The Malone Family

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's pumpkin patch time again!!! I love our pumpkin patch. We have been going to the same one since Belle was about 2. We always have so much fun. This year our friends the Hina and Krouscas families joined us. It made it even more special.

My older two girls didn't really want their pictures taken too much this year but Ava was all about it. She stopped and posed in front of just about everything asking me to take her picture.

We went to the patch on the 25th of October but it was still quite warm. Still weird after all these years to go to the pumpkin patch in summer clothes. I love it!!!

Celebration of the Sabbath

2011-09-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

This year in our homeschool studies we are learning about Biblical feasts. The first one we talked about was the celebration of the Sabbath. We didn't do all of the stuff because let me tell you, preparing for the Sabbath is a lot of work.
Earlier in the week we made the Challah covering which is symbolic of the dew that was around the camp when the Israelites woke up in the desert. When the dew evaporated there was manna on the ground, God's provision of bread. Exodus 16

Isabelle and I made the Challah bread. Well I made it and she braided it. Yummy!

We also made the centerpiece for the table. The centerpiece is made of 5 candles representing the 5 of us. We are all different but we all have the same source.

Belle washed the everyone's hands representing our Sanctification.

Daddy blessed each of his children and blessed his wife then we ate.

It was such a neat experience. I'm so glad we did it and I can't wait to do it again.

Butterflies

2011-09-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

We took a little trip to the Herd Museum to see the butterfly exhibit. The girls love this place.

This year Daddy got a chance to come with us. We were so happy to be able to show him one of our favorite places.

It was quite hot that day so we didn't stay long but we really had a good time.

Last Swim of the Season

2011-08-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

One thing I don't like about Texas is their swimming season. All the public pools close Labor Day even though for a good 6 weeks after it is hot enough to swim. Good thing we have the splash park and friends with pools.
Here are a few pictures from our last day swimming. There are no pictures of Isabelle because she was going down the slides with her friend.

Someone really likes to get her picture taken. haha

Help me Lord! This kid is crazy.

Happy Birthday Ava

2011-07-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

A few things about my Ava
1. she loves to cuddle
2. she loves to play Mommies
3. her heart is very loving and compassionate
4. I think she is going to be a worship leader
5. she has the gift of encouragement
6. she is hilarious
7. her body is petite but her personality is huge
8. she is always singing and dancing
9. she makes up words all the time
10. she defines joyfulness

Ava's 4th Birthday

2011-07-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ava was so excited to be able to celebrate her birthday in Ohio with her Grammy, Papaw, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. She wanted chocolate cake with chocolate icing and ice cream with chocolate cookies. I think she has a chocolate problem.

Ava had been requesting a "food" birthday party for about 7 months. When she said "food" party she meant that she wanted new play food for her kitchen. She really wanted this pizza set from Melissa and Doug (they make the best play food) and I found it while shopping with Olivia. Olivia was able to keep this secret for 3 months!!!!! Amazing!

She was thrilled if you can't tell. She also received a new baby with diapers, food and a passy. She was a very happy girl.

My Sisters Wedding

2011-07-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

On July 9th my sister Heather and David got married! It was so fun to be there for their big day. My sister decided to have ALL her nieces in the wedding so no one got their feelings hurt. Very sweet of her. So she had 9 beautiful flower girls!

Fourth of July Celebration

2011-07-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

We started celebrating the 4th of July on June 25th when our town put on it's big event and fireworks. The girls and I met some friends to watch the fireworks. I brought LOTS of glow sticks for the girls and I believe they enjoyed them more than the actual fireworks show.

On the 4th we started the day off by going to downtown McKinney for their parade. It was a lot of fun. During one point of the parade about 60 Harley Davidson's came by. They were very cool to look at but we all felt like we were going to go deaf. Sweet Ava just covered one ear and kept on waving her flag.

The rest of the day we spent as a family shopping and eating. We lost track of time and ended up almost missing the evening fireworks. We had to take this detour and thought we were going to miss them completely but we ended up on this street right behind where they let them off with a perfect view. We quickly got out just in time for the beautiful show.

