tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361576932024-03-20T06:23:17.052-05:00The PiksthePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.comBlogger880125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-4033207934622794842014-08-26T17:47:00.002-05:002014-08-26T17:50:12.417-05:00We Interrupt This Vacation...Well, something interrupted our vacation: School! We were minding our own business, traveling the country, riding roller coasters, visiting family, staying up late, sleeping in, playing video games, hangin' at the pool. When BAM! First day of school!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was up and eating breakfast while the boys were still moaning in bed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for her first day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The obligatory "you have to smile for at least one picture" picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going into her class</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what got me at Meet the Teacher night - seeing her at her desk!</td></tr>
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While I was ready for everyone to get back on a schedule, I don't think any of us were super ready for school to start. But yesterday it did, and the first day went great! The range of emotions was wide. Really wide. Allie popped up like she'd been waiting for this day for months and flapped her arms in anticipation. She put on her crazy cat shirt that she had picked out and ran down to eat breakfast.<br />
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Spence seemed pretty indifferent. Not too much protesting, but no excitement. Very middle of the road.<br />
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Coleman woke up chanting, "<i>I hate school!</i>" and had picked out an all black ensemble (down to the socks and underwear people) that I put away and replaced with a less mournful outfit. The poor boy doesn't really hate school, he just cannot take change of any sort. We tried to remind him that at the end of the school year, he didn't want summer to come. But of course he thinks he really hates school, so he chanted his sad little mantra all morning!<br />
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We had to arrive earlier than normal because I had some PTO duties, and it was nice to be there in time to walk all three kids to their classes and get them settled! Allie and I had picked out a book for her teacher and Allie made the cutest card. It's a good thing that girl was so excited, or I would have been a... oh what do they call it? A hot mess! I had a few teary moments the day before, so I put on my brave face and left my sweet baby that looks too tiny to be there in her class.<br />
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Spence went right into his room and got settled in. No biggie. Just another day I guess.<br />
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By this time Coleman had accepted his fate and walked into his room ready to go. I suppose the chanting was only for our morning entertainment! There was a moment of hesitation, like I was forgetting somebody, but I wasn't! <br />
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I'm sure it will take a while to get used to this new chapter. I actually hung out at the school most of the day yesterday. There was a PTO breakfast that I stayed at until about 9:30. I came home for a little while and then went back around noon to clean up from the breakfast. I stuck my head in the volunteer room and ended up staying there chatting, helping some other PTO moms, and doing die cuts for the Kindergarten aide. It was fun!<br />
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Today Allie didn't even want me to walk her into the school. What?!?! Spence, going into his third year at this school, wasn't sure he could find his room though. But since Allie was so sure she wanted to go in by herself, I gave Spence some directions and let them out at the door and pulled away. <br />
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They are all getting into their routines. I think no homework this first week helps ease the blow of going back to school. So far I'm the only one who's had homework. Paper work x 3 = too much! thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-32359291342822304072014-07-24T22:20:00.002-05:002014-07-24T22:23:44.192-05:00Our Summer Road Trip, Part 4I just realized I'm never going to finish posting about this road trip if I don't speed things up a little! But as soon as I start looking back through photos from Disney's California Adventure, I remember all the cool things we got to do there and how much fun it was! Spence just amazes me with all the crazy rides he is willing to do. And if Allie were a few inches taller, she'd be right there with him! She was actually tall enough to ride The Hollywood Tower of Terror, so she did! Brian took Spence and Allie while Coleman and I politely said, "No thank you, we'll be in one of the shops waiting for you." The Hollywood Tower is set up like an old hotel where some movie stars were electrocuted in an elevator. I'm pretty sure it was creepy and scary, because brave as they were to go once, Spence and Allie didn't go again.<br />
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The coolest part of California Adventure had to be Cars Land. We had seen it plugged on America's Funniest Videos (if you watch you know they do the end of the season 100,000 show at Disneyland), but didn't realize just how neat it would be. The scenery was amazing!<br />
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We got fast passes for the Radiator Springs Racers, where you basically take a ride through the movie <i>Cars</i> and end by racing another race car. Super fun!<br />
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In the movie, The Cozy Cones were hotel rooms shaped like traffic cones, but in Cars Land The Cozy Cones were concession stands (with overpriced ice cream and popcorn, but we won't go there). </div>
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If you had to stand in line at Luigi's Flying Tires, it would look like you were in his tire store. Thankfully there was no line, so we stopped and posed for a picture. Where are the white walls??? </div>
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Another cool ride was Toy Story Midway Mania, where you put on 3-D glasses and got to shoot at Toy Story themed games. <br />
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Adventurous Spence standing by his favorite roller coaster, California Screamin'.<br />
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A Bug's Land was pretty awesome too. From walking down into a human-sized ant hill to driving rolly-polly bumper cars, we had a blast!<br />
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And of course it wouldn't be Disney without a parade. I think Spence enjoyed Lightening McQueen and Mater as much as Allie liked the princesses!<br />
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thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-4205803940583673662014-07-21T22:35:00.001-05:002014-07-21T22:35:22.304-05:00Our Summer Road Trip, Part 3We left the Grand Canyon and told Spence and Allie we were heading to Utah to spend the night and then on to Grandma and Grandpa's the next day. But that wasn't really the plan! Brian had decided that since we were only about 8 hours away, we would surprise them with Disneyland! We told Coleman a few months ago because he doesn't really like surprises, and he did a great job of keeping the secret.<br />
