of (more than we have room in our house for)! On Christmas Day, we all went to Oma's to celebrate with my mom's family and then we headed back to the ranch to hang out for a few more days.

We are now in the midst of celebrating with Aaron's family, which is our 5th celebration I believe. More toys, more candy, more chaos.

I must admit that I am a little "Christmased-out." It is nice to see family and I do love seeing the boys with that twinkle in their eyes. But here we are, a week later, all hyped up on sugar and toys and I wonder...have we missed it again? Did we forget about Jesus? I hope not...because that sure was a lot of chaos for nothing if that is the case.

With that in mind, our prayer is that despite the holiday rush, you and yours found Jesus this Christmas...not underneath your tree, but in your hearts where he belongs.

For unto us is born this day in the City of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord! (Luke 2:11)

Christmas Letter

Click here to read our 2009 Christmas letter to you!

By the way, you only have a few hours left to enter the incredible Fit Band giveaway! Go here and leave a comment in order to be eligible to win! Goodluck!

Incredible Giveaway!!!

Check out A Look at the Lewis' for an incredible Fit Band giveaway!!

The winner will receive a fit band, a soft band, a lanyard and a set of devotional cards! ($50 value)

It is the perfect gift to help you stay physically and spiritually fit in 2010!

You do NOT want to miss this!

GOODLUCK! :)

Christmas Chaos

Hey There!

Remember me?!!?

You are just going to have to get used to the fact that during the 1st 2 weeks of December every year, you will not hear from me much, if at all!

Why you ask?

We are lost in Christmas Chaos!

This past weekend alone, we attended 7 events! 7 events in 1 weekend! Chaos.

Not to mention, Fit Bands have gone crazy! We are selling so many bands and cards, it is unreal! Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! What a ministry He has revealed to us! We give Him all the glory!

What else have we been up to you ask?

To name a few things...

-Took Anderson to the TCU/UT volleyball game (2nd round of NCAA tournament, Frogs make history)
-Boys witnessed their 1st snow (it was hilarious watching them dance and laugh as the snow fell on them)
-AMBC Birthday Party for Jesus (boys had a blast)
-AMBC Holiday Spectacular (AMBC Choir, Round Rock Symphony Orchestra, Texas State University Choirs, featuring my cousin McKenzie)
-Family Christmas Movie Night (ate Christmas cookies and watched 'Polar Express' with the boys and then Aaron watched 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation')
-AMBC MOPS Cookie Exchange (took home 7 dozen cookies)
-AMBC Single Mom's Day Out (watched kiddos so single moms could do some shopping, wrapping, etc)
-AMBC Missions Banquet (heard about the wonderful things that God has been doing through our Chinese Church)
-Took the boys to see Christmas lights (of course they loved all the sparkles)
-Parties! Parties! Parties! (had a blast with friends)
-Playdates! Playdates! Playdates! (Story-time, Chick-Fila and Jungle Java to name a few)
-Fit Bands! Fit Bands! Fit Bands! (filling tons of Christmas orders, among other things)

Here are a few pictures...

Playing in the snow

Playing in the balloon pit at the AMBC Birthday Party for Jesus

Reading a Christmas book with Mommy

Tomorrow is Anderson's Preschool Christmas Program and then we are headed to FW for the weekend! I am sure that I will have more to share when I return!

Merry Christmas!

Sip N See

Join us for some yummy snacks and Christmas shopping!

Thankful

In the spirit of Thanksgiving (yes we do still celebrate this holiday around here, unlike the media, stores and most of the country who began the Christmas season before Halloween for crying out loud, yet they don't bother to call it Christmas, what???)....

We would like to list a few things that we are thankful for in our house this year! So, here it goes...

Dear Jesus (because we know where all good things come from, we are not PC at this address), thank you for...

Aaron: A good job in a difficult economy and for my beautiful family! (and no I did not add that statement, he actually said that)

Erin: My loving husband, my 2 beautiful boys, for the opportunity to celebrate Turkey Day with my entire family, and for the MIGHTY MIGHTY HORNED FROGS!! (please let them get a bid to the big dance :)

Anderson: Whales!

EJ: dadadadadada!

Amen.

Now, on to Christmas!! Woohoo!

A Thanksgiving Giveaway

The Preacher's Wife is hosting a Thanksgiving Giveaway today and guess what she is giving away?!!?

You guessed it...one of our cute Fit Bands (winner's choice) and a set of our Devotional Cards!!

If you are interested, go here and comment on whether or not you are a Black Friday shopper!

This will enter you in the contest!

You must comment by tomorrow at 10:00pm!

Goodluck!

Check out our Fit Bands here.

Reminder...make sure to place your Christmas orders by midnight on December 10th to ensure that you get your orders in time for Christmas!

When I Said I Do...

I meant that I WILL, til the end of all time, be faithful and true, if only to you, that's what I had in mind, when I said I DO.

Aaron and I had the privilege of attending Family Life's Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference last weekend at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, and it was WONDERFUL!! We recommend that any couple, at any stage, attend. It was so nice to get away together for the weekend, stay at a nice resort, reconnect, redo our vows and remember why we fell in love with one another in the 1st place!