Fun times.

The Neighborhood Carnival

2011-07-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

About twice a year one of the local gyms in the area has a carnival. You can jump in the various jump houses, play inside on all the gymnastics equipment, swim, eat hot dogs, jump on the trampoline and more but if your last name is Malone than all you really want to do is play in the petting zoo.

I feel so sorry for these little animals. They are stepped on, grabbed, thrown, dropped and who knows what else.

Ava really wants to hold the animals but just can't seem to make herself do it. Surprisingly Olivia is kind of the same way. She did find a couple bunnies this year and was brave enough to hold them. The most shocking is Isabelle! The same child who ran into my room crying and shaking because she saw a DEAD moth in the play room. The same child that was terrified of flies. The same child that will stop playing outside if she sees a wasp. This child loves the petting zoo. She picks up everything!
I guess insects and farm animals ARE very different. haha

A Royal Tea Party

2011-05-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

Turning 9 is a big deal. So we needed to celebrate like royalty. Isabelle invited her two closes friends to a Royal Tea Party.

The days events were
1. Hat decorating
2. Make up and manicures
3. Cookie decorating
4. High tea and snacks
5. American Girl board game

The girls really seemed to enjoy themselves. A great time was had by all.

Happy Birthday!

P.S.
Thanks Mom for the great party idea!

Happy Birthday Isabelle

2011-05-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

My sweet and lovely first born is 9 years old today!

Here are a few things about my girl I thought you should know.

1. We call her Belle-Belle
2. Her best friend in Joy-Joy
3. She loves to read
4. She would like to maybe be a meteorologist
5. Science is one of her favorite subjects
6. She's a wonderful big sister
7. She likes to be the director in any plays her sisters put on
8.She loves to cuddle
9. Playing outside is her favorite
10. She has mad gardening skills
11. She sings very well
12. She'll probably be taller than me in two years
13. She really likes to dress up and look nice when we go places
14. She likes to understand how things work and why
15. She's a planner - unlike her Momma
16. She plays well with others but needs some time to herself occasionally
17. Her hair is what most people notice first about her
18. She thinks of others
19. She loves America's Funniest Home Videos
20. She's the best daughter a Mommy could ever hope for

I love you Belle.

Happy Happy Birthday!

A Long Time Coming

2011-05-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to upload pictures for a while so when I finally was able to I had 502!!
I kind of like to take pictures.
So for my first blog back I'm going simple.

This is what my family room looks like when the seasons change. Having 3 girls is great in so many ways. They can share their rooms, toys, hair products, friends and mostly their CLOTHES!!!!!

These pictures are only SOME of the clothes I got down from the attic. I then had to wash them, fold them, take the winter clothes out and put them in bins and then put the Spring clothes away!
All in a days work or two.

Oh Ava!

2011-03-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

My sweet little girl is on a role today so I thought I would share some of her quotes from the day with you.

Quote #1
"When I grow up I want to be a mommy, an ice skater, a ballet dancer and a bongo drum guy"

Quote #2
" Every princess needs some sparkle, Jesus says"

Quote #3

Playing outside with her sisters I say," Ava stop yelling" She says," I don't want her (Isabelle) to be my mommy she's bossy like you are"

My quote for the day "Winning"

The Great Snow!

2011-02-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

We had a great family week! Last Tuesday we received a huge ice storm that shut down the entire area! The temperatures were so cold that it just wouldn't melt. Here in the great state of Texas we don't have snow plows, we don't use salt and we don't know what to do when we get weather like this. Then on Friday we received 5 to 7 inches of snow.
We were all together in our house Tuesday through Saturday!!!!!! It actually was great!
On Friday we got all dressed up and went outside for a impromptu neighborhood snow ball fight. Even got Nathan involved.
I do hope you all notice that this year my girls have boots on and not Crocs. hehe
Okay, they are rain boots but they're STILL boots.
Thanks Texas for being terrible at snow and ice removal!!!! We loved it!