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We couldn't decide when we'd tell Spence and Allie about our big surprise, but we knew we'd hear an endless chorus of "Are We There Yets???" if we spilled the beans too soon. It's a good thing 5 and 7 year olds are pretty oblivious and don't look at road signs. We were able to make it to Victorville, CA which is about an hour from Anaheim, before we stopped for dinner. They had no clue we weren't in Utah. Brian pulled out our map that we had been charting our journey on each night. He told them that he couldn't find Victorville in Utah, and after a few prompts and a little help from Coleman, they spotted it on the map in California. Brian pulled out our tickets to Disneyland, and after a few moments of confusion (<i>So we're not in Utah???</i>) Allie began doing her happy dance right there in Wendy's!<br />
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I have to suggest that when planning a trip to Disney, you buy a program that helps you plan out each day. Brian and I watched youtube videos of most of the rides to figure out what the kids would want to ride and which ones we could skip (<i>Thanks Pirates of the Caribbean, but we'll pass on the nightmares...</i>). Then Brian plugged in the rides we wanted to do, and the program told us the best time to go and when to pick up fast passes to miss long lines. I admit I was nervous that Disney would be one long line after another, but we hardly stood in line at all. It was amazing!!! We rode everything we wanted to, and had time to do even more! Of course we were there before the gates opened and didn't head back to the hotel until after 11. Total exhaustion, but since we only had one day at Disneyland and one at California Adventure we wanted to get in as much as possible. It was a super fun family trip and I think the kids will be talking about it for years to come!<br />
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Spence and Allie really have no fear when it comes to rides. If they are tall enough, they will ride! Coleman doesn't like rides that have really steep drops where you come out of your seat, but other than that he's pretty adventurous also. I missed the first ride on the Matterhorn, but I was able to catch them as they were finishing the ride and get a great picture.<br />
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In Toontown, you could visit some of the characters' houses. We got to sit on Minnie Mouse's couch, and then we actually met her in her garden! <br />
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Allie, Spence, and I played around in Goofy's house while Brian and Coleman went to get our fast passes for Splash Mountain. <br />
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Since I don't spin, I was the photographer for several rides like the tea cups.<br />
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There are lots of great places to get family pictures at Disney. This one is in front of It's a Small World, and in the next one you can see the princess castle behind us.<br />
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Coleman loved that there was so much Star Wars stuff at Disney, but he made sure we knew when they didn't get all the facts straight. The first picture was taken right before we went into the 3D simulator called Star Tours. It was pretty amazing, but I left feeling quite queasy! The next few pictures were at Jedi Training. The boys don't like to be on stage, so they didn't want to go through the training, but you know Allie did! She even got to fight Darth Vader! Meanwhile Coleman let us know that Mace Windu died before Anakin became Darth Vader, so I don't know how they could have properly trained the little padawans.<br />
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Disneyland: where 7 year olds can drive cars! I might have felt a little queasy after this ride too!<br />
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I knew we couldn't miss the parade, and you can see that Allie felt the same way! She's not overly into the princesses, but she thought it was pretty cool to see them and wave at them.<br />
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After a few more rides and the fireworks, the boys stayed to go on the Indiana Jones ride while Allie and I headed back to the hotel to rest up for day 2 and California Adventure!thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-28774102298772797752014-07-16T15:59:00.000-05:002014-07-16T16:05:21.860-05:00Our Summer Road Trip, Part 2After leaving the Petrified Forest, I could hardly wait to get to the Grand Canyon! This sounds a little crazy, but ever since I was a little girl and I saw an episode of the Brady Bunch where they visited the Grand Canyon, I have wanted to go there. As we were driving into the park I felt like a kid about to go in the biggest toy store in the world!<br />
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It was just as amazing as I had imagined! I can't believe anyone can visit here and not think about God and how awesome His creation is. One of the neatest things was that each spot that you looked out over the canyon you got a completely different view. And every view seemed even more beautiful than the one before!<br />
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It did make us a little nervous looking over the edge, and for a while Coleman and Allie were very, very cautious. Then Allie loosened up and we really had to keep a close eye on her. She wanted to sit on ledges and jump around where there weren't any guard rails. Coleman's question was , "Why aren't there guard rails everywhere?!?!"<br />
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We took a bus that evening to the best spot to watch the sun set. I felt like praise music should have been playing! It was a truly amazing sight.<br />
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After it got dark, we went to a star party, where people had set up their powerful telescopes and let you look through them. Through one we were able to see a binary star, another gave us a view of a group of a million stars, and finally we saw Saturn, rings and all! Another guy who was very knowledgeable had a laser and was pointing out different constellations. It was definitely worth staying up late for!<br />
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But yes, we were all exhausted by the time we got back to our room!<br />
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Of course Spence didn't forget to leave his tooth out for the tooth fairy! He wanted to make sure she could find him and his tooth since we were away from home, so he left this note.<br />
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The next morning we walked around and got a few different views of the canyon.<br />
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Coleman took it upon himself to make sure Allie was held onto at all times! Thank you, Coleman. <br />
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This was the part of the trip I had been anticipating for such a long time, and I enjoyed it as much as I imagined. It was even better to share it with my favorite people!thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-36392226196786186422014-07-16T15:33:00.001-05:002014-07-16T15:36:35.479-05:00Our Summer Road Trip, Part 1We arrived home from our road trip yesterday after being gone from home almost 3 weeks. That was a long time to be away, but we had a ton of fun! We crammed so many activities into those 20 days that I'll have to split it into several posts! There are lots and lots of pictures to share, so get ready!<br />
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After leaving home, our first stop was in West Texas at my uncle's house. The kids were so excited to see Uncle Pete and Aunt Jean! <br />
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The next day we stopped in Roswell to find out about the aliens. Before we left town I decided we needed to get a picture with an alien, but our only "sighting" was outside a KFC!<br />
