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So Much To Say About My REW...

2011-04-23T13:38:00.000-06:00

I am so far behind on blogging. It's so easy to put pictures in and caption them. In that sense, catch up is easy. But real feelings behind the pictures are hard to re-visit. This little series at least encompasses my daughter a little. I think it was the day after Thanksgiving, Brent and I were doing P90X in our bedroom. We were doing ab work on the floor when all of the sudden, we stood up and there was a little character in our room. Startled us to say the least. REW had jumped ship. Outta da crib. This became one of what would be many many nights and many-a-naps. Often, I will come into the kitchen, turn on the light only to find her just standing. OR walk into the living room in the middle of the night and she is asleep face down on the floor. OR find her like this at the top of the stairs...

Angel Baby. Since about 6 weeks ago, we have moved her into her big girl bed. She still gets out from time to time, but tried her best to stay put. Four weeks ago, she potty trained like a champ. She is just so funny. I never ever would have guessed my children would be so different. Mug only JUST started getting out of his bed on his own because REW would go wake him up! For four years he has always always called on us to come get him. So, our mornings look different. I love it though. I am *currently* in a good groove with the kiddos. Seems like the baby phase is well on it's way to being over.

Snow is Falling and We Do Not Have The Proper Clothing.

2011-04-21T16:33:00.000-06:00

The weather this year was so strange. We actually had a REAL snow day. Lots of snow. It was beautiful. We do have a little problem living in Texas though. We don't really have the appropriate attire to make it for long amounts of time outside. Still though. It was a nice break in monotonany. Me and the kiddos even made snow icecream and ya know, even though it seems like a gross concept, it was really really tasty! I loved getting extra cuddle time in with the kids. We were all very compliant on the snow days!

The Stomach Bug {and various other illnesses} That Stole Christmas

2011-04-21T16:18:00.000-06:00

Ah Christmas 2010. What a glorious time. The preparations we so sweet. The gifts were exciting to buy. The kids really GOT it. Mug was thrilled about the Biblical meaning of it. We are blessed and feeling blessed. Then....it hit us. The stomach bug. It got REW and Brent a couple of days before Christmas. Colton got it. And it slowly worked its way thru most of the family. Mug had a 101 fever and congestion on Christmas morning. I was an anxious wreck. Total germaphobe wreck. Still, we seemed to have a good time and trudge thru the yucks. We all still met and tried to enjoy ourselves. I am starting to see that there is NOTHING you can do about all that when you have small kids. They sure get sick a bunch. Mug really really really loved Darth Vader this year. He got so much Star Wars stuff, it was unreal. REW really only likes one thing: PINK. She got a pink piano and a pink dress. Seriously, she loved both of them only because of their color. She makes me smile! They both do.

My REW is TWO!

2011-01-13T09:31:00.003-06:00

One reason I wanted to continue blogging was to journal the kids growth. It is so crazy to me that I have a 2 year old GIRL. No one prepared me. Girls are girls! They are little women! Ah! I have a true mini-me. My little gal is a class clown, but also a quiet one. She is a fast talker. She has a little stinker-streak. Just like me. REW has many interests. Mainly: PINK. Since I was not ready to have a pink-out, I settled for her strong second: SHOES. She is in love with shoes. And not any shoes. Pretty girly shoes. Mary Janes. Even her "tenny shoesies" are a version of mary janes! It was a little daunting to do just Mary Janes. I didn't want heels, implicating "diva", I wanted something for little girls. I worked with a wonderful etsy shop owner, Rebekah, of A Blissful Nest, and she helped me design EXACTLY what was in my head. She is amazing! She also kindly featured REW's party on her blog ! What an honor! And of course, Thank you to Kimberly {my bestie} for taking and sharing these pictures.

I picked bold colors because my girl is bold! Pink, Turquoise, Orange and Purple!

And the fare was all SWEETS!

These were the little table toppers on the little people tables!

and a shoe box filled with little Mary Jane socks that were filled with jelly beans were the favors.

Funniest {at the time worst} part of the day was when daddy--bless his heart--picked up the cupcakes from cecile and brought them in the house and sat them ALL upside down in their box. yep. There was no smash cake and I salvaged half of the cupcakes.

Since we live in the great state of Texas, you just never know what the weather will hold for a Novermber birthday. This year held a balmy 80 degrees! All the kids went outside to run around! It actually turned out to be perfect!

Sweet Ainsley

Uncle "Ants" and Bwittany.

Jon Jon and Griffy

Mase

Gigi

Party after it moved outdoors!

My Lou Lou and REW--two of my faves!!!!

Griffy--I have recently discovered that he is a comedian!! Love him.

Sweet Lila

Ainsley lovin' some cupcake!

It was such a fun birthday to throw. I think this is my last year to get to pick the theme. REW is certain to want a Pink princess party much to my chagrin--I have too much fun doing parties that are not the usual. Oh well. My little lady is such a doll baby and while she might be the one to give me greys, I certainly love to sit back and watch the REW show. Here's to another blessed year with REW!!!!

Not a Resolution.

2011-01-10T16:03:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I have been outta da game. I suppose there are lots of reasons, but really, does anyone read blogs anymore? Well, no matter. I think I have lost most of my readers. I got a little behind and discouraged. Then, I just decided to take time to focus on other things. But I need to write. I need to express. I need to be real. So, here goes...I'm like the Brett Favre of blogging. Just can't let it go.

The Homecoming I Mentally Slept Thru, but Wish I Was Awake For

2011-01-10T15:58:00.000-06:00

In college, we had a couple of best friends. We love them. They came in for Homecoming just as we got into town from being in NZ. Literally, got off the plane {a 20 hour flight--we gained a whole day back} and celebrated HC. I was just ever so friggin' jet-lagged. And I think it was 90 degrees and 189 percent humidity. Needless to say, I DO HOPE the Friddles come back next year so I can see them and enjoy some quality time!

I mean, really. Look at how AwFuL I look! Kat is as beautiful as ever!!

New Zealand

2011-01-10T15:47:00.000-06:00

A long time ago, my in-laws invited Brent and I to go on a trip with them. We had sort of been sulking for years about how we were the only children who had not been on an elaborate trip with them. So, they took us to New Zealand! If you are like I was {slightly demographically challenged} you may not know much about NZ. First, it's not Australia. It's near it. Far away from the U.S. It is very minimally populated. It's extraorinarily clean. I was shocked at it's cleanliness. It is friendly. It is exceptionally beautiful. NZ is so spectacular to look at, there is NO WHERE to turn without feeling like you need a picture. It is like the most beautiful spot you can think of in Colorado or Alaska, or Montana mulitplied by 100 and then prescribed a steroid. It is breathtaking. The country is very patriotic and proud. I liked that. There is so much I could say about NZ that would fascinate you, but here was the kicker for me: there is no {absolutely zero} large, predatory wildlife. I mean nada. You look up into these massive landmarks expecting a grizzly to come out and eat you. Or a mountain lion to pounce you. Or something. Nothing. Only thousands upon thousands upon thousands of sheep. Lot-o-sheep.

Perhaps I enjoyed taking "couple pics" a little too much. Let's be honest. I missed getting to be in pictures with my boo.

Here we rode a ferry to a lovely sheep farm and had lunch.

After we returned to the city, we took a gandala up the mountain and did the luge down. It was fun!

One day, we took a boat ride into 'Doubtful Sound'. It was unbelieveable. One of those things the pictures I took do no justice for. There were waterfalls everwhere and the water was eerily still. And it was so cold.

Pam and I decided to be adventurous and take a jet boat safari. Although a safari seems to imply animals, and again, there are only ground birds.

This farm is actually where they filmed Lord of the Rings, Wolverine, Cliffhanger and it is the picture of the peaks on the Coors beer can.

This Red Beech tree is over 900 years old. They are hollow on the inside so we could crawl inside. Like hobbits.

It was bitter cold. On a boat. Yowsers.

Here are more couple pics from Queenstown.

I fell in love with this raspberry sorbet at Patagonia's. I will make a trip back just to eat it again. Me and my desserts mean bid-ness.

We went to like 3 wineries one morning.

It rained the whole 7 days were there. Except for the last day. It was spectacular. We got to enjoy some time at the local town.

Just a really nice time to spend together sans kiddos. Not sure we will ever go back, but so blessed to say we got to experience probably the prettiest place on Earth. Thanks, Pam and Steve!!!

WiLsOn-O-WeeN 2010

2011-01-10T11:15:00.000-06:00

Favorite time of year. Well, I love it only because we gather friends together and kids in costume for laughs and good times. And somehow, it gives me a chance to take control of "minor" holidays, which is fun. My little family was the cast of Peter Pan this year. I was holding onto making Mug and REW match for at least one more year until they are things that are no longer whimsical to me. Peter Pan was perfect. And so was the weather. Gee-yah we have warm Octobers in Texas. I used to hate that, but now that I have growing children, I see what a blessing it is to have outside time.

The Polnicks re-invented the Star Wars cast. Mostly, it was so great to see Kimbo dressed to the nines.

Just such a sweet time. I wonder how long these years will last. Wouldn't it be nice if out kids always want to trick or treat in our large herd. That they would look forward to it like the adults do. I love our traditions. I love what all we are blessed with.