Loving Fall

2010-12-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

Here in the great state of Texas we have wonderful weather. We are truly blessed. I'm not joking. OK, everyone that is yelling at me about the 100 + degree summers can just get over it. I'm a Northerner who loves the heat!!! Anyway, the other day we went down the street to our wonderful park and enjoyed our weather.

I just love that sweet face!

Sweet sisters!

I can't believe how grown up she is becoming.

Olivia Christine

2010-11-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

Olivia is 5 today! Wow! I can't believe I just wrote that.
Olivia has been full of life and opinions from the day she came into this world.
She loves to be the center of attention and trust me she gets lots. Strangers stop me daily to tell me how beautiful she is. Hopefully it's not going to her head.
She is very tender with her little sister and takes her job as a big sister very seriously. She has a zest for life that is unmistakable.
We are very blessed to have her in our family!

My Baby is 3

2010-07-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

How can it be that 3 short years ago I gave birth to my sweet baby Ava. She was born during a huge thunder and lighting storm. It got so bad that the power actually went out! That's a fun way to enter the world. We said then that she was new peace to our family and she has lived up to that.

Ava is a cuddle bug. She loves to be cozy. She loves to sing and dance. She is a true girlie girl!
When Ava was 1 month old she got very sick. She woke up around 5 in the morning with a very high temperature and I rushed her to the ER. After many hours and many painful tests they transferred her to another hospital where she and I spent the next 2 weeks.
Thankfully she was fine and has been the picture of health ever since.

We are so thankful to have her and cherish her everyday. I love you so much baby girl!

Cinderella Ballet

2010-05-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday night the girls and I went to a local production of Cinderella the ballet. I was a little worried about taking the younger two girls because I wasn't sure if they would be interested of not.
Well, to my surprise they were totally into it. Well, Olivia was for about 3/4 of it but Ava couldn't get enough! She sat on my lap the entire time and clapped after every dance. At one point she turned to look at me and said with great excitement in her voice,"This is a good show!"

After the show we got to get up close and personal with the cast! How thrilling for three little girls! Glad we went!

Isabelle found one of her friends that was in the performance! Good job Sophie!

A Very Happy Birthday

2010-05-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

The third week of May is a busy one around the Malone house. Nathan and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on Sunday and our sweet Isabelle turned 8 on Monday.
The events started on Saturday when I took Isabelle and two of her friends to Walls of Clay. It's a really fun place where you get to pick out a piece of pottery and paint it. Then they gloss it and fire it for you. The girls had a great time painting and talking. It's highly entertaining to listen to 3 almost 8 year old converse.

Sunday we took it easy. That night Nathan and I went to dinner and dessert. It was nice. Usually every anniversary we end up at Target for some last minute birthday shopping BUT alas we escaped the evening without the trip to Target.

Monday the girls and I headed to the Butterfly House at the Texas Discovery Gardens. It was a co-op field trip that happened to be on her birthday. It was a great way to spend the day for a girl who really loves butterflies!

Later that evening we ended up where ALL Malone birthdays end up ... wait for it...
CHUCK E CHEESE!!!!!!!
Nothing like celebrating your birthday with an over sized rat!! haha

So...
Happy anniversary to the Love of my life and Happy Birthday to my precious first born Isabelle!!!

Texas Blue Bonnets

2010-05-02T07:17:00.001-07:00

The Texas state flower is the beautiful Blue Bonnet. They are wild flowers and pop up all over the place. This year has been especially good for the Blue Bonnets. We found this field just filled with them. Beautiful.

Isabelle took this picture!

Fort Worth Zoo

2010-04-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

What an unbelievably gorgeous day it was today! It was sunny and warm but we had a beautiful breeze to help keep us cool. It was a perfect day to go see the Amazing animals God created. Don't you think it is just awesome to see all the different animals? I do obviously. I've gone to many zoos over my lifetime but I believe this was one of the best. All the animals were out playing and doing what they do. We got a few health lessons but that's ok. hehe We only wish Daddy could have been with us.