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We spent our second night at the Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona. That was a really neat experience!<br />
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There were classic cars parked by each wigwam, which added to the charm. You can see Coleman was excited to stay here!<br />
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As we were leaving town, we saw this painting of Route 66 on the side of a building. Super cool! <br />
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Ready to head down the Mother Road!<br />
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At breakfast Spence was eating his pancakes when his tooth fell out!<br />
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We recovered the tooth and then headed to the Petrified Forest National Park. I was ready to get to the Grand Canyon, but we were so close that we didn't want to miss this. Even Coleman had a good time, despite the look on his face. I think he was concerned that you weren't supposed to sit on this piece of petrified wood, even though we assured him it was fine.<br />
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Spence was glad he had his binoculars to check out the badlands.<br />
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This was an old hotel in the Painted Desert. <br />
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Next stop: Grand Canyon! thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-82728139708665157442014-06-18T22:07:00.002-05:002014-06-18T22:07:47.795-05:00Last Day of SchoolJune 6th was the boys' last day of school. I think I was more excited than they were! Now that they've finished 3rd, 1st, and PreK, they are ready to enjoy the summer!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 4th grader and 2nd grader</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I told her when school got out on June 6th she would officially be a Kindergartener!</td></tr>
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-29550138050478755512014-06-17T17:02:00.002-05:002014-06-17T17:02:48.039-05:00Some May HappeningsI'm glad the end of the school year only comes once a year. May is always jam-packed with activity after activity! We had lots of fun: a visit from Grandma and Aunt Mary, a wedding, Mother's Day, football, graduation (the Pre-K kind), reunion planning, and Boy Scout activities. And we always want to show our teachers how much we love and appreciate them, so there were lots of activities and planning that went into that. Here are a few moments from May!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two football players</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And football games would not be complete without SNOW CONES!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian was best man at our friend's wedding</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother's Day (Spence was determined not to look at the camera)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First swim of the season</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 high school friends met to plan our 20 year reunion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy Scout Rocket Launch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spence's troup getting their awards at the Boy Scout Blue and Gold Banquet</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdzN9m_LoExDT4H6ml0fxB73LXxs8CyhJlGwS8QjLv7jriKlxQp4xeOpZWxG4YkUJaOWHsblmxwH3CWXNVgRiMxXHQSIZXJqwfoBSn9P1LMaSrCEo6oqe_ljZZzDQ6LnLovQQ/s1600/CAM00452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdzN9m_LoExDT4H6ml0fxB73LXxs8CyhJlGwS8QjLv7jriKlxQp4xeOpZWxG4YkUJaOWHsblmxwH3CWXNVgRiMxXHQSIZXJqwfoBSn9P1LMaSrCEo6oqe_ljZZzDQ6LnLovQQ/s1600/CAM00452.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medals for the Pine Wood Derby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allie in her cap and gown</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1fmtzUppMhyphenhyphenvttg6t7AyiAhH4hVNXiRIgKUhhAPrR_vjrnmzFA-308uU5-VkdmNbMvSVPTY3-Pepueu5RISdF48j6KWu39Puxm-aycvGX0uWqYtdGDPObpAuTyTNdm4PCpPK/s1600/croppedIMG_0527.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1fmtzUppMhyphenhyphenvttg6t7AyiAhH4hVNXiRIgKUhhAPrR_vjrnmzFA-308uU5-VkdmNbMvSVPTY3-Pepueu5RISdF48j6KWu39Puxm-aycvGX0uWqYtdGDPObpAuTyTNdm4PCpPK/s1600/croppedIMG_0527.JPG" height="219" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our baby graduated!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now she's ready for Kindergarten!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids posed for one last picture after a Preschool program</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvfcIFT2HU4UPjSpuBVmo0RxnEL0cdN1hzl57oBZPYtxHORZbchanSwYGLLxumPVFUBJzuj_27jfQDiGhY00r6Pn58Qfwn9qyYsT_qXcw77cUyoOWDKkDzdsWH9jt7LPt_TKr/s1600/CAM00458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvfcIFT2HU4UPjSpuBVmo0RxnEL0cdN1hzl57oBZPYtxHORZbchanSwYGLLxumPVFUBJzuj_27jfQDiGhY00r6Pn58Qfwn9qyYsT_qXcw77cUyoOWDKkDzdsWH9jt7LPt_TKr/s1600/CAM00458.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last day of school. We enjoyed this Mother's Day Out for 6 years!</td></tr>
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-46450176335026306232014-06-17T10:54:00.002-05:002014-06-17T10:55:07.289-05:00My Last 5 Year OldHappy birthday sweet Allie! 5 years old? Is that right? You have been bringing our family joy and excitement since the first day we met you! I love the look on Coleman's face in this picture. He was in love from the beginning. We all were! <br />
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Our family's first birthday tradition is to go to Build-A-Bear. When we started this tradition I think we underestimated how expensive those crazy little stuffed bears and their accessories can be. Daddy's wallet was hurting this day, but just look at those smiles! And we're happy to report that all bears (and monkeys) are still being loved and cared for.<br />
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One advantage of a June birthday is that you can celebrate by going to the pool. This was your 2nd birthday! </div>
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Third birthdays at the Pik household mean one thing: Mommy's gonna go crazy planning a themed birthday party that may be a little over the top. But it's fun! Your third birthday party had a Dora the Explorer theme, and you and your friends had to find the birthday cake after Swiper swiped it.<br />
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For your 4th birthday, we took a family trip to Sea World with your friends Paul David and Judson. What a fun time! This picture was taken on your birthday at one of your favorite lunch spots, Los Tios.<br />
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This year your big birthday present is a surprise that you won't find out about until we are halfway to Montana at the end of this month. Mommy feels a little bad that you have to wait so long, but I'm pretty sure it will be worth it! I can't wait to see the look on your face... But to hold you over until that surprise, we might have a few things planned this week. <br />
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Happy birthday Allie! You're 5 years old today!!!!<br />
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Here's a picture of my first 5 year old in January 2010.<br />
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And my middle 5 year old in November 2011.<br />
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I'll try to add some more pictures later this week. And of course I need to go back and post some pictures of all the fun things that happened in May and early June! Believe me, there were a lot. May is busier than Christmas around here!<br />