On that note, this past Sunday our SS teacher gave us some good marriage reminder questions to think about...it has been on his heart because divorce, unfortunately, has become so prevalent these days...

1. Do you know your spouse's biggest hopes and dreams?

2. Do you fully understand how they prefer to receive (and display) love? When did you tell them last that you loved them in that manner?

3. If your spouse claims that you hurt their feelings, even though you don't understand how, have you displayed your sincere regret, explained you are sorry, and made an effort to not repeat?

This week, I challenge you to find out the answers to these questions and discuss them with your spouse.

We took away many truths from the marriage conference, but one that sticks out in my mind is that our spouse is not our enemy but a gift from God.

So as you celebrate Thanksgiving together with your loved ones this week, remember to praise and thank God for His MANY blessings, including the gift of your spouse. Confess to Him the times that you have taken this gift for granted and ask Him to help you not to do that again in the future.

Happy Thanksgiving!

PURPLE FEVER

Check out my cute new custom-made Fit Band!!

A lady at the Hillcrest Baptist Church Craft Fair last weekend wanted a TCU band for her daughter so MJ made her one like the one above (purple fabric with white polka dots on a black band) and of course I fell in love with it and had to have one for myself!

It is perfect timing too since my beloved Horned Frogs are currently ranked #4 in the BCS polls and will be the ESPN College Game Day featured game this Saturday!! Oh if only I could be there, but Aaron and I are going to San Antonio for a marriage retreat that we have had planned for months now!

Don't get me wrong, we are very excited about this getaway...we went to pre-marital counseling and have planned to do a retreat at our 5 year and 10 year anniversaries (it is always good to take preventative measures, especially in a world where divorce is so common)...although this trip was delayed (we have been married 6 1/2 years now) because little EJ was born 3 days before our 5th anniversary!

So, the big question is, "what's more important...my marriage or my FROGS?!!?"

The answer: I will be wearing my new cute Purple Fever Fit Band in honor of my froggies while I am in SA with my hubby! And hopefully we can see the game on TV! :) And let me tell you, if my Frogs end up playing for the National Championship by the grace of God, I am there!

For those of you out there who have a beloved school/team of your own...we make custom bands/lanyards for any school or team that we can find fabric to match! We are yet to find TCU fabric so while we keep looking, I will wear my purple polka dots with my head held high! We have already made bands in UT, A&M, OU, Denver Broncos, and Chicago Bears fabric!

Just let us know which team/school you are dying to represent and we will hook you up!

Hook'em Horned Frogs!!

(I stole this phrase off the back of a lady's shirt at the TCU/Texas baseball game last spring, SO CUTE...my new signature phrase since I am surrounded by UT fans here in Austin, go figure!)

Click here to see our current collection of Fit Bands/Fit Cards and let us know what we can do for you!

If you are in the Austin area, come by and see us at the Bethany Lutheran Craft Fair this Saturday (Nov. 14), 9:00am-4:00pm! My entourage (aka. MJ and Melissa, as they like to call themselves) will be there selling while Aaron and I escape to SA for the weekend!

You Never Let Go

A little over a month ago, I had the privilege of being led in worship by Matt Redman for 2 whole days at the MOPS convention in Nashville! And let me just tell you, that man is inspired by God, there is no doubt in my mind! It was an incredible 2 days of worship, not just because he can sing and has great songs but because he shared the stories behind the lyrics, because he quoted the word and knowledge of the Lord like no other, and because he is completely humble and sincere...he allowed God to shine through him! He even took time to sign our cds and take pictures with us!

My favorite praise song at the time happened to be his song "You Never Let Go" and by the grace of God, he sang it several times during those 2 days, which thrilled me of course! I already knew the powerful words of the song, but that weekend I learned that he and his wife wrote the song together after she had yet another miscarriage! What a testimony to the truth that the power of Almighty God is "made perfect in weakness." He can take the toughest of times and use it to reveal His glory among us! In light of the recent shootings at Fort Hood, I am yet again reminded of this truth. So, to all of you who lost loved ones...the brave men and women who risked their very lives to defend our country...this song goes out to you.




This great tragedy that has occured in our nation also brings to mind the words of Casting Crowns, "Until the whole world hears Lord, we are calling out! Let the powers of darkness tremble as our praises rise! We'll sing until the whole world hears!!"

Rise up church, it is time to take a stand for Jesus...our world is in desperate need of a savior!

CHRISTMAS ORDERS

YOU MUST PLACE YOUR FIT BAND CHRISTMAS ORDERS BY MIDNIGHT ON DECEMBER 10TH TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN HAVE THEM FILLED, WRAPPED, AND SHIPPED TO YOU IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS! THANKS!!

M2M Scavenger Hunt

The Preacher's Wife is hosting a scavenger hunt for minister's wives, so me and my Fit Band business partner, Mary Jo, are participating! We look foward to meeting other women who truly understand the madness that goes with the territory...and of course, we hope to win! :) Here are my answers to the scavenger hunt questions:

The Treasures...