One of the neatness parts was the lions. When we got to the lions they were just resting quietly. Then the "Daddy" lion as we like to call him started yawning. He showed us All his glorious teeth several times! Then he got up and started to grumble. Have you ever heard a lion grumble before? It was AMAZING!!! It wasn't even a full on roar just a "I want you to know I'm still here" grumble. Totally cool. I would not want to meet him in the jungle!

We had an added bonus that our friends got to come with us. Thanks so much ladies for a GREAT day!

Easter

2010-04-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

This was a pretty low key Easter for us this year. Olivia wasn't feeling great so we skipped church then went to Aunt Banesa (Vanesa's) house. The grandparent, aunts, uncles, and cousins were all there giving the girls lots of hugs, kisses, attention, and most of all candy. The girls had a great day.

What a GREAT place!

2010-03-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

I've blog about this wonderful place before but it's so great that it gets another page on my blog.
Sharkarosa is home to many different kinds of wildlife. It's not your normal petting zoo, Oh No, this is a wildlife petting zoo!
You get up close and sometimes very personal with camels, Clydesdales, albino kangaroos, lemars and one ginormous dog.
This year the Critter Guy came and did a wonderful presentation of scorpions, glass snakes, pythons, barn owls and a few other God made wonders.
this place is so fun and educational. We just love it!

Yes that is my daughter taking a nice stroll with a baby camel. This little guy named Batman just walked around the ranch free meeting and greeting all the guest. He did however come across our baby stroller and start to eat the tag off.
She touched this 8 month old baby kangaroo but wasn't going to get any closer.
Have you ever heard the sound that this little guy makes? Unbelievable and a little scary!
New to Sharkarosa... two baby black bears. So cute!

And yes, if you notice that one of my girls is missing from all the pictures it's because she had preschool and I didn't take her out. Please don't tell me that I'm a terrible mother for doing this I've already been told by a few mommies.

Global Warming - Texas Style

2010-02-19T08:11:00.000-08:00

Here in Texas we set EVERY record there was to set.

Record for amount of snow in a 24 hour period - 12. 5 inches
Second most snowiest season - 15.7 inches
Most snow in February since 1978
There are about 5 more records that were set but you get my point.

Needless to say the girls and I were thrilled to be able to REALLY play in snow! Isabelle took to it the most. She was out there for hours and would come in to warm up and head right back out! She got to build her first snowman, have two snowball fights and we even tried to go sledding. It wasn't that successful for two reasons. #1 the snow was really wet and #2 we don't own a sled and they don't sell them around here. We had SO much fun!
I'm so happy that they got the opportunity to enjoy something new. I even enjoyed it!

Conversations with a Two Year Old

2010-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

Ava - "What ya watching?"
Momma - "Tennis"
Ava - "Basketball?"
Momma - "Tennis"
Ava - "Basketball or tennis?"
Momma -"Tennis"
Ava - " Oh"

Gosh, I love that kid!

Interesting

2010-01-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

Nathan went to check on the girls before he turned in for the night and this is how he found Olivia sleeping.
If you know Olivia she is always on the go. She has more energy than any girl I know. She laughs hard, cries hard, runs hard, plays hard and apparently sleeps hard.

Christmas Morning part 2

2009-12-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

A White Christmas!!!!!
Yes, I got to wake up to a beautiful white Christmas morning! It was fabulous! I dressed the girls up in their coats, hats, gloves and tennis shoes/Crocs and headed outside. In the 7 years we have lived here I have never bought snow boots and honestly I don't even know if they sell them here so my poor girls had very cold feet. (sorry ladies)

After our morning fun in the snow Nannie, Poppie, Granny Jean and Grandpa L came over for brunch and presents. I must say that I love the fact that my girls don't wake up at 6 am and run to the tree to open presents. We really get to enjoy our time with each other and experience the day.

