Halloween,Thanksgiving, Christmas, Jack Daniels, oh my!

I'm back! Showing my lazy non-blogging self :( Well, our family has been really busy since my last entry! Isaac finished his football season. They made it to the first round of the playoffs. We are so proud of him! His whole heart was in the game. Some of these professional football players could learn a lot from his attitude :) He received the Bulldog award at his end of the year banquet. I'm not a proud Mommy or anything.
Shelby also finished her horse shows for the season. We are so excited that she is rated within the top 10 in the nation in a couple of different categories!!! It is a surprise...she will find out later this month at the banquet. I can't wait to see her little face when they call her name! We are so proud of her!
Halloween this year seemed to come so fast! We took the kids to trunk or treat at their school the night before Halloween. They made a huge candy haul! On Halloween night, we took them to the grandparents house to trick or treat in their neighborhood.
Thanksgiving was at our house this year with Paul's family. We all got to sit together in the dining room. All 19 of us. It was really fun!
Christmas rolled around before we knew it! It is my favorite holiday! We spent Christmas Eve at Paul's sister's with his family and Christmas day with my family. Santa Claus was generous as usual this year.
A few days after Christmas, we went with my sister & niece & our friends, the Navarro family, to Jack Daniels Distillery. It was such a fun day! I would love to try to visit more local places of interest this year. That actually is one of goals for the year :) Well, I'll update again soon! Take care!

Happy Fall Y'all!

I LOVE FALL! My fall favorites: changing leaves, pumpkins, mum, cool crisp mornings and nights, halloween, Thanksgiving, fresh apples, fall scented candles, soup, chili, hay rides, bonfires...I could go on and on. Have a happy fall y'all! Couldn't make a post without posting pictures. This is my sweet niece Tori with each of the kids. She came to Isaac's football game Saturday.

What have I been up to?

Hello friends,

I am back after nearly 7 months (thanks to the urging of Alexia). A lot has happened since my last posting.

In March, my kitchen was flooded by a hole in the ice maker water line. We were without a kitchen for over 2 mths. We now have a brand new kitchen!

In April, Shelby turned 10! She is growing up too fast! I am so proud of her!

In May, I turned 39! I'm growing old too fast!

In June, Shelby went to horse camp in Fl. We went to Disney World & St. Augustine Beach.
Shelby has been having horse shows all summer! The last time we checked, she was 5th in the nation on equitation!!! We have not seen her ranking since the Celebration (she doesn't show in that so she may have been bumped.)

In July, the International WH show, more horse shows! Cook-outs & pool parties at our house!

In August, my baby boy turned 6! He started football & is Quarterback for his team! He is a really good player. Paul & I celebrated our 17th anniversary. He surprised me with a diamond wrap for my wedding band and I surprised him with 17 beers! Almost even! ha-ha. Paul celebrated his 42nd birthday. More horse shows, football games, practice! School started back, the kids love their teachers.

So far, September has been great! Enjoyed spending labor day with Paul & the kids & friends.
I'll try to keep my blog more updated.

Valentine's weekend

We had a wonderful weekend! Valentine's Day is one of my favorite days. I love helping the kids with their cards & treats for school. Our valentine's day was perfect! We spent it together Sat. night at home. Shelby had spent the night with the girls from the stable on Friday night. Paul worked until 4pm on Saturday. He took Isaac to work with him. I spent the day cleaning the house and watching TV. So relaxing! Shelby got home about 2:30 so she helped get ready for the evening. We made baked potatoes, salad, french bread & an apple cobbler. When Paul got home, he grilled steaks. We set the table with our china & crystal and a lace table cloth. We even had sparkling white grape juice. After enjoying the candlelight dinner, we watched Madagascar 2. Our idea of a romantic evening has definitely changed since having kids. (ha-ha)!
Friday night was the WHOA banquet! Paul took Shelby. Our friends Jeanie, Sara & Alicia came by & picked them up. Shelby was so excited to be with her "barn girls" again! She was tickled to receive 2 awards. While they were gone, Isaac & I snuggled on the couch & watched TOY STORY. I love that movie.
Well, I guess I better go make dinner! Good night!

Super Sunday

Super bowl Sunday was a fun day in our house. While I am not a football fan, I do love to entertain. We planned a little get-together with the in-laws and my sister-in-law and her family. My sister-in-law's daughter got sick so they weren't able to come but my in-laws came. Paul & I made homemade pico de galo (I don't think I spelled it right), rotel cheese dip, and corn chips. Paul's mom made homemade spaghetti & meatballs. I also made a chocolate cake. It was a nice evening. Paul & his parents liked Arizona and the kids & I liked Pittsburgh (only because Isaac has a Steelers football shirt). I went to bed before the game ended because I didn't feel good. I didn't even hear the cheers from the other room.
Earlier in the day after church, I took advantage of the pretty day to take some pictures of the kids. I was pleased with how they turned out. I wish I had photoshop to touch up my pictures. Maybe one day... Anyway, I took the pictures out by our barn. I love outdoor pictures. It was so funny the goats kept coming up to me to see what I was doing. They even made it into some of the pictures.
You will have to excuse the sporadic color changes in the text--I was just having fun!

Blessed!

I am truly a blessed person. I have been blessed with a wonderful life! I need to remember to thank God everyday for all the things I have been given. Above are pictures of my 2 biggest blessings. Shelby is pictured above showing off her ribbons from a recent horse show banquet. I was so happy to get to take her. Isaac is pictured next showing his peace sign. He has no clue what it means. He has just seen other people do it. Paul & I have to be careful because he copies everything! Speaking of Paul, I have been blessed to have been married to him for 16 yrs! Man, time flies. I could not have picked a better husband and father of my children. I have also been blessed with awesome parents and siblings. I have wonderful friends. God has provided for all of my needs and most of my wants. I am so thankful but don't always remember to thank God for my blessings. That is something that I intend to spend a lot of time working on!

I will finish what I start

Hello--
The new year is already flying by. I love starting a new year because it always feels like you get to start a clean slate. This year I am determined to finish a lot of the little projects that I have been working on forever. Last night I finished Shelby's scrapbook thru age 5 (yeah)! I just have one more of hers to complete. I have stayed pretty caught up on Isaac's. Another huge goal is to finish Paul's cross-stitched stocking. I have been working on it for more than 10 yrs!!! I know-sad! I only have the foot part left. I also want to add the pictures and journaling to Paul's Air Force album. After all my other goals are reached, I will work to catch up my family albums. They will never be done! Wish me luck!
Attached are pictures of my stack of completed albums and our dog, Yoda. He looked so cute that I had to take a picture.
Have a good night!