1. First Name: Erin

2. State and Country of Residence: The Great State of TEXAS, USA

3. Husband’s Ministry Title: Worship Pastor

4. Length of time in Current Ministry Location: 2 1/2 years

5. Children? If yes, give gender and ages: 2 CRAZY Boys! Anderson is 3 1/2 and EJ is 1 1/2.

They are the love of our lives and even though the house is falling down around us, they have filled our home with much JOY! We are not sure what we did for entertainment before they came along!

6. Number of unique homes in which you’ve lived during your marriage: 3 homes in 6 1/2 years

7. Cook Sunday lunch or eat out? Eat out! I never cook! If we don't go out, we grab something while we are out and take it home!

8. Typically on time for Sunday School or not? Try as I might, we are rarely on time! It is SO hard to get myself and my 2 boys up, dressed, fed, packed, looking nice, loaded up and to church on time ALL BY MYSELF every Sunday since my hubby has already been up at the church for hours before we even wake up! Do any of you other Worship Pastor's wives feel my pain?!!?
9. Favorite TV Show: American Idol, Law & Order: SVU, House Hunters
10. Something you watch/like/do that you would never tell the church people (Except now you just did…lol): I LOVE FRIENDS!! Favorite show of all time...own all of the dvds and have seen all the episodes a million times! I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC!! I know all the artists and all the songs...King George is my favorite, love Pure Country...favorite song of all time, Amarillo By Mornin'! But actually, I have nothing to hide...all my church peeps know this about me! :)
11. Most annoying church-related pet peeve: People who complain about things for the sake of complaining yet are unwilling to be apart of the solution and FAKE PEOPLE...people who complain about you behind your back (yet are sweet to your face) but do not have the guts to come talk to you so that a solution can be found. How are things supposed to get better or be fixed if you do not even know there is a problem?!!? Do people really think you cannot see through that? I have no time for people who thrive on dissension and especially people who leave anonymous notes or send someone else to do their dirty-work or send emails when they are upset...get some guts people, be real! Honestly though, these things come with any leadership position. I was in coaching for years, dealing with the same problems. But the difference is...in coaching, I could just say, "get over it or get out of my gym!" Not so much in ministry, although I have thought it many millions of times!
12. One thing you need to throw away but can’t bring yourself to do it: Being the ultimate pack rat, I am sure my house is filled with things that I have no need to keep but I think they are important, priceless, sentimental!
13. The one food you can not live without: Mexican food!! Joe T. Garcia's baby!
14. Parsonage or have your own home? We have our own home 1/2 a mile from the church.
15. Freak when the doorbell rings or always ready for a visitor? Freak out!! My house is always a disaster! Please call 1st!

A Snapshot of Our Life

All Aboard!

Our cute little conductors had a blast partying with friends and trick-or-treating for the 1st time on Halloween night! All night we heard "Choo!Choo!" and "All Aboard!" from Anderson, our little entertainer! EJ just screams you know!

Our little guys...

A few seconds before this, EJ chunked his pumpkin!

The Fab Four...

They are so sad that their little cowboy buddy is moving away!

(Actually they have no idea, but we are sad!)

We were so lucky to have our friend Amy of Twelve Stones Photography at the party to take pictures of everyone's little cuties! Thanks Amy, they turned out GREAT!

Pumpkin Patch Party

Anderson, EJ and I just returned from a crazy time at the Gymboree Pumpkin Patch Party!! The boys had an absolute blast climbing on all of the equipment and playing all of the pumpkin related games! Of course they loved seeing their little buddy Grant (the puppy dog) too! Here is one decent picture that I got, they would hardly sit still long enough for me to capture a shot!

We will be selling our Fit Bands at the Hillcrest Baptist Church 'Labor of Love' craft fair in Austin this weekend! Stop by and see us if you get a chance! We willl be there Friday, 9:00am-6:00pm, and Saturday, 9:00am-4:00pm!

Remember...you only have until Saturday to go to this blog post and link up for a chance to win a cute Fit Band and a set of Fit Cards! Goodluck! :)

Costume Parade

Today, Anderson had his preschool Halloween party and costume parade! Of course he was a doll in his little train conductor costume! It was so fun watching him and his classmates tour the grounds all dressed up!

On tour...

His class...

With Mack...

Tonight, Anderson, EJ and I are attending the Gymboree costume party with Grant and Melissa. On Saturday, we are all attending a costume party with trick-or-treating. Stay tuned for more pictures...

Replacement Cards

If you bought Fit Cards at the Martin Craft Fair, please email me and let me know which set you bought so that I can replace the cards that have errors on them.

We did a rush order to get the cards in time for the craft fair and after it was over, I realized that the printer made 1 major mistake in each set of cards that they agreed to replace. The next round of orders will have all tiny mistakes corrected too, which probably no one but me will even notice!

Email me at worthyoftheprize@yahoo.com and I will send you your replacement cards.