A White Christmas

2009-12-27T07:34:00.000-08:00

I never thought that my girls would get to enjoy the simple pleasure of waking up Christmas morning to the ground covered in snow, but alas they DID!!!!
This is how it all played out. Christmas Eve it started to snow a bit but it wasn't cold enough to stick because the day before it was 72 outside!!! As day turned to evening the temp dropped and the wet ground turned to ice. That would have been fine but my sister and brother in law were flying in and needed to be picked up from the airport. Nathan thankfully went to get them. He was about half way there when his car hit some black ice and turned sideways on the highway. He was stuck! As I was talking to him on the phone cars were coming right for him. I was praying hard!!!
Thankfully his angels were strong that night. Meanwhile Grace and John were at the airport trying to get a rental car. They got one and headed my way. AAA came and helped Nathan so now all three were on there way home. It was a VERY stressful few hours but everyone made it home safe and sound!! Thank you God for your protection.

Christmas Part 1

2009-12-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

We got together with Nathan's side of the family on the 23rd. The weather was amazing! It was 72 and beautiful. It was great to get together with everyone. The girls always have so much fun with there cousins.
This is Grandma Jean and all her grandchildren and great grandchildren. (except for Nathan)
Granny Jean (Great grandma)
Silly cousins
Maya and Olivia

Snow??????

2009-12-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Yes. Sometimes here in the South we have snow. It's not the kind of snow I grew up with but it actually is considered snow.
The girls were so excited that it was snowing. They wanted to go outside and play in it but they wanted to eat breakfast first. I tried to warn them that here in Texas if you want to play in the snow you must do it immediately. By the time we got breakfast and all bundled up, the snow was mostly gone. Maybe we will get another chance to play in real snow.

Olivia's 4th Birthday

2009-11-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in awhile so I'm very far behind in all the wonderful things that have gone on in the last month. So to catch up I'll start with Olivia's 4th birthday which was on November 10th.
Olivia's birthday was on a Tuesday which meant she had preschool that day. It's only fun to go to school on your birthday when you are young. She got to bring snack, be the line leader, hold the flag and best of all have special playtime with a friend of her choosing. Pretty awesome!
Later that night we had a delicious dinner at McDonalds and then off to the Malone girls favorite place... Chuck E Cheese!!!!!
We had a great time celebrating our Livie Lou's special day! We love you baby!
"Where a kid can be a kid"

The Dallas World Aquarium

2009-11-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

Isabelle and I went on a field trip by ourselves to the aquarium. It was fun to see things just through her eyes again.
First stop - sharks. I did have a little Jaws moment but I made it through. (yikes)
We saw the sharks, otters, and penguins all get their lunch.
I have to say the otters were pretty cool to watch. They reminded me of little kids. They were jumping on each other,chasing and throwing their food.

Isabelle is an information junkie. She wants to know all about the animals, how they work, what they eat, and what temperature they like the water (what 7 year old asks that?)
On the way to the aquarium she brought her animal encyclopedia so she could study up on some of the creatures. She cracks me up.
We had a wonderful time together just she and I. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to spend this time with her.

Fun Fall Fest!!!

2009-11-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

The last three years we have attended Cottonwood Creek's Fall Fest. They put on a great event for the whole family. They have bounce houses, food, climbing walls, huge bounce slides, games, games and more games!!! They girls love going.
Isabelle and Olivia picked their own costumes this year. Isabelle really loves horses so she jumped at the chance to be a unicorn. I guess that's a horse, right? Olivia wanted to be a princess, a pink princess. I thought Ava as Pooh was a cute idea but I should have waited and made her a frog or something to go alone with the Princess theme. Oh well.
Ava wasn't happy to be in her costume at first but she quickly got in the spirit of things!!

The picture below is just great. They were so excited!

She wanted to show off the wings of her unicorn. The look on her face is priceless.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-03T10:06:00.001-08:00

Today is the day we have been waiting for! The weather has been so crazy this October but the weatherman says that today it's going to be Sunny, Warm, 71 degrees and beautiful. So I packed the girls up and out the door we went to the pumpkin patch.
Ooops.....
The weatherman was wrong. It's so cloudy. Where is the sun? Where is the warm beautiful weather? It's windy and spitting rain on us! What happened!!!???
Oh well, good thing my girls where smart enough to grab a jacket on the way out the door. Smart thinking ladies!!
Now, let's enjoy the pumpkin patch!!!!