Little Ballerina

2010-10-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

While it is one part sad that my baby is grown enough to go to a ballet class, it is also just so fun to get her started in something like ballet. Kendra and I signed the girls up for a Mommy & Me ballet class on Friday evenings. Though the class is nothing like I envisioned it in my head {I had a willowy vision of REW hearing a classical song and floating across the room with me...it's more like Elmo's world and lots of chaotic running around} I am still elated to get her dressed up in the whole delicate ballerina bit. Occasionally she will just started spinning and spinning to a song and look up at me and say, "I a bal-weena." Perfect.

Nights Like This One Make Me Happy.

2010-09-24T12:36:00.000-06:00

About a month ago {see how behind I am!} B and I watched the nieces and nephews while B&K went out. We planned a fun night in, we LOVE to have all of them together. It gives me the satisfaction of loving on multiple children without actually having more children! We made steak and veggie kabobs and had a picnic in the backyard. Then, we put up a huge piece of butcher paper up on the backfence and let them finger paint us a masterpiece. It was so adorable and they absolutely loved it! And as you can see from the pics, it was a total wonderful mess. And I am so so so sad that the pictures I put up can only be limited because of all the crazy weirdos out there. I took about 200 absolutely priceless photos, but I don't want to expose them to the weird world. After painting, we still had the icecream truck for B's work, we let them pick out icecream and eat it freely! How cool does that sound?? The night was just so special. They were all perfect angels. I can't believe how blessed I am to have my nieces and nephew live across the street!!

My sweet Alana. The quiet, smiling muffin. Had she not been in the noisey chair, we would have forgotten about her! She is so pleasant and lovable. I was feeding her at the end of the night and Mug came up and said, "Hi, Alana." and patted her on the head. I said, "Mug, do you want a baby sister?" He replied, "Nope....but if I did have one...I think I would learn to really love her."

What can I say about my Colton? He is hilarious to say the least. Just the spittin' image of his father in every way! He is so easy-going. A best friend to many. A silly-starter. I can always find Colton saying something funny and just laughing and laughing about it. He belly laughs at all the boy humor. I look forward to his antics in the future!

And my little Lou Lou. Ah. This is my other girl. She is just a cuddle baby. She is so quiet and so polite. She is the most compliant kiddo. She and REW are just two peas in a pod and though they could not be anymore different, they are definitely good friends. I forsee SO many fun times ahead with my girls. I just get giddy thinking about it!! Me and this one have a very very special bond that every auntie wants.

And look at these two. My little hearts. I am just in love with them. Plain and simple.

Lucky me.

She Left a Lotta Love Behind

2010-09-15T15:21:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, my Nana passed away. It was time. She had alzheimers for quite some time and it was almost too much to bear watching her demise. My grandad was so tired. My mom was too. It was just time for her to go. It was my first grandparent to die. She was a very very special person to me. I am struggling with a lot of guilt right now though. I feel so guilty for just not being a better grandchild when she was sick. I should have visited more. Just done more. But all of those feelings aside, this past month, I have also had just such a special time with the Lord. He has brought me into a new realm of our relationship. I won't go into to detail here because I have it all documented elsewhere.
I also got to spend lots of time with my extended family while we gathered at her passing. My cousins were my best friends growing up. Most of them have children of their own now. I was soooo blessed to be able to watch our children play together. I think one of my uncles said it best, "It's like watching a home movies from the past" as all our our kids look just like we did! There was so much food and laughter. It really was so soothing to my soul.

The last night everyone was there, the women all went thru Nana's jewelry. While nothing was of particular great value, I was able to cherish her by taking home some very sentimental pieces. It was so surreal. Although we were all gathered in one room for a sad event, I felt so at home. It was such a familiar feeling. I really did not want it to end. Nana would have been so pleased to have us all there.

REW Is A Big Girl Too

2010-09-11T07:52:00.001-06:00

And not to be excluded from all of the school festivities is REW. Miss Priss. School {MDO} for me with her is hard. I would prefer to not send her. I don't need her to go to MDO. However, I have a husband who urges me to let go and let her be social and normal! haha! So, on that note, I woke my little priss up early {she normally GETS UP at 9:30a.m.} and got her dress and had a nice little breakfast with her before school.

I went over her day with her and all of the things that would probably happen. They were all followed by "uh-HUHS!" and "mmmm hmmms". She was seemingly excited about it.

I figured I should let her practice on the nap mat too. She laid down perfectly and covered up. Said, "I seep on my nap nap." We'll see about that one.

We got to her class and located her name card and placed all of her things on it.

And lucky duck gets to have Lou Lou in her class! Love this girl so much! What fun that they get to do this together! AND to make my day wonderful, without knowing it, they were in the exact same outfit! I live vicariously thru my nieces when it comes to matching children in clothes!

Here we are! My little baby girl. My sweet little shadow. It's just one day, but the house will be so quiet without you. It will be so bizarre to not have my errand buddy on my hip. And as you can see, Charlie and Bah were in full swing. Whole nutha story.

It was a quick hug and a walk into class with absolutely ZERO tears. She is definitely a different breed than her brother, Mug. She enjoys this. She likes the new adventures. I guess she was ready too.

And the report when I have picked her up the past two weeks: NO NAP. And the teachers laugh because she walks around to each child who are trying to sleep and puts her face in theirs and says, "Hello!" She also crawled up on Lou Lou's mat with her and talked the entire first day. The following week, they baracaded her in a little corner by herself. They said every 5 minutes she would look up and say, "Ken-We...HI!!!"

Just like her father.

I Knew This Day Would Come...

2010-09-10T08:01:00.001-06:00

Just seems like it has come so soon. Mug began preschool on 8/20. It was a bittersweet time. I was never a fan and still am not a huge MDO fan, however, I believe he has been ready for preschool for quite a while. Even after a 14 month battle with potty {poop} training--you can't get into preschool unless you are fully trained--thankfully about 4 weeks before school started it FINALLY clicked and I can say I have a potty pooper. Aside from that, the day came rather quickly. After a meet the teacher night, I was at ease. I don't even think I cried. Maybe a little inside.

It was so cute because you could feel all of their nerves as they all sat in the hallway with their oversized packpacks. Nervous grins and wiggles set in as the rookie moms laced the hallways like the paparazzi. Our grins were nervous too.

And to add to the back to school mode, we have adopted the fake smile.

Literally and finally, the teachers had to kick the psycho moms out. Normally, there is a uniformed drop-off line, but they let us all go in the first day. They may change that next year thanks to us! As they lined up, we all followed them down the hall.

I love this picture. The teacher is like, I have it under control. I am nervously trying to ease everyone's nerves. I have known 7 of the 13 kids in Mug's class literally since they were born. We have been in playgroup together since they were infants. It was so special to see them all be in the same class together.

And a huge sigh of relief that we got them dropped off. Another start of a new stage of motherhood was marked here today. Check.

After the day ended, the kids all loaded up in their cars.

And we subjected them to yet another photo session. Can you tell they were thrilled??

Sweet, sweet kids. I love them so much. And I am especially proud of the little man my Mug is becoming.

Turks and Caicos 2010

2010-09-08T14:16:00.000-06:00

Finally, I am able ot sit and update! My Nana passed away and a whole lotta other happenings that have really placed my blog on the backburner. I am hoping to rekindle my romance with blogger soon.

Onward and upward, moving on towards the Turks and Caicos II. It was heavenly. Quite frankly, it is hard for me to write about it because I tear up. Me want to go back. Even Mug was looking thru my blog pics and recalling every last detail and asked if we were going back. The answer to that is, yes. In 2012. I want to encourage and endorse all of you to go too. Make it a family vacay. It is THE BEST family vacation. You will not regret it. Beaches Resort. Do it. I get no commision. Promise.

Anywho, the flight there was a tad delayed. Mug got an A, but REW got a D if I recall correctly. There was no nap. There was a lot of movement and screaming. As I expected though, so no harm no foul. The grades are just for fun.

When we arrived, they gave us a hot towel to wash the road off. Mug thought that was pretty cool.

This was the pool view from our room. We stayed in the newest section of the resort and it was fab.

The accomodations are just so great. They now have a water park that is just the right size.

Little REW was bathed in sunscreen. Many people stopped me throughout the trip to tell me how fair skinned she was and how concerned they were that she would burn. Duh. Look at me. Look at my whole family. Look at my kids caked with SPF. Thanks, I think I I have it covered.

Also, you must note that swim up bars are fabulous. A strange phenomenon of sorts. Swimming up to a bar and ordering a drink and swimming around with it. The kids loved getting to drink smoothies and cokes all day long.

The children still nap, so often we had to do solo afternoon switch offs. Doesn't look like I had much of a problem with that.

Nights were fun eating out. Except for REW loves to be a mess. I love all inclusives though because it is no big thing to just get up and leave if things or little people get rowdy.

And here is the other view from our balcony. So nice to go out in the morning and drink coffee with my boo and smell the salty air.

REW and Mug loved the sand. They did great. I was pleased!

And note the hottie in the picture. Yes, I am married to that. Ow Ow!

Pool all day long. All. Day. Long. Everyday.

And eating all day long. Love to eat.

Beaches is sponsored by Sesame Street and they do live shows daily. The characters also walk around the site everywhere. It's a kids dream come true. Mug stalks Grover. He has no shame grabbing his leg and letting him drag him for a little while.