Also, get your Christmas orders in early because we are getting bombarded with orders and want to make sure that you get your orders in time for Christmas!

You have until Saturday to link up to win a cute Fit Band and a set of Fit Cards! Go here for details. Goodluck! :)

Coaches, go here and read my blog post. You will appreciate the hilarity! LOVE IT!

Game On, Cancer!

Today we participated in the Livestrong Austin 5k race against cancer and it was awesome!! To hear more about the event, go here.

Don't forget to go to this link TOMORROW, October 25, blog about the TWOC topic, link up to the party, and be eligible to win one of our cute Fit Bands and a set of our Fit Cards! Goodluck!

Show and Tell

This week in Anderson's preschool class, they started 'Show and Tell,' which means every Thursday from now until every child has a turn, one child will bring something to share with the class during circle time. They are using it to give the children some practice speaking.

Anderson was the 1st child chosen to go and he decided to bring Thomas, Annie and Clarabel to show the class. We had no idea what to expect from him! He told the class that he was going to bring Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater but he could not find Mater, so he decided to bring his trains instead. He talked about how he likes to play trains with EJ on their train table, and how Annie and Clarabel are Thomas' coaches. His teachers said he did a great job. Oh how I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in his class today!

I am extremely happy to report that Anderson is really thriving at preschool and church these days! In the past week alone, his teachers/nursery workers/babysitters/AWANA leaders have had these things to say about him:

Anderson is...

-really smart for his age
-a bright kid
-very athletic
-such a good kid
-the cutest little 3 year old ever
-verbally advanced
-very aware
-the coolest little kid
-so funny
-just like his momma...haha, that was for MJ and Melissa :)

He has said his verse every week in AWANA and has earned 3 patches so far! His preschool teachers say he really likes to do puzzles and is really good at them...he does the hard puzzles by himself, while the other children need help with the easy ones!

Of course these comments are music to our hears! I don't know why we have been bombarded with them so frequently these days. Maybe it is God's way of reassuring us for the many times we have cried out in frustration, "Lord, help us with this STRONG-WILLED child!" or worse..."Help me not to lose my mind dealing with this toddler of mine!"

Keep up the goodwork Little Mister, we love you!

Kelly's Korner- Show Us What You Make

This week on Kelly's Korner- Show Us Your Life, the theme is "Show Us What You Make!"



Worthy of the Prize is linked up so go there and check out our Fit Bands, link #248! There is a ton of other great stuff to see as well. Everything is homemade and will make for great Christmas gifts!

Also, for all of my friends in the DFW area...we will be selling our Fit Bands at the Martin High School Craft Fair this weekend, so stop by and see us! The fair will be Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm and Sunday, 12:00pm-5:00pm!

Pumpkin Farm

We had a great time at the Elgin Pumpkin Farm on Monday with the AMBC MOPS group! The boys got to race rubber ducks, play on the playground, ride on a hayride, listen to pumpkin stories, pet farm animals, climb on haystacks, see the Christmas tree farm, and paint pumpkins! They loved it!

"Driving" a tractor made out of hay...

EJ on the slide...

Family Fun Day

What a great weekend it has been!

Last night, Aaron and I went out on a date!! What?!!? I cannot even remember the last time we had a date night! We went to PF Chang's for a late dinner and had a wonderful time! We took our time, talked and even had dessert! We stayed as long as we wanted and did not have any kids to distract us! Hopefully it will not be so long until the next date night!

Today, we invited some of our friends out to the ranch for Family Fun Day!! The kiddos had a great time playing in the sand and on the playground, as well as with the animals and the miniature gator! They even got to paint pumpkins! We roasted hot dogs and smores on the campfire for dinner and had way too many snacks and desserts! We even had apple cider and hot chocolate! Yummy! It was actually cool and damp, and felt like fall! Of course we ate way too much but it sure was good and alot of fun!

Monday we are headed to the pumpkin patch so I am sure you will hear from me then!

TWOC

If you love BLOGS, BLOGGING and CHRISTMAS....this is for you:

12 weeks of Christmas and 12 weeks of giveways!!

Every Sunday until Christmas, all you have to do is blog about the given topic and then link up to the party, in order to be eligible for the giveaway that week!

I am excited to announce that the giveaway for the week of October 25th is one of our Fit Bands! So make sure you link up that week in order to be eligible to win! Spread the word!

I am also happy to report that our first 5 days in business and our 1st official Fit Band show, were a HUGE success!!

Fit Bands

Click here to check out my new product for women...Fit Bands!!

These will allow women to stay spiritually fit and physically fit at the same time! They also make great keychains for moms, teachers and active women...who always have their hands full! Plus, they are cute!

Let me know what you think and if you want to purchase something! If you like what you see, spread the word to all of the women in your life!

Thanks so much!

Music City

I know it has been awhile since I have posted, but life has been crazy!

I was gone for 5 days on a trip with my 2 girlfriends, MJ and Melissa, to the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, along with 5000 other moms! It was awesome! MJ and I went in without a clue as to what would take place over the next week because Melissa planned the whole thing and we said, "sounds like fun!" And boy were we right! We are already planning our return trip next year!