Isabelle has fallen in love with horses ever since we read American Girl Felicity. So she was thrilled to get to love on one today.

My two babies were having so much fun. Olivia kept asking me to take her picture with everything. If you know her you know that is rare. She usually acts so silly when you pull out the camera.
I'm so happy playing with my girls. They are so much fun. We really had a wonderful day!!!

Grace's Wedding part 2

2009-10-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

I got married when I was 22 years old and hadn't a clue who I was or what I liked. When it came to our wedding I really just threw out ideas and everyone else made them come to life. My wedding was beautiful but it was straight out of the "How to have a nice wedding" book. (not a real book)
What I mean by that is that it was all planned just like every other wedding you have ever been to. Big white dress (check) handsome groom (check) posed for pictures (check) dinner reception (check) and drive off in a trashed car (check). I guess that's why I love going to weddings of people who are older or just have a great sense of who they are or are not. Grace is both of those things.
The wedding took place in a beautiful park. The bridesmaids weren't made up to look like different versions of themselves. My daughter the flower girl went down with no shoes on. Grace totally smashed cake into her new husbands face and he returned the favor. We danced, laughed and enjoyed the wonderful day.

My Little Sister's Wedding part 1

2009-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Isabelle and her cousin Abby hold the Glass Snake.
Olivia's turn to hold him.
This lovely creature is called a glass snake. It's not really a snake but a lizard with no legs. The girls thought it was very cool.

Aunt Grace with Jake (the ring bearer) and Olivia (the flower girl)
Olivia holding the newest member of the Frey family Mia!! She has gotten so much bigger than her birth weight of 4 pounds!! Olivia REALLY liked holding her. She kept giving Josh information and advice on babies. She's so helpful.

What a wonderful occasion to throw everyone into the car and drive three days and 19 hours to North Carolina!!! My little sister has gotten married, still kind of crazy to say.
I had the privilege to be a bridesmaid and Olivia was the flower girl.
The girls did really well in the car - thank God for DVD players! Seriously, what did our parents do with us!!!
More pictures to come.

Balloon Festival

2009-09-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to go to the Balloon Festival since we moved here 6 years ago. So this year I was determined to go! I had planned to take the girls and head to the Balloon Festival but it rained the entire week of the festival which made the ground very muddy. The weather was still kind of rainy and windy so they weren't even sure if the balloons were going to be able to go up.
So, my great plan died.
But since the festival is held 5 minutes from my house I decided to drive down by the park and see if we could see them take off for their evening launch.
We ended up seating right behind the park and having a wonderful view - free.
Here is what we saw.
FYI - some pictures are pictures that Isabelle took with our old camera. She REALLY loves to take pictures. Don't know where she got that from.

Fun Mom or Crazy Mom?

2009-09-17T13:59:00.001-07:00

In the great state of Texas we are so extremely blessed with wonderful weather, well, if you like it hot. You don't have to worry to much about things getting rained out because it just doesn't rain much here. With that being said, we are now on day 7 of rain. Rain, rain and more rain.
My poor children have been stuck inside for TOO long. So today I broke. I let them play outside in the rain and mud.

In this picture of Ava you can actually see the mud all the way up her leg and covering her diaper!
She's so cute even covered in mud.

Olivia had so much fun in this mud puddle.
It really wasn't as big of a mess as I thought it would be. I simple carried each one to the bath and washed them down. Sometimes you just have to let girls be girls.

The End of Summer

2009-09-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Being in Texas you would assume that the swimming pools would stay open longer because it stays hot well into October but alas our pools close when school starts which was about three weeks ago.
So the week before the pools closed we took every opportunity we could to swim our hearts out.
Here are some pictures of our time in the sun.
My girls really became little fish this year. Isabelle taught herself how to swim a couple years ago and just keeps getting better. Olivia decided about our second trip to the pool that she could put her face in the water and that turned quickly into her (kind of) swimming! She's a brave one!
Ava thankfully just splashed and played but our last couple trips she started putting her face in the water as well. Silly girl.
Just want to point out a couple of pictures 1. I love the last picture of Belle. She just looks so thrilled to be alive! 2. that's Olivia face down in the water 3. Ava really makes that slide look like fun!