Cotton candy for lunch

My kids were absolute dolls. We only put them in childcare once. We honestly enjoyed every moment as a family. They were loving and precious. I felt so blessed by them the whole entire time.

And OFCOURSE I made "vacation friends". Seemed like everyone was either Euro, New Jersey or New Yorkers. We made friends with some people from Jersey and their daughter, Kaitlynn, fell in love with REW. And I have to say, REW was the bell of the ball. I think everyone there knew her by name and swooned whenever she walked by. Too much. Here we are watching the parade that the resort staff put on. It was fabulous!!!!!

Attempt at a family memory: failed.

Just love my boys.

Mug also made BFF with an older boy named Connor. Talked about Connor non-stop.

And we had breakfast with the entire Sesame Street gang. Again, it was fabulous and the kids were in Heaven.

Elmos birthday party

Every Saturday they have a beachparty. We love it!

Family memory attempt: failed.

This was the last night and it was absolutely perfect.

REW and her Joosey buddy!

7 days of bliss must come to an end eventually. I think we all shed a tear. We will be back again soon.

Brittany and Lanse Tie the Knot! and other Wilson Wedding Details

2010-08-02T07:46:00.017-06:00

We have been gearing up for Aunt Brittany to marry Lanse for about half the year. So, after many showers, gatherings and prayer for them, the weekend finally arrived! Naturally, I was a bit nervous about the children and well...the wedding events in general. The wedding was in Dallas. Sleeping, eating and life in general is just so schedule oriented with kids {or at least it is in my world}. I had just been praying that all would go smoothly and that selfishly, Brent and I would be able to enjoy ourselves and get to have fun with everyone and celebrate the last of our siblings getting married. So as it were, the day we were supposed to leave, REW had a 102 fever. Drats. TrYiNg my best to stay positive we took her to the Dr. and she had strep and an ear infection. Sad to say, I was glad we could get antibiotics. Got a script for Mug to just in case. Luckily, REW is a delightful sickie, so off we went to hang with my brother and Kim at their house in Dallas the night before all of the festivities began! The next morning, Casey and Kim had to work, so our little fam went to Cindi's for breakfast and then went to Northpark. Now, I have to add, I went to Northpark with no shower. No make-up. No hair brushing. Why? I don't know. I just didn't care. It was early in the morning. I did not think I would see anyone. But I should recall that everyone there looks like they got their makeup and hair did just to go to the mall. So as it were, I ran into quite a few people I knew. My bloggy friend, Kinsey {whom I have never met}, was in her baby bootcamp class when she saw my tots. I SO wish she would have come to say hi. She probably thought Brent was having an affair with some ghastly woman in Dallas who was too homely to wear makeup to Northpark. Then, I was delighted to get to see some of my old sorority sistas {Choo Choo}! Who were all having a cute little brunch date that I crashed! Laura, Amanda and Cori all look amazing and I might even dare to say, better now than they did 10 years ago! It was so fun to meet their little ones and chat! After a return to my brother's and a much needed shower, we transferred the family to the hotel and I met Brittany, Pam and a few of the bridal party at Romi's for some R&R and nail didding. Brittany was so cute. She was so excited and working on last minute details. I forgot how much planning went into weddings. Still, I so wish I could go back and re-do some stuff from my wedding. I am just such a different person now! I know myself and what I like so much more now!

After the finished product, we all went over to Yogurtland for a cup-o-yogurt. I LOVE that place!!! We all also went back to Northpark to find the bride shoes to wear with her rehearsal dinner dress! I must say, that girl time was so fun!

After all of the fantasy "me" time was over, it was time to get the kids ready to get to rehearsal and dinner! I wanted to ensure that every child in the Wilson clan was matching. It was adorable. It was so fun! And I got no pictures. So, these are all the evidence of all the fun work.

No, they are not taking a poop in this picture. Though, you could have fooled me. C'mon? Really, are these going to be what school pictures look like for the next 15 years?

This is my Lou Lou. I have to say, I am a BLESSED auntie. This little girl, Alana, REW and me are going to have some serious girl time in the years to come!! Lots of matching outfits to boot.

Mug got a gift for performing well at rehearsal. They were laden with bribes from Gigi throughout the weekend. The kind of gifts they received makes me wish that they somehow thought I was going to misbehave and tantrum down the aisle. They got some serious goods. Mama wants some too. After this, I got no pictures of rehearsal dinner. I am so sad about this, but I had a child about knee high that was crawling up my dress, under tables, over tables, dipping hands in everyone's drink and so on. There were no free hands for pictures, unfortunately. After a 10:45 bedtime, we were all pooped!

Up and at 'em to the bridal brunch at La Duni. I REALLY wanted to take REW, I later found out she was actually invited. However, it was probably best she did not come. The brunch was intimate and sweet. Food was AMAZING! It was so nice to savor a meal for what it is. The hostesses were a few of Pam's besties and they made all of the details so personal. Each bridesmaid had a place setting like this with a different verse and a special charm!

They made Brit a surprise scrapbook with sentiments and pictures we sent in. It was soooo lovely!

We had bags with a huge beachtowel, earrings and hot pink flip flops! We got to wear the flip flops to the reception!

Me and Rach

HEAVEN.

More Heaven. Props La Duni, props.

Rach, Christin, Brit and Melinda

Me and Brit being silly.

Mama and Brittany

K-dog and Biss

Pam and Cindi

Brit and the cousins!

Bridal entourage.

The seesters.

And I forgot to mention we had babysitters the entire time!!!! IT'S A MUST, people.

Later on, I got my hair teased. I am hair illiterate. I can't do hair. So I was first in line to steal the pro!

How does this turn into something beautiful?

We got to the church at 3 and played and got dresses. Lanse had these specially made for Biss! How sweet??!

Our dresses with hot pink shoes!

Kendra's mom and dad {mimi and Pa} brought all 5 kids to the church! WHAT A BLESSING! So many carseats and car-hopping I thought I would lose my mind! Thanks, guys!!!!!!

Biss with Byron and last minute ceremony prep! Doesn't she look so cute???? She was GORGEOUS and beeming and soooooo happy!

This was probably my favorite...the little girls getting their hair done! Ah! Kenley is crying here, but she was actually not crying most of the time. They liked it with a few skittle bribes!

REW is telling Betty all about her hair.

I just think this is sooooo cute! I love having a girl. I really do!

Ah!

My sweet little Skittle face!

And I have to add...I love having a boy too. How cute is this duo? Benjie snapped this outside the church and it could be one of the best ones!

The wedding ceremony was lovely. It was emotional. I looked over at my husband of almost 8 years across the stage and I could tell he was emotional. Of course, he was. It is his baby sister. And then you think about YOUR own children and you get emotional. The music was wonderful. The message was wonderful. And it was all so special because Lanse and Brittany truly make eachother better people. I loved it. Oh, and the children did WONDERFULLY. REW came down the aisle with her swisher and Charlie. A fact that could not be avoided if everyone wanted peace. While I was a little mortified seeing her walk down with Charlie in tow, I later just realized that she is who she is. And now we have a lot of pictures to prove that! HA! Reception was in a fabulous artsy warehouse called the Hickory Street Annex and it was GORGEOUS! Pam and Brittany worked so hard to get it just right, and I thought it looked magical!

My Mug was phening for the cake. The sitter had to literally hold him back!

Can you believe this pair will be dancing a father-daughter dance down the road?

This is my favorite picture. It the way I envision all 3 of them. Even little REW is wiggling out of his arms. I love them so. I love Brent so much more than ever. This man puts up with a lot. And he still honors and leads me. And most importantly, he loves me as crazy as I am.

Dancing. Dancing. Dancing. My children inherited the love-to-dance gene {thankfully}.

Cuteness! Gigi and REW!

There was a little lounge area in a dark corner. Mug went over and laid down on the couch! He was sooooo tired. It was about 10:30p. I just cuddled and loved on him! He was soooo well behaved! I thought it was considerate of him not to whine, rather to just lie down.

And then REW joined in.

And there it is, folks. We left at about 11:15p. Kids were so exhausted. It was so wonderful! Thanks and love to Brittany and Lanse! This is only the beginning to a wonderful new life for the two of you. I simply cannot wait to see what the future holds!

Thankfulness Opens the Door to His Presence.