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-61218592646097046772014-04-27T20:37:00.000-05:002014-04-27T20:37:08.277-05:00ConversationsAllie and I had a girls' weekend while the boys were away camping. It was such a fun time to spend just the two of us. I wanted to share one of the highlights of the weekend, mostly so I will remember it! Every so often I go back and read posts and remember things our family did or games we played or what life was like when the kids were babies. It brings such a smile to my face, as I'm sure this will when I read over it again years down the road.<br />
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We were out shopping yesterday (see, I told you it was a fun girls' weekend!) and in the car the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i9wtJzok4U" target="_blank"><i>We Believe</i> by the Newsboys</a> came on. This is one of my favorite songs at the moment, and I was singing along. Here are the lyrics to the chorus:<br />
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<i>We believe in God the Father</i></div>
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<i>We believe in Jesus Christ</i></div>
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<i>We believe in the Holy Spirit</i></div>
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<i>And He's given us new life</i></div>
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<i>We believe in the crucifixion</i></div>
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<i>We believe that He conquered death</i></div>
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<i>We believe in the resurrection</i></div>
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<i>And He's comin' back again, we believe</i></div>
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And here's our sweet conversation:<br />
<i>Allie: Do we believe that?</i><br />
<i>Me: Yes! Well, I do. Do you?</i><br />
<i>Allie: Yes!</i><br />
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I did a little talking about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and how Jesus is coming back for all of us who love Him. <br />
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<i>Allie: I love Jesus! And you do. And Daddy does. And Coleman and Spence. And Maestro! Maestro will lick Him!</i><br />
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<i>We believe in God the Father<br />
We believe in Jesus Christ<br />
We believe in the Holy Spirit<br />
And He's given us new life<br />
We believe in the crucifixion<br />
We believe that He conquered death<br />
We believe in the resurrection<br />
And He's comin' back again, we believe<br /><span>Read more at <a href="http://www.songlyrics.com/newsboys/we-believe-lyrics/#tMXsxSevwTW2lHRy.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.songlyrics.com/newsboys/we-believe-lyrics/#tMXsxSevwTW2lHRy.99</a></span></i></div>
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Oh my. This just grabbed my heart and made it so happy! Although I'm not convinced of Maestro's affections for Jesus. But Allie's? And Coleman's and Spence's? It's my deepest prayer every single day. As a matter of fact, a verse was referenced in today's sermon that made me stop and realize what a huge responsibility praying for them is. Lamentations 2:19 says<br />
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<i><span class="text Lam-2-19" id="en-NIV-20352">Arise, cry out in the night,</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Lam-2-19">as the watches of the night begin;</span></span><br /><span class="text Lam-2-19">pour out your heart like water</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Lam-2-19">in the presence of the Lord.</span></span><br /><span class="text Lam-2-19">Lift up your hands to him</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Lam-2-19">for the lives of your children,</span></span><br /><span class="text Lam-2-19">who faint from hunger</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Lam-2-19">at every street corner.</span></span> </i></div>
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Not every moment of our girls' weekend was shopping and smiles. I admit there were a few moments where I wanted to send Allie to her room and have a <i>girl</i> weekend, as in just one girl - me! She's doing this thing now where she must thing it's adorable for her to talk like a baby. Believe me, she's the only one that thinks that. And then there's the other thing where she rigs every game or activity so she can be deemed the winner. We're probably going to have to deal with this before school starts. I won't even talk about the fighting between her and Spence. But I'm guessing if every moment was sweet conversations in the car or eating at her favorite restaurant I wouldn't appreciate them as much. And I may not realize how much I need to be crying out to the Lord for her and her brothers' lives.<br />
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Well, that's all of my deep thoughts for tonight. I'll share some pictures from our girls' weekend and the boys' camping trip in the next few days!thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-56669743777492199812014-04-25T14:34:00.000-05:002014-04-25T14:38:02.446-05:00EasterBelieve it or not, it has taken me a long time to write this post about Easter. I don't want to sound like a grumpalumpagus (sounds just like it's spelled) or have anyone think I disapprove of the way they choose to celebrate Easter. So here goes: I don't like the Easter bunny. There... I said it! I think it's because he seems to take the place of Jesus as the meaning of Easter for so many people. I really like coloring eggs, stuffing candy in plastic eggs and letting the kids hunt for them, and dressing up pretty on Easter Sunday. But for some reason I just can't get behind the rabbit. Thankfully my kids don't seem to care about him either. I don't have a problem with other people including the Easter bunny in their celebration of Easter, as long as he isn't the main focus.<br />
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As for Easter, what a meaningful day to think about how truly amazing God's gift of salvation is, and what He did to pay for our sins. Not only did Jesus physically suffer on the cross, but He who knew no
sin became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). He suffered separation from God
for a time so He could take on our sins. Thankfully we can praise Him for that every day, but Easter is a time where we focus our hearts on that truth and worship and thank Him for that ultimate sacrifice. <br />
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We had a very relaxing Easter weekend! The boys had Good Friday off from school so we got to hang out Friday, then go to birthday parties on Saturday and hunt for eggs with friends, celebrate the true meaning of Easter on Sunday and then just take it easy!<br />
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We took the camera to church so someone could get a picture of our family on Easter, but we forgot! Here are a few pictures from the weekend though. <br />
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Spence and Allie had fun coloring eggs! OK, I had fun coloring eggs also. And had to keep reminding myself it was alright when they would drip and mix the colors. <br />
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The kids and our neighbors had an Easter egg hunt on Saturday. I got a kick out of the boys' "baskets." Coleman dumped some toys out of a plastic container and Spence grabbed a box that his newest toy came in. Meanwhile the girls have pretty buckets and baskets!<br />
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I think confetti eggs are my favorite! We all were covered in confetti. Even Maestro!<br />