Everything about the conference was top notch, including the topics, speakers, the resource fair and especially the musicians! Between Thursday and Saturday, we heard Matt Redman, Christy Nockels, Plumb, Matthew West and Natalie Grant live! It was incredible! We even got our picture with Matt Redman, as well as an autographed cd!

While there, we also ate great food, visited the Grand Ole Opry and its Opry Shop, as well as the Opry Mills Mall!

Anderson stayed home with Daddy so he could attend preschool, AWANA and church! He said another verse in AWANA and earned his 1st patch, yeah! He is on a roll! EJ spent the week in FW with Gigi and Granddaddy. Unfortunately, he got the stomach bug (which I had a taste of myself while in Nashville) so he mostly sat in Gigi's lap all week, however he did get to go to the Ranger game on Sunday! When we picked him up, he was all decked out in his Rangers gear, and looked so cute in his little ballcap! I sure did miss those boys while I was away!

Now we are home and trying to get back into the swing of things again! Anderson attended his 2nd Soccer Tots class this morning and did much better this time around! They do alot of structured drills in his class (maybe too structured for him), mostly without the ball... and of course Anderson just wants to run, dribble, kick and shoot the ball, so he gets bored and wanders off 1/2 the time doing his own thing! Last week he told his teacher while they were doing warm-up stretches, "I just wanna play soccer!" He's a great little player when he actually gets to use the ball! We'll see how it goes the next few weeks...

New Product

2 weeks from today, Worthy of the Prize will be debuting its hot new product for women...stay tuned for details!

Little Drummer Boy

This morning, EJ and I attended the Gymboree Open House with Melissa and Grant!!

It was so much fun. EJ got to participate in the play class for free and got free snacks, juice, a balloon and a noise maker toy like the ones they use in his music class. He also got a goodie bag of coupons and I was able to purchase some of their toys for 20% off, including the Melissa & Doug stackable train that I had been looking for to give the boys for Christmas! Melissa got a great discount on Grant's upcoming birthday party and lots of other moms got great discounts on class sign ups.

At the end of the play class, they did a 15 minute preview of the music class that EJ attends. For the last song, the teacher brought out the big drums and EJ was the star of the class! He stayed out in the middle by himself playing drums with the teacher the entire time. They were of course impressed with his talent, so we told them it is in his blood! :)

Our Little Man

We put them to work early around here!! Actually, this has become the favored toy around our house lately...when Grant and Grayson come over, the fights begin!

Today EJ started his Gymboree music class with his little buddy Grant and he loved it just as much as he did when we tried out the class and signed up last spring! It is so much fun to watch them smile and play along to the music! We found out that on Saturday, they are having another Open House so Grant and EJ will be attending the play class for free! Let us know if you would like to join us! Should be fun! Anderson will get to enjoy some Daddy-time while we are gone!

On the preschool front, Anderson is still adjusting to his new environment, but he did MUCH better this week! No tears at all! Yeah! The theme for this week was "All About Me" and they talked about how they are each special. When asked to complete the phrase, "I am special because..." Anderson answered "I ride fast on a bike!" Ha! What a trip, I don't know what we did for entertainment before he came along!

Road Trip

This past weekend the 4 of us pretty much took a tour of Texas in our car! We hit 3 of the major cities in 2 days!

We left Austin early Friday morning and drove to Houston with our good friends Scott, MJ, Grayson, Melissa, Bryan and Grant! We stopped for lunch at Chick-Fila (which seems to be our favorite hangout lately) as soon as we got to Houston and then we headed to the zoo, which is fabulous by the way!

I was very impressed with the SA Zoo but the Houston Zoo might even be better! It was completely shaded and landscaped, no hills or bees, and lots of great things to do and animals to see! It was like walking through a park!

Of course we saw the elephants and got to see Thailand (who is 44 years old) do tricks! I never knew that elephants were such smart and talented creatures! We could barely see Tucker (the little 4 year old toddler), he was busy swimming in the pool on the other side but I could tell he was a cutie (I just love the little ones).

This time we also got to ride the carousel, which is always a big hit, and then enjoyed the petting zoo again! Needless to say, the boys had a blast!



We left the zoo as soon as it was time to check into the hotel so that we could shower and rest before heading to the Astros game, where we saw them kill the Phillies! I must say that I just love Minute Maid Park! The shuttle system is so nice, they have great hot dogs and a great kids area and of course there is the train! Both experiences there have been wonderful! Anderson did not like the fireworks as usual, but EJ did!

We got to bed late that night and then woke up early the next morning to drive to DFW to see my Uncle Ray get married! Amazingly, the boys did well in the car both days and did great at the wedding too (thankfully it was a short ceremony)! We even got to hang around to enjoy Mike and Amanda's going away party at Bill's house! As always, it was great to see family, and friends who are like family! We did not get to stay long, pretty much had to head out after dinner but were simply glad to be there.