2010-07-29T13:46:00.002-06:00

I have a lot going on in my life. Not on the daily, I guess, but I have been surrendering things like my blog over to the Lord. I love to write. I love to connect. I love to neglect my household duties. But I also have 2 little children who need my time. They need the best of me. So, I suppose my "I'll get to it when I can" has shifted a bit to the blog direction. I was struck by my quiet time reading the other day. It was about having a grateful attitude. "Thankfulness is a substructure of trust." I suppose it struck me hard to think of that. You see, I have an issue with trust. And not because I have been let down by The Lord, more that I want things when I want them. And I want them NOW normally. I can say with my lips that I trust the Lord, but sometimes my own free will ruptures that trust. And so goes my grateful attitude. And I don't mean just being thankful for health and prosperity. I mean giving thanks to God so many times a day that it becomes my reality to just be in constant praise. What a treasure. I don't know why the message hit me so hard, but it did. So, I choose to open my eyes. To see his GLORY, his Majesty. Not just in the things he gives me, but just in His simple presence.
"Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving AND His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name." Psalm 100:4

Sweet {San Antonio} Escape

2010-07-13T11:47:00.002-06:00

Brent has an office in Boerne, Texas, which is right out side of San Antonio. There are very few places I would love to live, but SA is one of them. If Brent said we were moving there, I would actually be pretty excited--that is to say, if all the logistics were set aside like family, friends and Baylor being in Waco. I just love the feel of it. I love the hill country. I love the culture. Like the vibe. It's not too snobby, but still nice. Great food. Great shopping. Sigh. I am trying to get Brent to at least get us a little lake house at Lake McQueeny so I can live there on occasion. So far, that motion has been denied. Anyway, he had to go there, so me and the kids were delighted to join. We thought we might stop by Sea World if all went well. I am not usually an "on a whim" person, but this trip, I was. We even loaded up 3-legged Frankie! We stayed with Jon, he is our friend and business parter at our office there! He had a new house and a new puppy! Mug was so in love with his dog, Jake. He told me over and over that Jake was his best friend. Jon also had bunk beds that Mug was giddy to sleep on. After he and REW played on them the minute we got there, REW fell off the top {even with me be inches away}. I figured he should opt to sleep on bottom. We made a trip to see new baby, Gray Kadane! He was {of course} gorgeous! And had a mohawk that resembled REW's way back in her infancy day!

Pierson and Mug played together--though they had a few tiffs, they were little buds. P also enjoyed little REW's company a whole lot! She seems to draw attention from older boys! What up with that already? Its always a joy to see the Kadanes. Kate is a friend that is just so true and genuine. I loved getting to see her mommy office skills! Having a newborn seems so foreign to me even though it was a mere 19 months ago!

Did I mention it was a monsoon the entire trip? We woke up Friday wanting to go to Sea World, decided it was waaaaay to wet, packed up our stuff and headed to the museum instead. However, as we drove, it started to ease up, so we thought, 'what the hey?' and went on to Sea World. No sunscreen, no swimsuits, totally impromptu. I grabbed some sunscreen {it ended up being blazing and hot} at the giftshop and slathered my whities. Mug had been to Sea World before and loves it. REW was a mess. She was soooooo wiggly {as she usually is} and just did not understand the rules. Like, no swimming WITH the dolphins, or no getting into the shark tank, or don't poke other peoples ears with your sunglasses while they are watching Shamu. So, as we give our children "grades" for their behavior at various events, Mug: A. REW: F. Therefore, SW was just a "C" for mom and dad in terms of fun. BTW--I did not take my camera in because I thought it would get drenched in rain, but no, it stopped raining and I got no pics.

After a looooong caride home {Fact: my kids DO NOT sleep in the car. Ever. No matter the length--I mean, really, they should have been WIPED OUT} these cutie pies were spent, to say the least! This week is off to Aunt Brittany's wedding festivities!

Kimbo's Big Day{s}!

2010-07-10T13:33:00.006-06:00

Some friends blur the line of friends or family. I like to think we have have that in our Kimbo. Always thoughtful, considerate and sweet, never wanting to draw attention to her herself. She would frankly rather give someone else the spotlight than make it all about her. I somehow managed to convince her to have a small gathering for dessert the night before her birthday. Though the desserts were a bit disappointing and rather preposterous in size {HUGE-O}, we had a few uninterrupted bouts of laughter for the night! I mean, c'mon...that is bigger than her head!!!!

I think Katy had two bites of hers!

Mel too!

Except me, I think I ate the whole thing!

On her actual BIRTHday, of course, the Waco "family" intruded on the home of the Polnicks--it's a tradition that we do this with each other! Sweet Benjie brought us all take-out and made a separate trip to CFA for the itty bitties. The truth of the matter is, KP would rather be around her family on her special day, surrounded by the chaos {it's amazing what about 10 children sound like at dinner time!} and love that these relationships bring.

She shares her birthday with Clark!!!!

REW and CDP enjoyed the frosting on their cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, Kimbo! Thanks for always being a last minute sitter, faithful workout partner, butter-roll bakin', letter-of-the week makin', ear to my loud, fast talking, baylor basketball junkie, party plannin' sista, and overall just a steadfast friend. We really are just so thankful to be in your circle of friends. Love ya. xoxo

Lots-O-Fourth Fun!

2010-07-06T08:37:00.012-06:00

While a few of our annual traditions were put on hold this year due to the 4th falling on a Sunday along with the rain, we still managed to have a fantabulous pool party! I volunteered the Hillmans to host--they have the best house because they have a GREAT pool, yard and pergola that just screamed "Let's have 50 people over!" They were gracious enough to agree and pulled out all the stops! They had all the tables decorated and lots of flags to ring in the independence celebration! It was great to see how huge our group of friends has grown compared to the first year we decided to gather together for the 4th! There are many kiddos running around and lots of babies laying on blankets! Just so much fun! Not sure who did it, but REW consumed at least a half of a box of oreos and the evidence is on her face all day long!

Sarah and me

Genny, Jade and Kristi

Katy, Kendra and me

My sweet fam!Griffy and the Searight twins relaxing!!

Our wonderful host, Michael and little Sawyer Beans {if I love you, you get a nickname!}

Classic Mug and CDP. CDP is always smile ready and Mug is always not.

Little 'kini girl

Cutest. baby. ever. Pierson Cruthirds. She is just a heartbreaker in the making! Ahhh!

Mug and CDP are trying to talk Landry out of driving the Artic Cat. She is not buying their sales pitch! Hilarious! Polnicks gave the kids sparklers and they were mesmorized by them! I was a little worried...

Especially when this muffin had one! WATCH OUT! The way she held it was hysterical!

And my little homegirls played with me for a long time! Love these two.

Against my better judgement, we partied until 9:30--we even had a dance party at the end, BUT then we decided to go see the fireworks downtown at 10! We were all dirty from sunscreen, sand, dinner and whatever else. The kids were really excited so we went with the other Wilsons. I had not been in about 4 years, so I was glad I went. Fireworks really make kids happy! Apparently, they make a lot of the crazies around town happy too! We may have to opt for a quieter, tamer place next year! Overall though, what a FUN FOURTH!

Blessed to be an American. Blessed to be in bed a few minutes shy of July 5th!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Gen Gen!!!

2010-07-05T08:27:00.002-06:00

Thursday night we celebrated one of my dearest friends! She has a baby on the way and we are all so excited {she is on the front row in the green}! Thanks gals for all of the LAUGHS and memories--love you all! Gen, get that blog STARTED!!!!

Simply the Best {Happy Father's Day}

2010-06-24T07:25:00.002-06:00

One day, the children will be able to write down all the reasons you are the best dad. I can't wait to see what they say. You are truly a gift. I know I tell you what a good father you are all the time, but I hope it settles into your soul. You are amazing. God gave you the spiritual gift of leadership, and it is fulfilled best as your role to our family. Thank you for making my half {or heck, maybe even 1/3--you are so good} of the share so easy and enjoyable.

You got some mad fatherhood skillz, boo. xoxo

REW for You

2010-06-22T13:09:00.004-06:00

I have forgotten how quickly the toddler months go by. And even moreso, how much they learn. This little chica is becoming quite a character. She was barely saying much of anything about 4 months ago, and now, she is straight up talking in sentences! I didn't even know she knew any of the words she is saying. I am really astonished!!! She can tell me most of what she wants, which helps. It also makes it hard when she can't get what she wants! She is all girl in that aspect! REW's favorite thing to do is gather every single book she owns, her "bookies" and puts them all in her lap before bed and nap. She does not like to read each one, rather, she wants to turn to her favorite page in each book and read it about 10 times before moving on. But we have to do that with each one. Each page, she laughs hysterically. They aren't even funny. Oh well!

And her favorite meal of all time is spaghetti. I treated her to a date night to Fazoli's the other night. I think we were there for over an hour while she ate.

I also finally took her to the Dr. for her 18 month check up. Two shots later with a dramatic exit, here were her stats:

weight: 22.8 pounds {25%}

height: 33 1/4 inches {90%}--I know, I could not believe it. They re-measured her several times. Last time she was in that range as well. She is almost 1.5 inches taller than Mug was at that age. However, when he went back for his 2 year, he had grown over 4 inches and has been in the 90% since then. Weird, huh? I have tall, skinny muffins.

Certificate of Completion

2010-06-18T15:51:00.010-06:00

And a sigh of relief. And a little pride mixed in. Only because last year's swim lessons brought the worst out in me. The thought of another round of lessons made me break out into hives. But the truth of the matter is, you have to learn to swim. It's not a luxury, it's a neccesity. So, we ventured out and bit the bullet. His teacher, miss Sandy, was just the encouragement he needed. They started out well. As the week went on, he seemed to be a little more timid. He really really hates going under water. Still, he would tearfully at times do everything miss Sandy asked of him. Though with a death grip on her arm. After every lesson he would get out of the pool and say, "I love swim lessons!" Perplexed, but pleased, we left to return each morning at 10:30. I made a new friend too. Kristiana made the week so much more fun and bearable! We discovered that our boys were two peas in a pod, from being water-shy, to being irregular--they were a pair. Our last day was sweet for me. Though I know it was not fun for him, I was happy he finished.

REW was his biggest cheerleader!

Here he is waiting to get in! Behind that smile is a little unease.