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thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-19850077044368725082014-04-15T21:55:00.000-05:002014-04-15T21:55:52.988-05:00Football and FlowersI have to laugh when I think back to my Jr. High cheerleading days. We had to be taught some of the basic rules of football, but I think our sponsor was happy if we could tell if our team was on offense or defense! We had a cheer about "1st and 10" and I had no clue what that meant!<br />
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These days you'll find me cheering on the sidelines for my two favorite players and their coach. And I love it! I haven't even minded that the last two weeks have been somewhat rainy. Allie scored her first touchdown last week (I might have already written about that, but I can't remember.) and she had a great run this week. She stopped short of making a touchdown, so we're not sure if she thought she crossed into the end zone or if she got tired. Coleman scored two touchdowns this past Sunday, and helped his team win! They must have an awesome coach...<br />
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I made it back in town just in time to see Allie play on Sunday. I went to a ladies' retreat with some girls from my church. It was such a relaxing, renewing time. Just a great time to get away, dig into God's Word, and enjoy a little break from cooking, cleaning, driving a carpool, laundry, and the other 10 thousand things we do every day! The camp is in Washington, TX, which is just outside of Brenham (where Blue Bell ice cream is made!!!). The blue bonnets and other wild flowers were spectacular! Since we didn't have our kids with us to photograph (that's a Texas thing - finding blue bonnets and taking your kids' picture sitting in them) we plopped ourselves down and took our own pictures! There was even a Blue Bonnet Festival going on. <br />
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Allie loves playing football, but she's not much of a spectator. I tried to tell them that their brother had scored a touchdown and they should come cheer for him, but I guess this tree was calling their names!<br />
It's so funny how at home we think we "need" all these different toys, video games, and TV. When all it takes to make kids happy is a tree.<br />
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-6734396183710034732014-04-09T17:57:00.002-05:002014-04-09T17:57:47.719-05:00FieldtripathonLast week both Spence and Allie went on field trips, and I tagged along! The first graders went to Hermann Park and the Houston Children's Museum. As a former teacher I remember how field trips test your ability to count. As in you are constantly counting to make sure you haven't lost anyone! <i>Quit moving so I don't count you twice! I only got 19. Who's missing?</i> But this field trip was very organized and went quite smoothly. At the park the parents and teachers made a barricade around the playground so no one escaped! Then at the museum every class had its own guide to lead them around. Then with the teacher and 5 or 6 parents it was easy to keep up with everyone. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterworks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spence and his buddies</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the invention room, Spence neglected all the other cool stations to build a Lego car. Oh well, he knows what he likes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racing his Lego car</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a fun day with a bunch of 1st graders!</td></tr>
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Allie's field trip was to Bayou Wildlife Park in Alvin. We've been to several field trips there, but I don't think she was old enough the last time we were there to remember it. She and her friends had so much fun! First off was a pony ride. Well, first off was standing in line for longer than most 4 year olds can handle to wait for a pony ride. But I'm guessing they thought it was worth it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The goats just wanted to eat the girls' clothes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the tram ride to feed all the animals!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My FAVE!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy, Goliath, is pretty cool too. He's not full grown, but when he is each horn will weigh about 65 lbs. There was a full grown one that couldn't even hold his head up. I felt sorry for him!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think I love coming here so much because, really, where else can you go around here to look a camel in the eyes?</td></tr>
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And here it is, the last picture of a preschool field trip. I can hardly believe it!thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-55850156791277739282014-04-01T22:24:00.000-05:002014-04-01T22:24:08.286-05:00What's the Most Terrifying Vegetable?Every so often I decide that I can't take the kids' eating habits any longer and I'm going to try to get them to eat more of a variety. I know, it's my own fault that I didn't start this earlier. Shame on me. Back to the story. Sunday after the football games, Spence and Allie accompanied me to the grocery store where they each picked out several fruits for the week (easy peasy... they love fruit) and then I asked them to pick out a vegetable they would like to try. Spence asked if lettuce was a vegetable and agreed to try that. Allie found a bag of carrots and practically begged me to buy them. Sunday afternoon the grocery store is a happenin' place, and there were several sample stations set up. At one, a guy was cooking some skinless sausage. I know it sounds strange, but Spence, who practically lives on Rice Krispies and fruit, loves sausage. Won't eat a piece of grilled chicken. Screams if macaroni and cheese is in the same zip code. But loves sausage. It's exhausting to try and figure him out! So I bought the sausage and cooked it for dinner last night. I also put a piece of lettuce and a dab of salad dressing and 1/2 a baby carrot on every kid's plate. At first they were laughing and making jokes about the carrots, but eventually the laughs turned to wails and rolling tears. It all culminated with Spence literally putting the carrot in his mouth and pouring orange juice over his face to try and wash it down. Then Coleman came running in the kitchen to see what all the comotion was and slid in the carrot chunks and orange juice puddle, hurting his arm and leg. I'm not sure who was crying louder, and even how many kids were crying. I lost count somewhere. I'm pretty sure everyone got at least one bite of a carrot down. So far, the carrot is the most terrifying vegetable around here, surpassing corn and the <a href="http://thepiks.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-let-big-burp.html">Big Burp incident of '07</a>. Tonight I forced soft tacos on them. I know, I should be locked up! Allie actually likes tacos, and ended up eating 2 after throwing a fit for no good reason, and the boys tried them. Well, Coleman at least licked it. Spence maybe even thought it was good, just a little. Baby steps. thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-54275816515286209652014-03-29T16:20:00.000-05:002014-03-29T16:21:54.788-05:00Camping On The USS LexingtonIn February, Spence's Boy Scout troupe went to Corpus Christi to tour <a href="http://usslexington.com/" target="_blank">The USS Lexington</a>. Not only did they tour the ship, but they got to sleep on it! Coleman, who did not want to join Boy Scouts, seems to get to participate in all their fun activities without having to sit through meetings or wear a uniform (the uniform is Spence's least favorite part). I think Allie and I may join them on this adventure if they go back next year!<br />