The boys slept all the way home and went right to bed. Sunday morning was church as usual, we were all tired as to be expected, but again the boys did well. The rest of Sunday and Monday we pretty much laid around, cleaned the house, unpacked, rested, etc. I think the only time we left was to go to Chick-Fila (yet again) because if you wore your sports team apparel, you got free sandwiches. So we decided to meet Melissa, Bryan and Grant for lunch on Monday to take advantage of the great deal!

Now we are busy getting back into the swing of things around here. Anderson did great at preschool this morning, he was a little clingy and whiny, but no tears! EJ and I had a great time at 'Stroller Mamas' again and then we ran some errands.

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day Weekend! Scott, MJ, Melissa and Bryan...we must do it again, we had a blast and the boys did excellent...I must admit I was expecting the worst with all the drving, but I was pleasantly surprised! Congrats to Uncle Ray and Barbara, we wish you the best, may God bless your life together! Mike and Amanda, we are praying for you as you make the move to Mississippi! We can't wait to see what God has in store for you...although I must admit that I am praying that His plan is to bring you back to the Great State very soon!

Preschool Teachers

Anderson did much better today. He was upbeat and happy this morning and only shed a few tears when it was time for me to leave. Miss Lori makes a special effort to read him a train book each day when he 1st gets there to help make the transition a little easier for him! He did fine the rest of the day and made it through his 1st official week of preschool! Here he is with his teachers:

Miss Debbie

Miss Lori

With Anderson at preschool, I have had alot of extra time to myself with little EJ. He has 2 more teeth now, for a total of 6...4 on top and 2 on bottom and it looks like he is about to get 2 more on the bottom as well. He is starting to make animal sounds and also airplane/train/car sounds when he plays with his toys, which is so cute. He is laughing and smiling more and more, so happy and still quite the ladies man!

Tomorrow we are headed to Houston with some friends to see the Astros play, we leave 1st thing in the morning. Saturday we will drive to Arlington to attend my uncle's wedding. It will be a busy weekend with lots of driving, at least Monday is Labor Day so we can recover.

Have a great weekend!

My Little Horned Frog

Today was Anderson's 1st official day in AWANA! It was school spirit night so he wore his TCU football jersey...it was very cute, he looked like a little athlete. I remember when he 1st got that little jersey, it swallowed him, and now it barely fits! He did very well and got a sticker for saying his verse. He also had fun playing games in the gym. It was parent night too but I chose not to go because when I am around, he clings to me. So I just peeked in through the windows of the gym while he was playing in there. It was so funny watching him run around without a clue as to what was going on. He would just watch the other kids and follow along, in his own world half the time. Aaron and I were bursting with laughter! Can you say flashback to my childhood?!!? He is such a good kid...so smart, listens well, does what he is supposed to and of course, bosses the other kids around like he does EJ all day long! Everything has to be done perfectly and he lets the other kids know when they are not doing it right! No one told us these things, rather they were seen by our own eyes through the glass doors of the gym!

Today was his 2nd day of preschool and he did well, although dropping him off was not nearly as easy, this time he screamed and cried but was fine as soon as I left, according to his teachers. The 2nd day is always worse for him because he realizes it was not a one-time thing but something new. Plus, he has had a lot of changes going on lately, which is hard for any kid but especially my 'slow to warm-up' child. Once he adjusts, he will love it! This 3 day in a row thing is new too so this morning he said, "no not today, I will go tomorrow" because he is used to T/TH. He did that when he changed SS classes as well. 1st day was wonderful and 2nd time he said "no I already went to that new class" thinking it was a one-time thing. Seriously, does promotion Sunday have to be the same week that preschool starts?!!? We went through this last year too! It takes him weeks to adjust to one change, but it is way worse when everything familiar changes all in the same week! It should be much easier the second-time around with EJ, he is my 'easy-going' child, at least as far as warming up to change, new people and new surroundings.

When we picked Anderson up from preschool today, he told his teachers, "this is my brother EJ." He was so proud! He gave him his little squirrel again too. His teachers said "he really loves his little brother, talks about him all day long." So sweet! He probably talks their ears off all day long about anything and everything, like he does mine at home. He even talks to himself and his toys. Can't imagine where he gets this stuff from!! EJ just laughs at whatever Anderson does or says, thinks he is the funniest thing in the world, which of course my little entertainer loves!

Well, tomorrow begins 'Stroller Mamas' and will be the 3rd day of preschool so I am sure that I will have something interesting to report! Until then, I am exhausted and need to get in bed!

It's Preschool Time!!

Today was Anderson's 1st official day at his new preschool and he did GREAT! He was very excited to go and his teachers said that the only time he cried was when another boy in his class started crying after being dropped off. As soon as the little boy quit crying, Anderson was fine! He didn't even cry when mommy left, he was too busy playing with the trains! What a big boy, he even carried his own backpack! Although he did run after me for one final hug...my sweet boy!

He will be going 3 days a week and we are very pleased with the people, the teachers, the program, the facilities...he will LOVE it there! Everyday he will learn through playing at centers, doing crafts, creative movement, praise and going outside! After he eats his lunch, he will come home for a nap.