Oh yes, this is more like it!

Going in...

Getting warmed up...

getting nervous...

Performing the safety drill...

And finally done standing with his new buddy, Jack! {Mug actually jumped out of the pool and ran twice today--you can tell his grin is a little shaky! HA!}

Well, there ya have it. A certificate and a gummy shark. Made his day. I am so proud of you for finishing and sticking it out, Mug! Love you!

The Livin' Is Easy...

2010-06-17T14:33:00.003-06:00

I feel like I have been gone so much the past few weeks! Summer is flying by! These are Memorial Day pictures. I would have never thought myself to be one of those bloggers who takes weeks off at a time {smile}. Aren't these muffins a cute bunch. And I will say on record, nuthin's cuter than a little lady tot in her "swimmy" or her " 'kini". Love it!

So, it's pretty boring to say, but during the week, we are either home, at the splash park, or at the pool. We are now pool rats. Mug had swim lessons this week and I will say, this year has been worlds better than the last two. He is still oddly afraid of the "deep" water. However, at the Y pool, he is a little fish. Oh well, we only have one more day and I am so proud of him!! We are also reading the story of Peter Pan. He is very into it. I have already decided he will be Peter Pan for Halloween and guess what REW will be...hint...not Smee. We also read his children's Bible front to back at least 3 times. His favorite Bible story is David and Goliath. One night, we were reading about a bad decision David made and Mug said, "I try to always make a good choice, but sometimes you want me to do too many things I just don't wanna do." Welcome to the world kid! I am also loving his big brother attitude. He is just so sweet to REW. {almost} Always including her and tells her he loves her CONSTANTLY. And me too. I think he tells me, "Mama, I just wanted to tell you one thing, I love you." Wow. Let's record this in the books!

REWsky is at "that age". Almost 19 months. Favorite word: "No!" With extra emphasis on the exclamation point. She does not want to share, especially her food. It has to be all hers or a rolling around fit takes place. Seriously, I forgot what tantrums are like. This time around I can laugh it off whereas with Mug I would sweat and croak of embarrassment. Hee. She is also finally talking in sentences! Though you need a mom-slator to decipher some words, she is really coming into her language skills!

"Mama ca-well {cuddle} me"

"No no kankie {frankie}."

"Dis bwa-kie {brocolli}."

" I wa kack {I want a snack}.

And get this one..."I poo poo". The other day, she went to the training potty and pooped in it! She is ready to potty train. I am not waiting like I did with Mug because I wasn't ready--that ended up biting my booty! I am going to find 3 days in the next week and see how it goes. She takes her diaper off CONSTANTLY and tells me she poops or pees. This gal is a whole nutha thang.

New York Hearts ME!

2010-06-08T16:24:00.006-06:00

{You know the thing where you go on vacation with one other person and you can't get pictures together...that explains my vacation pictures with Fer!}
Ok, so Michael {Brent's BFF}, Brent and our kiddos gave Jennifer {"Fer"} and me a vacation to New York City for Mother's Day! I was worried I was not going to be able to go because Tuesday night I got SUPER sick with a UTI! But a trip to the Dr. and some antibiotic, I was better in 24 hours! We left for NYC on Thursday for a little girl time! I had already consulted with my NYC pros, Jana and Libby, on all of the best food and shopping! I had all the reservations ready to rock and roll! This girl doesn't mess around with food! Fine dining in the city is what I want! Bless Fer's heart! I had the trip all planned out for lots of shopping and eating and shows in between! Her almost 5-month preggo self did not complain ONE TIME! She was a great travel bud! The story goes like this...our first flight was cancelled. Only to leave us catching an earlier flight that left within minutes. We were actually happy b/c the first flight required a very late dinner which these need-to-eat-nowers were not too thrilled about. Then, it got worse. The weather was so bad in NY that the airport closed. So we landed. In D.C. And were on the ground in the plane for 4 HOURS!!!! Agh! We made besties with the flight staff...which scored us free warm cookies, drinks and lots and lots of unsolicited advice on various topics. Worth it for the free stuff! The flight staff was seriously entertaining. It felt like we were on a booze cruise with all of their entertainment. They even took up a collection for a soldier who was going home to visit his sick dad! It was touching and hilarious all at once. I also used my social work skills on a cute little bro/sis duo who were scorned by their parents recent divorce. Also chatted with a Container Store, marathon running executive who sat next to us. He also loved American Idol and Lost so we re-hashed all of the episodes. Did I mention all of this took place until we safely landed in NYC. At 2:45 a.m.!!!! Praise Jesus our bags were there {not sure how}! Then, we caught a cab and headed for our hotel in Times Square! Delirious, starving and oddly not grumpy or complainy at all, we decided we must eat. Good thing the city and McDonald's never sleep. This was our meal at 3:30 a.m. Lights out at 4 a.m. Holy. Cow. The next day we tried our darndest to sleep in. But so goes a mother's body along with severe jet-lag, I think we were up at 9. Probably for the best. We had some shoppin' to do. In SoHo!

And a brunch at the Balthazar! I highly recommend this place if you are visiting the city! It is a really fun, French atmosphere with yummy food!

Fer was feeding the baby some bread!

I had the roasted eggplant sandwich. To die for!

But this was the thing that made my whole trip. It was so fantastic. Oh my. My mouth still longs for it! Pavlova with berries and creme on the inside. Heaven.

This was just a picture of the fresh flowers in the ladies room! They were breathtaking!

Now, I must point out how much I love Broadway. I literally cry every single time a show starts. I cry at each dance production. Broadway performances just move me. They channel my inner dancer/singer, I suppose. 'Promises, Promises' was the first show we saw {I am realizing now I posted this out of order!} and it was cute! The guy from Will and Grace, Sean Hayes, was the male lead and little itty bitty {literally she is 4''11'!!} Kristin Chenoweth was the leading lady! They were amazing! This was a production brought back after many many years!

This was the actual meal we had before the show. Dos Caminos is a trendy Mexican spot. We went to the one in SoHo {can you tell I love that area}? Fer ordered the chocolate enchilada. Not really, but doesn't it look chocolate?

I had a pork taco plate and it was divine. A little too many chips and I could not finish!

The next day we went to Henri Bendel and Central Park and then went to West Side story. Oh my how I love men dancing! Honestly, it is so amazing to me to see them dance like that! I think I may have loved it most just because I love the story and all of the dance scenes! And of course, I cried!

After the show, I had to stop by my favorite retail place on earth. H&M. Where you can buy a so much for so little! I sent this pic to my friend, Kelly, who is my H&M homey!Our dinner was at Orso. So lovely and quiet. A little too quiet! Fer and I were in the lover's corner, I think! We felt odd, but the food was once again Yummy! But the trip could not have been complete without a visit to the world famous Magnolia Bakery! Yummm!!

We picked out a cupcake and walked over a couple of blocks to Rockerfeller Center to eat and people watch!

I was hoping to get a glimpse of Liz Lemon, but she never showed. Oh well, what a fun night!

Can't wait to go back again!!! I had such a great time with Fer, she is a great travel pawdna!!

Busy Bodies

2010-05-25T13:42:00.004-06:00

I wanted to post a few pics real quick! I have been seeing a lot of these 3 {my other loves}! It's so nice to be able to drop the kid'd off at Brad and Kendra's and vice versa when we are in a pinch. PLUS it's super fun and the kids are all BFF! The girls are really starting to become best buds and playmates. It's really sweet to see.

And then there are my sweet handfuls! Mug is just such a good big brother these days! I have to say, I was so worried that he would never come around to the idea of a sister. However, now the "I wuv you, Reesey's" never end! I actually like taking them on errands better together than apart! I would have NEVER said that a few short months ago. I like to have them together so much that I took Mug out of MDO for the remainder of the year because it was just easier nap-wise and entertainment-wise for REW! Don't get me wrong though, there are also screaming, pinching and fighting moments. I'll take the good with the bad as long as they are close!

And we are busting out the cool pool. Jealous?

I'm just really enjoying the rhythm I have going on with the 2 kids. Everyone always asks me when I want "the third". Honestly, I can't say I want a third. More than anything, I feel pressure to have one more. Like 3 is the new 2. I dunno. I just got these 2 sorta kinda figured out. And what I mean by that is, I feel OK about taking them to the grocery store at the same time! Don't feel an urge to add to the mix...not yet anyway!

Ok. Gotta run. I gotta a SWAP party in T-minus 4 hours that I have not even showered for!

Not Pregnant.

2010-05-25T07:16:00.002-06:00

I know you all were thinking that. I took a little blogging hiatus, so your minds went there. Well, maybe not, but I always think that when people take month long breaks! No, no, I am just behind on my blog. I have been so very busy and something had to give...so it was writing. However, I am back! I am going to NYC with my pal, Jennifer this weekend so I will have a lot to write about when I get back!! I may post a few pics of the kiddies in a bit! Just to make myself feel better! Miss you bloggy buds! xoxo

"Teeth Come in Handy When You Chew...

2010-05-04T13:43:00.004-06:00

...that's why my family grew a few." {warning: bragging involved}.

