realization

I just realized that instead of having a two week break from the spring and summer terms I only have one week for a complete mental unload.  I am so bummed.  How am I supposed to accomplish anything within a week?  Oh yeah... that is my realization, I won't get anything done.  Oh well.

And the season begins...

Baseball season is in full gear again and this season we have both boys playing. 

Eric is in the Minors playing for the Braves.

Josh plays machine-pitch for the Mets.

Last night each of them had a game.  Josh played catcher and Eric pitches, but when he is not pitching he plays left field.  Since he pitched on Monday he played left field yesterday.  Brandon is helping coach boy of the boys teams this year.  There will be some very busy weekends for him this spring.

Thankfully they were right next to each other at the fields.  At one point the were both up to bat and I was able to stand in between the two and see them both.  It was really cool becuase at this particular moment they batted at the same time, had hits at the same moment (singles for both), and ran in for the score at the exactly same time.  So fun to watch my boys!

Baseball seasons also means my spending a lot of time with Katie walking around the field (her with a little attitude, please)

and chillin' in the van

She did not want to sit and watch her brothers play.  It was sad for me because I wanted to watch them play. I am very hopefull that she will let me watch a few games this season.  Otherwise, I will see a lot of movies.  Either way, the boys will have a lot of fun, and that is the point.

My flowers and trees are blooming and I am heaven!  I love this part of spring!  Only this part though, I DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT like the allergies that come in the spring.  Dang Juniper.

And soon I will have tulips! 

Spring Break: the Oregon Adventure

Because I KNOW that you want the super fine details... this post might be a tad bit long.  Don't say that you were not warned!

I headed to the great pacific northwest for my spring break.  As the title suggests, I went back home to beautiful Oregon. 

I flew in to Portland on Friday afternoon (yes, I totally ditched class to leave when I did!) and was picked up by my good friend Chris who married one of my best friends from high school, Elissa.  He took me to their super cute Lake Oswego home where were eventually met up with Elissa.  There we split ways, Chris headed out to his musical with a couple of their sweet kiddos while Elissa and I headed out by ourselves to eat dinner.  We ended up at Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  Burger heaven on earth, I must say.  Sooooo good!!

After that amazing dinner we went to see Chris's musical.  He is the music director at the high school he teaches at and each spring they preform a muscical.  This year they were performing "Once Upon a Mattress".  It was so good.  I was amazed at the talent that these young men and women had.  A fun way to spend a night.  After we got back to their house we stayed up and talked and talked and talked...  until too late in the night/morning.  A short night, but so worth it to spend time with these great friends.  I have known the both of them since I (we) were 13 and 14, respectively.  It is always so good to see them.

 

Here are Elissa and I the next morning.

And the fabulous Rust family... love love love them!

It was at this time that my parents picked me up to attend my brothers wedding, the real reason I flew to Oregon.  Greg and Elisa were married in the cute little church out on Sauvie Island.  The day was beautiful; beautiful blue sky with white fluffy cloud and NO RAIN!  They could not have asked for better weather.

Here is my brother and his beautiful bride.  The wedding was so pretty and Elisa did a lot of it herself.  Including those wonderful flowers that she is holding.

This is Greg with his two little girls, Andriana and Savannah.  They were the flower girls.  I love this picture.  They were watching Elisa walk down the aisle.

After the wedding my parents and I, with Adriana and Savannah headed south to Eugene.  That is where my parents live.  Since I had last been there (5 years ago -- too long, I KNOW!) they had moved into this absolutely fabulous neighbohood.  Beautiful homes, beautiful landscaping, great location, quiet, basically perfect in every way.  At night I could hear the crickets and frogs, it was a wonderful way to fall asleep.

I could not believe how everything was in bloom.  I know it was all for my visit, that I might get the most of coming home.  When I left New Mexico nothing was blooming yet, only the leaves on the dafodils were popping through.  In both Eugene and Portland everything was blooming, flowers, trees, and the grass was so green!  Thankfully, things have started to bloom in New Mexico too.

While I was in Eugene I was able to go and see two more friends from high school, Scotty and Lisa.  I got to meet their kiddos and spend an evening with them.  Like with Chris and Elissa, the night went by to fast.  It was fun to see them after 10 long years.  I learned something fun while there... appearently it was I that introduced these two love birds.  Never knew that!  I have to say that I have know these two for a long time as well,  Lisa and I met when we were 12!  WOW!! Twelve years old!!  Crazy!!  And I met Scotty when we were maybe 16?  Not quite sure on that one, but we have certainly been friends for a while.