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The following picture needs a little setting up. Apparently, telling ghost stories is a big part of the USS Lexington experience. One of the "ghosts" they heard about was Charlie, so before Brian showed the boys the pictures from the ship he doctored this photo to make it look like Charlie was in the background. He didn't say anything, and the boys saw it! It got them for a second, then they thought it was pretty funny. Brian shared it with the other dads so they could spook their boys too!<br />
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I'm so glad the guys got to share this special adventure together. What a fun trip with Daddy and their friends! <br />
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-35672237410420094312014-03-26T16:24:00.002-05:002014-03-26T16:24:36.559-05:00Sweet, Funny, Funny and ThoughtfulSweet:<br />
When Spence got home from school he told me that at recess, he and his friends Barrett and Kevin heard a fire truck close to the school. Spence suggested that they say a prayer, so Barrett said the prayer for the safety of the people. I asked him what Kevin did, and Spence said, "He asked if we talked to God." So proud of my sweet boy and his friend!<br />
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Funny:<br />
Guess what my sweet, girly, tomboy, ballerina turned football player daughter asked me to do as soon as her brothers got home... "Mommy, take off my necklace so I can fight!"<br />
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Funny and Thoughtful:<br />
Monday night I cut my finger pretty badly while chopping an onion. So when I got ready to chop some black olives this afternoon, I was a little nervous pulling out a knife again. I didn't even realize Coleman overhead me hoping I didn't cut myself again, but as I began chopping, he went and got a tube of Neosporin and a Band-Aid and laid them on the chopping board, saying, "Better safe than sorry!"thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-24444317308532844232014-03-25T21:43:00.003-05:002014-03-25T21:48:46.847-05:00A Recap of FebruaryWhew! I almost missed my first Tuesday post! That would have been embarrassing. Today I'm going to share a few pictures from February since I really dropped the bloggy ball that month!<br />
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The boys reached the 100th day of school! I'm not sure if they counted the two "snow days" we got out for or not. So maybe it was just 98 days on this particular day. Spence looks at least 98 though, right? It's not a great picture, but I used white colored hair spray to complete the look. <br />
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I don't have any statistics or anything, but if you ask me this has been the coldest winter we've had since I've lived here! If I had known how much cold weather we would have, I definitely would have bought the kids some coats! It's true, my children do not have coats, only zip up hoodies. And that usually cuts it here, but we had to do some layering this season. Just check out Allie!<br />
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Last year and the year before I had really cute homemade Valentine's to show off. 2014 was a box of Star Wars, Super Heroes, and Disney Princess kind of year. And nobody missed the homemade ones. Well, maybe I did just a little. Here's a picture of Spence and his teacher at their Valentine party.<br />
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Usually about once a week Allie and I go to Brian's office so I can help out. I try to take plenty of snacks, and we keep a box of toys in a cabinet there, but this is what she ends up doing for most of the time. <br />
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Except when she's doing this! This picture isn't from February, but I had to sneak it in here. One day Brian had me come in to help answer phones. Allie helped me stuff and label envelopes, then took some time to hone her ninja skills. I kept thinking, "I'm probably the only receptionist who has a personal ninja!" But seriously, I've had to start telling Allie, "You can't let everyone know you're a ninja. It's a secret identity." She really does have some mad skillz (it just seemed like that phrase needed a "z") and I'm afraid she's going to hurt someone. At least she traded in the ninja star for a Fruit By the Foot!<br />
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We all enjoyed our second annual Eaglethon Fun Run! Allie ran with the Kindergarten and First graders. Then she took on the role of cheerleader. I didn't get any pictures of Coleman since I was working at the water station during his run.<br />
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And finally, the wall was rebuilt! The kids have been in the book of Nehemiah in Children's Church, so the teacher has been collecting boxes and asking for tissue boxes for months now. Every time something came up where the boys would possibly miss church (camping trip, visiting a friend's church) they were terrified they would miss building the wall. I actually had to contact the teacher and make sure they wouldn't be building the wall the Sunday that the boys were going on a Boy Scout camping trip. Thankfully they did not miss it! And I'm so thankful that they love going to church!<br />
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We really do have such a wonderful church. I'm reading through the Bible chronologically this year, and yesterday morning I was reading about a battle that took place after the Israelites had conquered Jericho. I'm sure I had read it before, but it really jumped out at me as something Coleman would be interested in because it talked about how they lured the people out of the city and set an ambush for them. I was telling Coleman about it, and he proceeded to tell me about the battle before that, one that isn't a major kids' Bible story. If you're familiar with it, this was the battle at Ai, and how the Israelites lost and Achan's sin of taking some of the devoted things from Jericho was discovered and he and his family were stoned. Coleman couldn't remember the names, but he told me a lot of the details. I was really impressed! And so thankful for our amazing Sunday School teachers who really dig into God's Word with our kids.<br />
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That was most of February! I didn't realize how much I'd missed sharing all of this with, well, whoever is out there reading it!<br />
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-6417639142530559202014-03-22T16:55:00.003-05:002014-03-22T16:55:56.224-05:00A New PlanI'm sad that <i>The Piks</i> blog has been on the back burner. This is such a great place to keep track of our life and adventures and share them with our family and friends! I've realized though that at this time, I don't have the time or energy (mostly energy I think) to blog several times a week. It's become so easy just to post a picture to Facebook, but I don't want to abandon the blog! I actually really like writing, and I love going back and looking at what was going on with us at different times.<br />
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So I'm going to try something new: one post a week guaranteed (I'm thinking Tuesday) and possibly more if we have some excitement around here! Even though it's not Tuesday, here's a little something... Because we had some excitement around here!<br />