When I visited Mug's pedi office at his 3-year check up, they seemed to be a little disappointed I had not taken him to the dentist yet at 3. I mean, I did not know it was that urgent {even though my dentist-in-training SIL told me to do it looooong ago}! A couple months ago I finally cracked and went to MY dentist for my own teeth issues. I saw where the pattern was going here. I had not been in 4 years. Well, 8 fillings, a root canal, a tooth infection, then extraction and an impending dental implant later...I called to get Mug an appointment. Praying his teeth are not hereditarily related to mine. I used myself and my teeth misfortunes as a cautionary tale to him. "See. Mama loves sweets. And look what eating too many sweets does to your teeth." He was disgusted. It worked. One day, we were reading books before nap. He flashed his pearly grin at me and it made me so happy. He was adorable. "Mug," I said, "you have the prettiest smile." To that, he grabbed my face, sincerely stared into my eyes and almost with a sense of pitty in his tone, he replied, "Mama, you just don't." And there it was. All of my scary teeth stories had paid off. Slightly at my vanity's expense.

In prepartion to visiting the dentist, I started reading this book. I know there are a lot to choose from out there, but I genuinely laugh out loud at this one. I think it's witty and it really is perfect if you read it in a slightly old, Brittish woman sort of voice {not sure why I do, but it feels right}. We read it a ton weeks leading up to it. The last page of the book is the best. "And NEVER bite your dentist while he works inside your head. Your dentist is your teeth's best friend. Bite somebody else instead." That really tickled Mug's funny bone.
The morning of his appointment {2 weeks ago}, he cried from the moment he got up. On the way over, Brent got him excited with a promised breakfast afterward. With that, he bravely hopped up in the examining chair. Dr. Cox said that 1 in 50 kids will actually get on the chair without sitting in their parents lap. Mug did it with such ease!!

He said the even trickier part letting him look in the mouth for more than a few seconds. Mug let that dude dig in his mouth for over 5 minutes!!! He said it was by far one of the best first visits he had ever seen. The only reason he stopped is because Mug looked up and said, "Hey dad, I'm getting pretty bored of the dentist." Everyone burst out in laughter. That was a first.

After a dental education {most kids get cavities on the inside of their back molars to start}, a cheap toothbrush, floss, a little hourglass timer for Mug to use while he brushes, and a hungry Mug, our first dentist appointment is under our belt. And I am happy to report, we are cavity free {at least for now}.

Over the Hills.

2010-04-28T13:34:00.004-06:00

You all know I am a reality TV junkie. Junkie. I have recently had to really just not turn on the TV so not to pick up another bad habit. I really honestly do not get the appeal. Most of the time I cringe at everything they do. Alas, I continue to watch. The Hills' last season just started. It was the same as usual. Awkward. Long stares and short sentences. Cue music. Commercial. Repeat. But the episode made me sad. Oh mylanta when they showed Heidi with her mom. I was almost in tears. Is she for real? Her poor mom. As a mother, I felt her pain. She just eventually had to sit back and watch her baby turn into this: Just so strange! I am glad that the production is going to cease. This poor child {along with the other girls} need to take some time to get themselves together! For the love of pete!!! Yet I will continue to watch the train wreck in progress...

So Happy Together

2010-04-23T18:39:00.007-06:00

I wanted to share a little bit on what the muffins are up to. Or at least show you some cute pictures. About a month {or more} ago, we went to feed the ducks one morning. It was a lot chillier by the water that I anticipated. All the pretty ducks stayed on the pond and these atrocious ones {I really dislike bird species of all kinds} came over to see what we were throwing. Well, we were out of crackers, but had some moldy pita bread {oops, forgot I even bought it!} so tried that instead. As it turns out, fugly ducks don't like moldy pita bread. But REW still loved trying to pet them!

And Mug would not share his goldfish with them. When Brent got home later, Mug told him that we tried to feed the ducks, but they just didn't like our old, "golden" bread. Cute. He does that a lot now, hears the wrong word and sticks with it, like, "Can we 'enter' a movie?" {Instead of rent}. Also, my favorite thing he has been doing is playing a song on i-tunes and then asking after a few minutes, "When will this song turn into a rock song?" The kid loves fast, loud music!

They have also been on several adventures lately with their grands! Both sets go non-stop when they keep them! Infact, my parents have Mug as we speak on a camping trip {his second one in 2 months!} My kids loooove outdoor adventures! They both want to know each day what is going to be happening each hour. Mama can't keep up!

This creek runs thru the neighborhood and when I need to get them out of the house, I walk them here and we throw rocks, or find stuff in the water. We bring back "treasures". It's fun.

This is Gigi and Pop Pop's new screened porch! Mug and REW are cuddled up watching Snow White!

Little REW is just talking and talking. She is still so incredibly active, wearing me out daily! As you can see, she now lets me fix her hair every morning. She calls fixing her hair, "pretty". Her bows and rubberbands are "pretties". I have to say, I have a BALL getting to do little girl hair. REW is still sleeping very very late. It's just so bizarre. She also laughs hystercially when I say, "what you talkin' 'bout Willis?" Seriously, I don't even know why I ever said that, but I use it now when she is throwing a fit {probably 2 dozen times a day} and each and every time, laughter ensues. Crazy.

Anyway, that's the munchkins!

"CHEEEEEESH!"

2010-04-15T16:43:00.001-06:00

This is the newest thing from REW. When I have the camera, she says, "Cheeeeeesh" and makes this face {on purpose like it is supposed to be cute}.

One part adorable. One part hideous. But it's all my REW.

Hallelujah! MY Favorite Holiday!

2010-04-14T13:13:00.011-06:00

I have begun to heart Easter more and more. Wait a sec...yep, I think it's my favorite! I love it for so many reasons. 1. The beautiful message. Mug learned and recited to me after many times reading the Easter story through and through, "Easter means Jesus is Alive!" I found that to mean so much. 2. It's {most of the time} warm. 3. It's a little less materialistically driven than Christmas. 4. It's a time when our entire family + Polnicks+ Mamadou and anyone else needing a nest can come and play. This year in lieu of Easter baskets from us, we let the kids pick out and plant flowers. Mug picked pink hydrangeas and REW picked blue Hydrageas {yet to bloom}. I was seriously not looking forward to more junk and candy so I thought this was a nice little reminder of Easter. Until it dies. We are notorious for being plant killers. I also opted for only one egg hunt {the big one at Gigi and Pop Pops}. Honestly, I don't know how to do that AND get to the mad rush at church on time. Can you tell I am all about simplifying? Here are the muffins on the way to church!

After church, we headed to Gigi and Pop Pop's where the masses awaited. It ended up being a balmy and VERY windy day. It actually rained in the morning, but come egg hunt time the sun was out. Made for weird hair though. REW was a grump, would not take a nap, which made me a little less fun than usual. All she wanted to do was be held by me, so that was the afternoon! Oh well! At least she will let me hold her, huh?

Gigi and Pop Pop just added a screened porch onto their house and it is beautiful!! Colton loved the doggy door!

Alana Michelle quietly went about her day.

The other girls looked adorable in their dresses.

Bubba and REW played with Jolly dog.

Pop Pop entertained at lunch.

REW pushed {scratched, hit} Griffy in his wagon. She really antagonizes this poor kid. They will probably end up in love one day!

Swisher and REW. Trying to ease her off of the thing.

Dou came {5th year to come} and wanted to drive Pop Pop's 'Bad Boy'. It was quite an adventure to say the least! REW was not wanting any part of it. Unless, of course, I would hold her.

So, I did. The look on my face says it all. It was a bit terrifying to cruise the neighborhood with my toddler in my lap holding on like a monkey does when it's mama swings thru the forrest. I think we tipped over on two wheels. HA!

Kimbo and CDP {kid always smiles perfectly--I am so jealous}.

Coralling the kids to go egg hunting...Brent and Dou horseplay for a long time. It concerned Mug a great deal.

Dou helping Mug. My kids find an egg. Eat the content immediately. Makes for loooong egg hunts.

REW loved the egg hunt.

Because she did this with each egg.

Dou and Griffy

I realized that my kids were the only one tearing thru their candy while other children were playing. Hmmmm...what is that all about? I had to take it away and they were both so so sad.

This is the only shot I got that was even the slightest bit decent. Translation: they are looking in the same direction! Look at that pretty dress all chocolatey! Don't worry, nothing a little soak in Oxyclean did not fix!

So, there it was in a VERY brief nutshell! Easter 2010! Always so fun!

Sweet 16 and Elite 8--HOW GREAT!!!!

2010-04-12T11:19:00.004-06:00

It has finally happened. It is now hip and cool to be a Baylor sports fan! I loved getting to go watch my boys play in Houston. Holy cow. What a fun, exhausting, motivating and emotionally draining weekend! We headed up with the usual suspects {Hillman, Polnicks and other Wilsons} minus our Mug but towing along REW. We stayed in Pearland, super close to our fave Houston friends, the Allens ,so we could spend some time with them! It was crazy from the start! Kimberly's sis, Kristi, watched ALL of the kids we brought so we could go enjoy ourselves at our favorite past time. Crown in Heaven is all I'm saying! Thanks to you, friend! REW and I went to an egg drop that the Allen's church put on. I am posting this picture because my mom has a picture strikingly similar of she and I! Weird!
Anywho, onto the Sweet 16! We arrived with weird emotions of nerves and excitement! Reliant was a huge venue and Baylor fans dominated and it still seemed to dwarf us.