When we picked him up today, his teachers (Miss Debbie and Miss Lori) told us that he carried around one of the stuffed squirrels all day long. I think it is a comfort thing for him because he had it when we went to the open house the other day. He gave EJ one of the tiny squirrels to carry around too, it was so sweet (his class is called the Squirrels by the way, so they have several stuffed ones in the room). Then he showed EJ how to play with the blocks. What a good big brother, he just loves telling him what to do!

Last Thursday, we finished out our summer with a 'Back to Preschool' water party in our backyard (the final one for the summer). We invited some of Anderson and EJ's friends over to play with the pools and water toys. Friday night, we had some of our friends over for a Mexican Fiesta because some good friends of ours were in town from Vegas (they used to go to our church here in Austin until they moved for a job). And you will be happy to know that I cooked an appetizer, main course and dessert all by myself...I am becoming quite the little homemaker! (Mom and dad, you would be so proud). We didn't even have to order pizza as a last resort!! (I did not pull a Monica....that's for all you Friends lovers out there). It was so good to see you Steve, Karen and Sam! We miss you and look foward to the holidays so we can see you again!

On Friday afternoon, we even got to go to Anderson's preschool for an open house/picnic, which was alot of fun. They gave him a little gift and had him do a scavenger hunt to get familiar with his classroom. The quicker he gets familiar with the place, the better he will do! Plus, we got to have a picnic lunch with the other families, sign up for the parents' group and check out their MOPS(Mothers of Preschoolers) group! I am very excited about the connections I am making with their MOPS group and the preschool moms. It is very good for my Fit Camp and 'Stroller Mamas' Fit Camp! They even invited me to speak at their MOPS meeting in October! So exciting!

Saturday night, Aaron and I attended the Agape Pregnancy Resource Center (ministry that helps women and families through unexpected pregnancies and introduces them to Christ) banquet dinner and auction, which is always a great time! Our MOPS group is going to do a baby shower for them next year, which we are really looking foward to!

Well, that is all for now...MOPS starts tonight, another round of Fit Camp starts tomorrow morning, AWANA starts tomorrow night and 'Stroller Mamas' starts Thursday! Anderson will be in Cubbies in AWANA this year, which means he will begin memorizing verses and also get to make a derby car! Anderson will also start Soccer Tots and EJ will start Gymboree music class in the next few weeks so I am sure that I will have more to report very soon! Although we are busy, it is nice to be back into a routine again!

Shout Out

Click here to listen to my shout out on the Texas Rangers' broadcast of the 8/27/09 game against the New York Yankees! So cool, thanks Mr. Grieve! By the way...that is a picture of my little Ranger, Anderson, when he was almost 5 months old! What a cutie! Oh how they grow up too fast!

Our Little Sweet Pea

It's been awhile since I posted about EJ's progress so I thought I would take a moment to fill you in! At the end of this week, he will be 15 months old! Can you believe it?!!? He is still in the 90th percentile for height and the 50th percentile for weight, still tall and skinny! He has lasted longer in the 90th percentile for height than Anderson did, so it is probable that he may outgrow his big brother at some point but we shall see...Anderson better be nice to him! :)

What is he up to these days?

-Walking fast and climbing on everything (not really running)

-Not really talking but repeating you and using his own sound vocabulary

-Signing "milk" (but using it to identify anything that he wants)

-Waving bye-bye

-Throwing fits when he does not get what he wants

-Playing with cabinets and drawers

-Hiding his sippy cups and pacis (he likes to open drawers and doors and put them in and them close them and then repeat...sometimes he leaves them in there and I find old milk several days later)

-Obeying commands such as "put this in the trash or take this to daddy"

-Stealing Anderson's toys and running away so that Anderson will chase him

-Smiling and laughing as much or more than ever (when the paci is in, his eyes smile)

-Sitting in his little chair and watching TV with Anderson

Anderson starts back to preschool next week at his new preschool! He will be going 3 days a week and during that time, I plan to focus on weaning EJ from the paci! He is using it less and less these days but I have not really focused on it much because our travel schedule has been crazy and I did not want to traumatize him more than necessary! He is pretty much off of the bottle...the only time he gets one is if in desperation I cannot find a sippy cup to save my life! But he doesn't seem to care one way or another, as long as he gets his milk!

Anderson is sucking his thumb less and less but we are going to focus on getting rid of that habit once he is adjusted to his new preschool schedule! He is just now getting back into a normal potty routine since our travels ended a month ago...one thing at a time with him! Today he moved up to a new class at church and he did very well so that is a good sign! EJ moved out of the baby room a few weeks ago, which means that there are officially no more babies in our household these days!

This is our last full week together so expect another post about the fun activities we have going on...

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I have had alot of much needed girl-time lately and it has been wonderful!!

Last Friday, Meredith and I treated ourselves to a day at the spa to reward ourselves for all of the hardwork we put into implementing the 2009 AMBC Sports Camp! This is a little tradition we started 3 years ago after our 1st sports camp together! We got mani/pedis, massages and facials...what a great day! We even managed to work in a good lunch, some shopping and Tiff's Treats!!