After a couple of days in Eugene, my Mom and I headed back up to Portland to the airport, but not before I had the chance to spend the evening with yet one more lifelong friend, Janell.  I have known Janell since I was 12 (22 years ago!  Seriously, that is just crazy!) and she was one of my best friends in high school.  I was so excited to spend time with her and her super fun NEW HUSBAND!!!

She was married just the week before and I was unable to go due to distance and other things.  But, as she said, I was able to spend more quality time with her and Tom then I would have had I been at the wedding.  And, like I had said before, the time was too short and I would have liked to have spent more time with her and all my other friends. 

PLUS... I spent time with my parents and neices in Eugene and shopping with my Mom in Portland.  It was fun to spend time with my Mom without kids.  Not something happens very often and it was really nice!

This trip was so fun!  It was weird to not be a Mom for a few days, but instead a daughter, an Aunt, and a friend.  It was nice to see my Mom and Dad, my brother, meet his new wife, and spend time with my neices.  It was really fun to spend time with all my friends.  When I was with them it was like being 18 again, no adult worries, just good friends and fun.  Unfortunately, I did not get much sleep.  But so worth it.

I also want to mention that I know how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends who I have known for so long.  I know that it is not common to have so many friends that have know me for 20+ years.  They are people that I can always count on to support me and my family.  I love them so much!

And I could not ignore Brandon when discussing this trip.  He made this entire trip possible for me.  He is such a wonderful man and father.  I love my husband more than I can express.  I love you and am thankful that you are mine for eternity.

I have to add this final note: while I did enjoy myself and loved having a break from everything, I was so happy to walk out from the airport and see my wonderful husband and my sweet children.  Coming home is the best.

Spring Break: the El Paso Adventure

WE ARE ON SPRING BREAK!!  And somehow we all managed to go on a Spring Break adventure this year, but not all together.  Most of our family went to El Paso for a few days.  (I went to Oregon, that entry to follow). 

Brandon took the kids down to see his grandparents and his aunts.

There is a large group from this side of the family.  Brandon's Dad has seven sisters and one brother.  Not all of them stopped by to say "hi" but as you can see from the picture, but quite a few did.  Brandon has the kindest aunts and they try to come and see him when he visits, always paying special attention to the kids.

They had a great time playing with cousins (no matter what age you are there is someone to play with), eating yummy food, helping Great-Grandpa in the yard, and playing.  The weather was beautiful for them and they spent a lot of time outside.  It was really fun for them to spend the weekend there.

Kute Kate

Cheesy, I know.  But she really is so cute!

Here she is sitting on her new bed.  Her BIG girl bed.  With her antique fairy quilt.  This is a part of the plan to have her room look like a fairy garden.  Almost there!

And here she is getting ready to help me in the kitchen, wearing the new apron that I made her for Christmas.  She loves to help me bake.  Her favorite thing is to mix, she loves the mixer!

And since this picture she has done some special things...

These things... she calls them "Bee's" are gone.  Really.  No more.

One day she was crying because I could not find her favorite bee, a purple one.  I had had it.  She was starting to get these rashes under he bottom lip right where the bee covered her skin.  I was tired of them getting lost all time and all the stuff that come with it.  So I took this stuf called THUM

that I bought at Walmart a couple of years ago when I needed Josh to stop sucking his fingers.  I put it all over the part that she sucked on and gave them to her.  I had been talking about her giving up the bee and when I gave it to her I told her that I had found it, but that it was yucky.  She took it and put it her mouth and spit it out.  She didn't like the taste.  She carried it around and said that  it was yucky, but would not put it down.  She went to bed that night without it in her mouth, but in her pillowcase, just in case.  She asked for it a couple of times over the next couple of days, but when she did it went like this...

K: "Bee, Momma?"

M: "If you want it, you can have it, but it tastes yucky.  Do you want it?"

K:  "No, it's yucky. No bee Momma."

Now she never asks.  Success!

The other special thing, you ask?  She got her years pierced while on a daddy/daughter date.  Pictures to come.  But lets say this, so cute!

No more braces

Eric had his braces removed on February 16.  It was such a happy day for him!  His appointment was after school and so his "before" picture was done as he was walking out the door for the day.

And here he is after...

He loves not having braces!!  He looks great too!

He has a retainer that is helping to keep his teeth in place.  At night he wears a rubber band to give a little more support.

We still might need a "stage two".  Only time will tell.  We can hope that as he looses more teeth that his bottom teeth will fall into place eliminating the need for a second set of braces.  But no matter what happens, he looks great and the most important part, his jaw correction, is done!!