St. Mary's had been having a huge run and were pumped and fueled by the media's take on them being unworthy to be in the tourney. Baylor felt the same. Years of struggle finally coming to fruition. Yikes! Dick Vitale picked St. Mary's to take us down...

Here is the gang

And my basketball sidekick. It's REDONKULOUS how into Baylor basketball we are. You would think Mug or CDP played on the team the way we act. I have millions of text messages between us on record of our nerves from game to game. And now we were at the ultimate showdown!

The short version is that we took St. Mary's down. Like they were a YMCA league team of high schoolers. It was bizarre to win a game with that kind of ease. HA! I have to say, it was a little sad. For St. Mary's, that is! And Brent and I were on the third row like the gangstas we are.

The next game would prove to be a wee bit more challenging. We were to play the mecca of all college basketball programs...The Duke Bluedevils in the Elite 8. Holy shikey. I can't even believe I just wrote that! We found some other die-hards pre-game {p.s. all pics were stolen from Cari and Kimbo as I did not have my camera}. All of us were a nervous wreck.

The game was a nail biter. Lots of good things happened. We missed a ton of free throws and they didn't. We had a shady call against us that really changed the game. But that's all said and done. We played hard and we did so well, we just fell short on the bad end. Here was the half-time score:

Mainly, it was so exhilarating to see all of the BU fans rallying together in support of a great team! Anyone who is disappointed in the results...shame on you! We have come a LOOOOOOONG way. Best. year. ever. Speaks volumes if you ask me. I am so thrilled that I got to be a part of this great year in Baylor basketball!!!!

Then There are Days Like These

2010-04-06T15:00:00.004-06:00

I will be honest with you. Motherhood drowns me somedays. I think of all my shortcomings and what I should have said. How I should have responded. How I should have been more patient. I compare myself to everyone else and what they do. Somedays, I can't seem to let the selfishness in me die. The selflessness is just not complete in me yet. Somedays I long to go do the things that I enjoy. The spoils of the flesh. Sadly, the things that leave no real satisfaction. No quench. Then I look at my little children. Kimberly took these for me one day a few weeks back. She is watching them for me on Mondays so I can be in a Bible Study at church. A fellowship I deeply desire. She took these pictures and when I got them, I gasped. Then, I cried. They are beautiful, of course, but they were also haunting {I mean that in a good way}.

All the time I pour into them. How much of it is really the way I should? Do they really know how I adore them?

Can I preserve their innocence as long as time will allow?

Are they certain their mommy loves them with a Christ-like love?

Do they know the depths I grieve for their happiness and sense of belonging? That I yearn for them to be everything the Lord desires of them?

Do they know that I pray I will embrace their true personalities? That they should never feel the need to hide any part of themselves from me?

I just want them to know all of this and more. And these pictures seemed to evoke this emotion in me.

And then I thought about their sweet and loving friends...I can't even begin to explain to them that these friendships are few and far. It is something that most people would love to wrap up and keep forever. Thank you, Kimberly for taking these. To you it was a pedicure {let's have a date night again, my treat!}. To me, it was so symbolic and emotional. Thank you, friend. You mean more to me than you will know. You have captured my children in these photos as only you can do because you know and love them as your own.

This is a bunch that I will love for the rest of my life!! Wish I could keep them just like this.

Why The Sweet 16 Is So Sweet To Me

2010-03-25T12:58:00.004-06:00

I went to Baylor 1999-2002. I was a die hard basketball fan the whole time. I can remember Brent and I going with his parents to every game. I ticked off many a Sing chair for missing rehearsals to go to games. I watched Wendall Greenleaf get fouled so hard he lay limp and was carried off of the court with the offender ejected. I remember that vividly. I remember yelling to Logan Kosmalski after every game, "I LOVE YOU LOGAN!" and being starstruck when I saw him on campus. Yup. Terry Black. DeMarcus Minor. Those were my Baylor college basketball days. The year after I graduated, a horrible, unspeakable thing happened. A player was murdered. By another player. MURDERED. It seemed so awful for our little town to have such a horrible thing happen in such a public way. And moreover, my basketball crazed husband explained to me that this was very. very. very. bad for Baylor basketball.

Fast forward a few months, it is September 30, 2003. Married 8 months. We had bought our first house and lived there 2 weeks. I had started my dream job only to be violently ill 2 days into it. As I was on the floor puking my brains out, Brent came in and said, "Hey, I went with Byron {Weathersbee} and met Coach Drew {at that point coach had been in Waco for about a week or so}. He is going to let me be his grad assistant." I say, "But {barf}...you aren't in grad school." He replies, " 'I will be as of now. Gonna teach at Baylor, coach with the team.' I take my GRE Friday." I was too tired physically to even fathom what that meant or put up a fight. I had no idea what I was in for.

In January of 2004, our lives were forever changed. I wrote my husband a "go get 'em tiger!" sort of card, kissed him on the cheek, and waved him good-bye. For a year and a half. I did not know what all being a basketball coach meant. I had no idea it was literally a 24/7 job. And bless his heart. He was at the very. bottom. of that long totem pole.

And to top it all off, Baylor was terrible. We had a star in Aaron Bruce, but for the most part, going to games was brutal. The seats were empty. They hardly had enough people to make a team. Fans were grumpy. And we were being punished for a horrible crime we {the rest of the coaching staff, players and fans} didn't commit. We were on a no-post play ban, but it didn't matter. We were certainly not going to make any post play at this point. I watched my husband on the sidelines at the game. Chewing his nails. Writing coaching stats down. Breaking down film night after night after night. Beaten almost every single game. Going home to defeat after defeat.

Though the time for the school was rough. Brent was learning a lot about the crazy world of college coaching. It is crazy for sure. He met a wonderful mentor, Coach Matthew Driscoll, who became such an encouragement to not only Brent, but to me too. I was weary with all the time Brent poured into the Baylor program. And for what? Bless their hearts. Oh to just win one game. And recruiting seemed impossible! I remember one night me, Brent and a couple of friends of ours stayed up super late decorating a hotel room for Juan Diego Palacios, thinking it was a for sure thing...only to lose him to a powerhouse Louisville. Another blow.

Although everything seemed so bleak, the positive coaching staff trudged on. Later to recruit Henry Dugat, Kevin Rogers, and a 7 footer, Mamadou Diene. Brent was Mamadou's "Keeper" when he first arrived off of a plane from Senegal. His first instructions..."take him to get something to eat." A Wendy's drive thru and several burgers later...we are still blessed to have Mamadou as part of our family. He has spent every Easter with us since he has been in Waco. He is just the sweetest man. I have made friends with some of the coaches wives, and let me just say, coaches wives get extra crowns in Heaven.

When Brent graduated, Baylor was on the up and up. Not great. Not really even that good. But recovering. The beauty of it all is the way in which we all healed. I believe it was 1. by the grace of God. 2. A truly positive coaching staff who BELIEVED they could do it {cheesy as it sounds...I saw it first hand}. So, we proudly purchased season tickets. Waiting on the good days to come. And a couple of years later, the good days were here. NCAA in 2008. NIT championship game 2009. We were there with them the entire time. I know at this point most of them have no idea who I am, but I feel like a big sister to the team in my heart. I am proud of them. We are all proud of them. Never ever would have thought something so tragic would be so quickly changed.

Needless to say, we will be long, long time supporters, ticket holders and friends to the coaching staff and players. I love the family vibe Baylor has going on. And if we win tomorrow...great! If we lose...it's all ok. We have come a long way. Congratulations to all of you, Coaches, their families, and players and their families. Hope your journey in the coming years was as special as mine {I am certain that it already is}.

Mealtime Meltdowns

2010-03-24T13:50:00.004-06:00

Each child is so different. One super clean. The other super not. Yesterday, REW was such a mess and it was so stinkin' funny that Mug tried to duplicate the humor and he could barely muster up the strength to put a dot of yogurt on his upper lip. Just not his thing. But, oh my, it is hers. Along with the mess, comes something even worse. Her meltdowns after she is done eating {or sometimes before she even starts}.

I guess each child has their "thing" when it comes to misbehavior or what have you. Mug's was always screaming at bedtime and later morphed into tantrums when we had to leave any old place.

REW finishes a meal and for some reason gets angry {for the life of me I don't know why} and throws things all about. She takes her hands and quickly moves them back and fourth on her tray until everything is on the floor. She arches and sticks her sticky hands in her hair.

We have caught on to the little trick. Sad part is that she eats really fast, so we have to eat even faster. So, mealtimes have become what you might call "express". So as her punishment now the minute she tosses food, she is done with dinner even if she has not eaten a thing.

So, I am learning something new everyday. Like take clothes off before you eat.

Bon appetite!

Sip and See Lil' Miss Alana

2010-03-20T19:46:00.008-06:00

I had the honor and privilege this past weekend of helping hostess a sip & see for my wonderful SIL, Kendra, and my newest niece, Alana! There was a great turnout despite the random, frigid and wet weather! Lots of love to show our sweet mommy/daughter duo! Here are most of the hostesses {minus Kimbo and Amanda}. We used all siver and fine china. We had a coffee bar so we really wanted to display all of our teacups and saucers!

Here are some other details...

Coffee was a HUGE hit and perfect for the brrrrrr cold weather outside!

And the guest of honor, Miss Alana Michelle Wilson.