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Today was the Boy Scout Pinewood Derby. I had heard about this, but I thought the boys made their cars, then got together and rolled them down a hill. Really, I don't know where I thought they would find a hill where we live. Anyway, turns out this is a major, intense, big deal, official weights and measures kind of event! Yes it was fun and exciting, but also <i>serious business</i>! I got to help check in the cars, which means I helped make sure they were regulation size, would roll on the track, weighed no more than 5 ounces, and then put the number sticker on the car. Once a scout or family member checked in their car it was whisked behind the track and they couldn't touch it again until the races were over. Brian got the job of placing the cars at the top of the track and releasing them for each race. While all the official business of checking in the cars was going on, kids could build a Lego car to race after the pinewood cars.<br />
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This was a new track for our pack this year. Pretty cool!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screens to let you know who's racing, what lane they are in, and who's on deck. Pretty cool!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voting on their favorite Lego cars</td></tr>
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I tried to get some pictures of the screens when the boys or Brian would come in first in their heats. The lights affected how my pictures look.<br />
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Brian in his official role as track starter! These two pictures were of the Lego races. <br />
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I'm pretty sure Coleman won in the Youth, non-Boy Scout category. Brian won in the Adult category, and Spence made it to the Grand Finals in the Boy Scout category. There were four heats, and he was looking good to win 2nd, but in the final heat his car jumped the track! It was pretty exciting, but left him in 8th place. <br />
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This was really a fun event! And yes, I was surprised by how much fun it was. Can't wait for next year!<br />
<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-39951969921942891692014-02-03T21:03:00.001-06:002014-02-03T21:03:47.776-06:00Oh the Funny ThingsSo earlier today I was feeling bad for using Allie's love of Simon Says to make her help clean up. After a few "<i>Simon says touch your toes</i>" and "<i>Simon says jump up and down</i>" I'd throw in a "<i>Simon says pick up all your shoes and put them away.</i>" Then tonight Allie was wanting to play Simon Says again, so Coleman, whose chore tonight was to gather the trash, says, "Simon says go get the trash." And she did! He asked me if that was OK, and since I had used that trick earlier in the day, who was I to deny him? <br />
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Other funnies:<br />
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Allie looked at her third helping of ravioli tonight and said, "You're goin' down!"<br />
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A few nights ago I overhead Spence and Allie playing in another room. Spence said, "Whoever says ouch first loses." Pretty sure that's my cue to go check out their "game"! thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-44733267372382483472014-01-11T13:41:00.003-06:002014-01-11T13:41:51.657-06:00Friends and ScissorsYou might have noticed I'm playing catch up here at The Piks blog! Scroll down for Christmas and birthday trip pictures.<br />
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Last week the kids and I spent the day with some of our favorite people: Candice, Paul David, and Judson! We've had a lot of cold weather here lately, and this day was no different! But we couldn't keep them indoors!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was an intense game of football!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coleman and Judson playing Wii</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our famous group shot</td></tr>
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The weather finally warmed up, so I wasn't as reluctant to go out with them while they jumped on the trampoline. They all three love it! I'm not sure where Spence was this day. He's usually waiting right there for his turn! <br />
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And get ready for a little before and after. A few days ago Spence and Allie had ceased arguing and I thought they were upstairs playing nicely. When I went up to check, Allie had locked herself in the bathroom and was chopping her hair off! She got several strands from the sides about shoulder length, but most of what she cut was right in the front. At least it's in the area where bangs should go! It's way short, but it doesn't look too bad. There may be a few sections I need to trim, but I'm giving it a week or two then I'll see. I'll never understand why kids feel the need to do this!<br />
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-76599021073363781612014-01-11T13:24:00.001-06:002014-01-11T13:24:59.643-06:00Flashback to Spence's Birthday Trip!The week of Thanksgiving we took a trip to <a href="http://www.greatwolf.com/grapevine/waterpark" target="_blank">Great Wolf Lodge</a> to celebrate Spence's 7th birthday. What a fun place! It was freezing that week, but luckily Great Wolf Lodge has everything you need so we didn't have to leave the hotel the entire time we were there. We want to go back when Allie gets a little taller and can ride the big water slides. We got a few pictures in the resort area, but none in the water park, since I didn't want to have to keep up with my phone or camera! We're really enjoying this "birthday trip instead of a big party" gig we've got going! I hope the kids continue to realize what a special treat it is to get away together. I'm pretty sure it was a special trip that they truly enjoyed since Spence and Allie still have on those plastic bracelets they make you wear to prove you're a legitimate guest!<br />
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-50115643722306855232014-01-11T13:03:00.002-06:002014-01-11T13:03:38.595-06:00Happy New Year!<br />
I have so many pictures from Christmas and the fun adventures we had with family. It's a little overwhelming how far behind I am! I'm even late to be saying Happy New Year, I guess?<br />
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On Christmas Eve, we went to church then came home and opened presents from Nana and Poppa and Mommy and Daddy. The two big ones were a bike for Allie from Nana and Poppa and a basketball goal for the boys. I usually do Christmas jammie pictures much earlier, but this year I waited until the last minute! This was right before bed! <br />
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Spence had been saving this gingerbread man for Santa for about two weeks. He added some crackers and a vitamin. And a note to make sure Santa had actually been there.<br />
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Allie loved riding her new pink bike! She got almost to the street corner when I realized we hadn't told her how the brakes work. I took off running and caught her right before she went off the curb into the street! After a lesson on how to apply the brakes, we had a lesson on the best way to crash: fall toward the grass, not the concrete! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close call!</td></tr>
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On Christmas day, Daddy and the kids went to pick up Grandpa and Grandma from the airport. They love to ride the "train."<br />
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We've gotten lots of entertainment from the basketball hoop! Coleman will even go out and shoot baskets by himself sometimes. <br />
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The guys got tickets to a bowl game at Reliant through the Boy Scouts. While they had guys' night at the stadium, Grandma, Allie, and I went shopping and ate at Chili's. It was a fun girls' night!<br />