Wednesday, Melissa and I left the kiddos with Brittany and we took a day trip down to the San Marcos Outlets! We got alot of great deals on things for the house and boys, and even a few small things for ourselves! It was nice to get away. Today we are off to Gymboree because they are having some great sales plus it is all tax-free!

Last night, Melissa, MJ, Meredith, Miranda, Sara and I went to see Wicked and it was INCREDIBLE!! I did not know much about it going into it besides the basic story and I never imagined it would be that good! That wicked witch can sing! It is definitely now on my list of favorite Broadway musicals, ranking up there with Les Miserables, Rent, The Lion King, and Phantom. Thanks Miranda for buying the tickets and inviting me! Now, if you could just work it out for me to see Mamma Mia! :)

And a big thanks to Aaron for keeping the boys for me while I went on all of these outings with my girlfriends! I do appreciate it (even though you kinda owe me for keeping the boys 24-7 while you work, play softball/racquetball, rock out with the band, etc)! Love you! :)

Mama and Her Boys

Here are a few things that we have been up to lately...

Last Thursday, we rode with Melissa and Grant down to San Antonio to meet MJ, Grayson and MJ's two cousins at the zoo!! We had a blast and are seriously considering buying zoo passes! It was so nice and cool, most everything was shaded and I even got a workout on the hills! Of course our favorite animal was the elephant, who was VERY entertaining and even did tricks!!

We drove down early in the morning to try and beat the heat, had lunch out there and of course rode the train before heading home!

Over the weekend, we were out and about alot since the roofers were at our house! We even spent some time at the neighborhood pool, finally! Daddy was with us on that outing, but we did not take any pictures, we were too busy trying to keep up with the boys! :)

Today, we met up with some of the other AMBC MOPS Mamas for some fun in the sun at the dino dig for the 3rd time this summer!! The boys played in the sand and on the spray pad...what could be better than sand and water for little boys?!!? We headed home after a picnic lunch! What a great day!

We have several fun 'end of the summer' activities and 'girl-time' activities coming up in the next few weeks before preschool starts back up, so stayed tuned for details on those!

2009 AMBC Sports Camp

Last week we spent all of our time up at the church preparing for and participating in the 2009 AMBC Sports Camp!! As you know, I spend alot of my time planning events but I must say that of them all, sports camp is my favorite! This was my 6th year to run a Worthy of the Prize Sports Camp and I continue to love it just as much as I did the 1st year!!

The campers pay only $10 for 4 days of camp! Every camper learns basic skills in volleyball, basketball, baseball, soccer and cheerleading, while having alot of FUN and also learning about Jesus! What could be better than that! Plus, they get to enjoy an Ice Cream Social with their friends and family members the last of night of camp, they get to take home a t-shirt and a backpack and are invited back to church on Sunday for a special sports camp presentation. This year they were lucky enough to hear Rodney Vincent (head football coach at Vista Ridge High School) speak on family night and they also got to hear Danny Brooks (gospel-blues artist who will be performing at the ACL Festival in October) perform Sunday morning!!

All in all, it was a great week...we averaged 75 campers each night and had a total of just under 100 different campers come throughout the week! We had 7 families who want to learn more about the church and 6 people who want to know more about a relationship with Christ as a result of the week! Praise God!!

Our whole family participated in some way. I coordinated it, Aaron was an assistant baseball coach and the boys took part in a 'mini' sports camp of their own in the preschool wing, while the bigs kids and their parents took part in the big sports camp! What a great week, we look foward to next year already! Obviously, we are all worn out and glad to return to normalcy this week!

I am in spring-cleaning mode (even though it is the hottest summer ever)! I am going through the house room by room, cleaning out and organizing all closets, drawers, cabinets, etc. as well as scrubbing the place down! Today we went to story-time as usual and tomorrow we are headed to the SA Zoo with friends so I am sure that you will hear from me again soon!

Here is the sports camp highlight video:

Southbound 35

Our summer travels are (thankfully) officially over!! We had a great time but are very glad to be back home and into normal-life mode again (whatever that means).

This past week Aaron dropped me off in Fort Worth so that Sarah and I could host the Martin Volleyball Team Camp, which was a blast!! Click here for more details on that.

He and the boys then headed on up to Grand Lake, where they spent the week swimming, boating, jet-skiing, playing games and hanging out with his mother's family. They had a wonderful time (and it was nice for me not to have to worry about the boys or find childcare while I was at camp)!!

Anderson even drove the boat!!

(He actually did drive the boat when it

was on the lake later that same day)

Aaron brought them back safely to me on Thursday (I had threatened his life) and then we headed southbound to Austin on Friday!

There are no official travel plans in the works at this point, we are just glad to be home! Although it was nice to see family and friends as usual!

This week is the 2009 AMBC Sports Camp and once that is over, our only plans are to spend the rest of the summer hanging out at the pool...so if you need us, you know where to find us!