Day Out With Thomas

2010-03-20T14:14:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, my parents took Mug to the Grapevine Day Out With Thomas! It was such a fun thing for him to look forward to. We never watch Thomas, but for some reason, he is always excited about him?!? They left early to meet Aunt Kim and Uncle Casey for lunch at California Pizza! Apparently, Mug was in rare, hyper mode. Hmmm...perhaps a Dr. Pepper faciliated that a bit! They had a petting zoo at the event and my dad took a million pictures of it so I am guessing they spent a lot of time there!

The kid is definitely obsessed with ticket punching. If you don't punch a ticket, you are in big, big trouble.

What a fun adventure! Thanks mom and dad for taking him!!!

We Are A #3 Seed Headed to NOLA!

2010-03-15T13:22:00.001-06:00

Bracketology Begins

2010-03-14T13:31:00.003-06:00

This year's season is coming to a close. Our house is at home anxiously awaiting the announcement of where our Baylor Bears will be going. This man has done a lot for us!

With the combo of these young fellas.

Along with this stud.

Who would have ever thought we would get a "bye" in the Big 12 Tourney this year? And would you have ever thought we would be thought to be a 4 seed in The Big Dance? So proud of this team. Hard work pays off. The fans are so thrilled. Finally, what it feels like to NOT be the under-dog!

When You Hurt, I Hurt.

2010-03-12T15:16:00.002-06:00

Today, I am praying for our sweet friends, Holly and Jered. Their son, Parker, suddenly had a seizure today while playing at the zoo. My prayer is that is absolutely NOTHING but a one time thing. My heart is heavy for her. It is terrifying when you don't know what is wrong with your children. Here is a little man you can be praying for. It's funny how much we can take our mundane, uneventful, daily lives for granted. Then something so random like this hits us out of nowhere. Lord, give my sweet friends peace and all the doctors caring for Parker wisdom!

Dancing Into My Thirties!

2010-03-07T09:37:00.018-06:00

Well, Mr. Brent Michael Wilson completely outdid himself for my 30th Birthday! He pulled out all the stops. And despite the fact that MY two FAVORITE things: 1.) Dancing and 2.) Parties, happen to be his absolute LEAST favorite things {I mean the thought of either ruins his week}, he went ahead and planned me a fabulous DANCE PARTY!!!!!! He planned the whole thing! Invited my friends, got a fabulous venue, ordered drinks and dinner for everyone and got the perfect DJ--who played all of my kind of music!

Here is Mr. Wonderful. He got some major bonus points that will last a while {he doesn't even have to cash them in this week while he is gone at the Big 12 tourney!}!

Fer helped get the cake--which was so yummy! The whole thing sort of reminded me of a sorority formal. Ahhh, I can remember the days!

Mingling in the beginning...

Shannon, me and Dawn

Me and Kimbo

Corrie and Lauren

After a mingling, we all ate YUMMY fajitas while the DJ played some songs.

Brent, Mel and Sarah {minus her sick Korbett :( }

Jered and Holly

Sean and Katy {my dance sista for the night}

Heather, Charles, Sarah and Seth Michael, Steph, Brent and Kelly {dance sista}

Kathryn and Kendra {THANK YOU for taking ALL of the pics of the night!!!!!}

Michael and Fer Corrie and Ryan {who were kid-free for the weekend!!}

Benjie and Kimbo David and Lauren

Kylie, Mimi, Jana and Laura

Allison, Kyle, Shea and Kyle

Michael, Deanna, Nat and Doug

Gen Gen, Russ, Cari and Ricky

Kelly and Josh Courtney and my celebrity friend, Lynae

The guys all hid out at the back of the room when the dancing began.

I was trying to instruct people to get on the floor and dance. I was shocked at how many girls would not dance! But don't worry, there were a few crazy gals in da house!

Electric slide to start things off

Brent got up and sang "Happy Birthday"! SO cute! And we re-enacted our wedding day cake cutting

My favorite helpers!

And Gen Gen made sure she got a large piece!

Kelly and Me

A little country dancing. Blech. I shut that party down quick--although it WAS the only way some of the guys would dance!

Like this one...it was the only time he got on the floor.

Ahhhh! B&K

Keven and Amy

Now, the Cupid Shuffle! The rest of the night was so fun! Huge thanks to my dancing sistas who were on the floor with me ALL NIGHT! You know who you are!

Jana and Gray

Gen Gen stayed until the end! SUCH A FUN NIGHT! I talked about it for hours afterwards to Brent! It was just perfect for me and I loved getting to see all my friends together in one room!

Saturday was also so great because Baylor beat Texas!!!! My parents and brother took me to eat afterward. Little REW has been under the weather and was a tad bit grumpy. We still managed to have fun!

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Me and my little guy making funny faces! Hmmmm...I wonder where he gets it?!?!

Overall, turning 30 did not hurt at all! I am looking forward to everything it will bring. Hopefully, I am so much wiser and better than I was at 20. I have certainly learned a ton about myself in my twenties and I hope all of that knowledge spills over the next decade as I continue to mature.

Thanks for celebrating with me!!!

One Sick REW!!!

2010-03-07T09:08:00.002-06:00

SO sad! Wednesday afternoon I came home to an almost life-less and limp little biscuit. She had a 103.7 and climbing temp. Since REW is the exact opposite of limp and life-less I called the Dr. and got in immediately. Turns out she had an ear infection the previous 2 weeks that didn't heal. It was apparently pretty nasty looking. Poor baby. So, another round of antibiotics and a night where she laid like this and cuddled us in bed. Something that she has never ever done in her squirmy little life! This picture she actually looks alert, but she wasn't! She would hold her Charlie up and barely muster up the word,"Chaaaa"! It was pathetic and cute all at the same time! Winter has been brutal. Ready for some SPRING!

Pearly Whites

2010-03-01T16:01:00.003-06:00

I think this picture solidifies the fact that I no longer have a baby living in my house. {Sigh.}

Sickie/Snow/Jammie Day at Aunt NicNic's

2010-02-24T13:35:00.007-06:00

Well, over the weekend Kendra and I realized that we all have the same gunk {definition: any type of unexplained "virus"}. As Monday rolled around we talked several times and knew the weather was going to be freezing, I felt like doo-doo and she had a dentist appointment she really needed to be at. Instead of sending the kids to school all gunky and knowing there was a possibility of early release, I told her to send 'em on over to Nic Nic's. In jammies. I made a warm yummy baked oatmeal had several cups of coffee and got geared up to play with all of my loves!
Little Alana did this the ENTIRE 4 hours she was here!!! Seriously, the whole time! Sort of made me think 3 is a piece of cake {heh, heh!}! Meanwhile, I had my other 2 ladies who were here and there and well...everywhere! They toddled around upstairs with Frankie. REW decided to give Lou Lou lessons on Pug riding. Sweet Frankie.

I also thought it would be fun to paint the girl's toes for the first time. Colton thought it was super cool and wanted to do everyone's, including his own. I had to shut the pedi party down with that. I did want to do Lou Lou's but she gave me a huge adamant head shake for NO! I guess maybe next time! REW took her socks off all day to show me her tootsies. Love that. Looks like some mommy daughter pedis in the near future!

After a hilarious snack line-up that I tried my hardest to get a pic of, we played "Monkeys jumping on the bed"! Colton is not throwing a peace sign. He is signifying the 2 little monkeys jumping on the bed....

Then 4 were jumping on the bed. And to my delight, only 1 fell off, but he did not bump his head {don't worry, K, it was one of mine}!

We watched the snow and Uncle Brent came home to take the boys out in the snow. We had a meltdown when Mug found out why we stress the importance of mittens on your hands when cold. He cried for a good 20 minutes because his hands were freezing. The mittens are now his friend.

When everyone left and naptime was over, Brent came home to help build this snowman. We were running out of daylight so he was a little smaller than we wanted. But I thought they did a great job!

You know, I just had such a blessed day yesterday. I had been sick and felt so yucky and grumpy. The snow was beautiful. I thanked God for it. But more so, I was SO blessed to have my little nieces and nephews over. They are just such a joy. It made my day so quick and delightful. We were all sick, but we were all together. It sort of brought me back to a better place. A place of thankfulness. Because God is good no matter what the situation. It was good for me to find the jewel in the day. What a fun day!!

Releasing Some Love

2010-02-17T19:32:00.005-06:00

After Mug's birthday party, I think we were all needing a little down time for our Monday. Good thing too, this little munchkin woke up totally boogery with what appears to be {yet} another yucky virus. And this one was just exhausted from a nap-free weekend. Yes, that's right. A weekend completely void of one nap. We also did not really do any Valentine activities at home since I have vowed to always make Mug's birthday {which is on Valentine's Day} the focus of that day.

We also had a ton of balloons left over from the party. I thought the kids might get a kick out of releasing them. And I would get a kick out of not having 20 deflating balloons floating around the house at night waking me up thinking there was a robber inside {true story}. We wrote out some Bible verses that the kids helped me pick out about God's love and tied them to the end of the balloons. We prayed that someone who needed them would find them.

REW was unsure of what to do so she allowed Mug to release her balloon. But more impressive is the huge snot rocket on her face {go ahead, click and enlarge now}!

Up, up and away!

"Let's do all of them!"

And so, there you have it! A fun little way to share God's love.