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This Christmas was really cold! We tried to find a good weather day to head to Sea World before our tickets expired. The Saturday after Christmas was pretty cold, but we bundled up and went to San Antonio. It was super fun to have Grandpa and Grandma there with us! We enjoyed several shows, including one that introduced the new baby killer whale! <br />
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Lucy also made the trip for Christmas! It was fun to have the dogs back together again. Aw, our first furry babies. <br />
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The kids always have a blast with Grandma and Grandpa. We had fun outings, lots of cuddling, and, well, I'm not sure what this is! But it looks fun! <br />
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-60649889935650762582013-12-20T13:18:00.004-06:002013-12-20T13:22:08.480-06:00Celebrating Jesus!Allie performed in two Christmas programs this week! On Tuesday, she sang and was the "star" of her school show. Literally the star - the Christmas star! The first few pictures are of her class and the 3 year old class. After they sing there's a short intermission and they change into their Nativity clothes. I've loved watching all three of my kids participate in this tradition. I had to click through picture after picture of her serious face to find one of her smiling, so you better enjoy it! <br />
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And just for kicks, her <i>super serious</i> face too:<br />
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Their Nativity scene. Mary is her BFF!<br />
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The music teacher told me how Allie came up with a plan to hold the star and perform the motions all at the same time. Mrs. Roxy was pretty impressed with her!<br />
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By the end of Allie's program, I was pretty sure I had been hit by the tummy bug. When we got home I went straight to the couch and a few hours later I knew<i> for sure</i> I had a tummy bug. Wasn't pretty. Thankfully my mom was at our house and she was a HUGE help! Thank you Nana!!! She got the boys all ready for school the next day and entertained Allie while I slept. I couldn't stand up for more than 30 seconds until about 5:30 Wednesday evening. I had two goals: not to get anyone else sick and to make it to Allie's 7:00 performance at church! So far no one else has puked, and we made it to the show! Super Serious Face made another appearance also. You won't see the boys in any of these pictures though. They didn't want to be in the play. They passed out programs before it started. Too bad I didn't get any pictures! They looked very handsome.<br />
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The kids all did an amazing job! And most importantly shared the true meaning of Christmas!thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-44650694582632123942013-12-15T21:06:00.001-06:002013-12-15T21:06:41.114-06:00How to Get Your Brother to Share CerealThe kids have been memorizing <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2012:9-21&version=NIV" target="_blank">Romans 12: 9-21</a> in church. Allie doesn't have it all memorized, but I am amazed at how much she knows. I really need to get a video of her saying it. It is priceless! And it totally makes my heart happy to hear my kids quoting God's Word. Sometimes you wonder though if they really understand what the verses mean. Today Spence and Allie proved that they grasp at least part of that passage, kind of sort of... <br />
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This morning I was getting ready for church and overheard the kids in the kitchen. Coleman had found the box of Cookie Crisp and apparently wasn't giving any to Spence and Allie. So Spence yells, "Share with the Lord's people who are in need!" And Allie follows with, "Practice hospitality!" Oh my word. It completely made my morning!<br />
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-22380486249887430292013-12-13T10:49:00.002-06:002013-12-13T10:49:32.560-06:00Style Watch: December EditionAllie is such a trendsetter, and it's time to share her fashion with the world! Although I'm not sure the world is ready...<br />
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This was her look yesterday for school. I suggested she wear something that matched in case her teachers were taking any Christmas gift photos. OK, so I more than "suggested." I guess since I limited her creativity that day she added the sticker and multiple hair clips. Brian took her to school and quoted one of her teachers as saying Allie was a "hot mess!"<br />
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Today is not quite as cold as it has been, so the fashionista opted for shorts and a long t-shirt. Allie likes to layer on a big Christmas bow as a sash for a festive look! <br />
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Then you can totally take this look outside with a fun critter hat! She just purchased this at Walgreens (where all style divas shop) with her own money. <br />
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This was a hairstyle she requested a few Sundays ago. I wish I would have gotten a picture from the front because she has on the most adorable sequined dress. (Really, it<i> is</i> adorable.) <br />
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So as you can see, Allie likes to experiment with many different looks. And I love to see what she comes up with, because seriously, you just never know!thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36157693.post-65443041132769252092013-12-07T15:49:00.003-06:002013-12-12T21:21:11.178-06:00SantaIt feels a lot like Christmas here today! So it was a perfect day to capture a great picture for our Christmas card. We drove a few miles out of town to historic downtown Richmond where there are old brick buildings and a "vintage" railroad bridge. Once everyone's fancy clothes were on and hair was brushed it was probably our most pleasant photo session to date! Instead of bribing them with candy I explained that our card is like our gift to about 100 families, and they needed to have a good attitude and make this a gift everyone would enjoy receiving. We got some great shots and didn't have any attitudes to deal with! In fact, the only issue we encountered was when the police caught them standing on the railroad tracks and flashed their lights and drove over to tell us that wasn't allowed. Oops! Our sweet kiddos tried to tell us they shouldn't stand on the tracks. We got a few pictures before we were busted as lawbreakers, but I don't think we got a card-worthy picture with the railroad bridge. We walked over to the main street where they had live performers, vendors, and even Santa! How convenient that Santa was right there and we don't have to visit him at the mall this year! Allie and Spence asked for a trampoline and Coleman asked for an electric toothbrush. Yes, you read that right! Santa said he'd never had anyone ask him for an electric toothbrush before. He may have to contract that gift out! After they talked to Santa, we found some old school desks set up where kids could write letters to Santa. Spence and Allie were really excited to do it, then drop them in the mailbox. We're even supposed to get a letter back from Old St. Nick! Since we haven't chosen our card picture yet, I'll just share some of the Santa pictures from today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa, please bring us a trampoline and an electric toothbrush for our brother</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dear Santa...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She drew a picture of her wish</td></tr>
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<br />thePikshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16110613778581594819noreply@blogger.com1