1st Day of School!!!

2009-09-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school in the Malone house! Olivia started preschool and Isabelle started second grade. Olivia is going to a two day preschool down the street from us and Isabelle is homeschooled with the My Father's World curriculum again.
Here are a few pictures from the exciting day! Please excuse me I'm on day three of a head cold.
Olivia was so excited to start school. She kept asking me if she was going to get to stay ALL day and if she got to stay all by herself. She really liked that idea. She walked right in and sat in her seat and started playing. By the way, she took a 2 hour and 45 min nap! Yeah mommy!
Isabelle was eager to start her year as a big second grader. Hard to believe. She really got into this new math program I got. She kept asking when we were going to start math and has been playing with the manipulatives all afternoon! Can't beat that.

Coupons, Deals and Steals

2009-08-26T09:00:00.001-07:00

A few months ago I stumbled on to a couple money saving blogs. The blogs are from stay at home moms that are trying to stretch their families income. We can all use help with that. Since I started reading their blogs I have saved a lot of money in groceries and I've also learned new recipes and I've actually won a couple prizes. To say the least I'm totally addicted to my new blog buddies.
Here is a receipt from my last grocery visit.
If you will notice my balance was $76.41 BUT I saved $61.84!!!! I think that's pretty cool! I'm not as good has the Blog Buddies but I'm getting there.

Six Flags Adventure

2009-08-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Nathan and I took Isabelle to Six Flags over Texas! Belle and I both got free tickets for participating in the Six Flags reading program. Isabelle had to read 6 hours to earn her ticket. Good job girl!
So off we went.
It is August in Texas so we expected it to be rather hot but what we got was 104 degrees!!!
That's hot!!!
Our first stop was a water ride to cool ourselves down, then off to our first roller coaster. It wasn't the biggest roller coaster I've ever been on but considering I haven't been on one in 12 years it was good enough for me! Actually I just laughed the whole ride at Isabelle's face. She went from really excited to terrified in .o2 seconds! She loved it though!
Then Nathan went on this ride called Mr Freeze. When he got done he told me I had to do it. Now I'm still under the impression that I'm 19 years old and nothing can hurt me.
The ride takes you from Zero to 70 in less than 4 seconds! Then you twist and turn and flip and ascend into the air 24 floors! Oh wait there is more - when you finish ascending you hang there for what seems to be a lifetime then plummet backwards and do the whole ride again backwards!
After that wonderful ride I realized that I am no longer 19 and invincible. Very sad.
We really did have a good time.

Ready for the roller coaster!
Isabelle took this picture.

Broadway Here She Comes!

2009-08-03T01:39:00.000-07:00

Isabelle spent the last week in music camp. They put on a performance called Life School Musical. I believe it was a take on High School Musical.
Everyday they would practice the music and the choreography that went with each song.
It was quite amazing that they learned an entire musical in 12 hours!!!
Isabelle was in the choir. It was hard to get any great pictures but you get the idea.
Fun thing - All the kids come running out to their places in the beginning of the show but Isabelle was nowhere to be found! I knew where she was suppose to be but she wasn't there.
Then about 3 minutes into the song she came out and took her place on stage. Later she told me that she got confused on what side to come out. She also had on the ear rings from the Pretty Pretty Princess game!!!! So I had to motion to her from the balcony to remove the ear rings and put them in her pocket. I'm sure I looked like a crazy stage mom but I really wasn't!!

My Baby is TWO!!!

2009-07-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Can it be possible that my sweet Ava girl is two already? Was it not last week when I came home from the hospital and held her so snugly in my arms? Was it not the other day when she slept on my chest like an angel? Oh... time... why do you come so quickly.
Ok, enough about how I feel and on the the birthday girl!
We spent Friday at Chuck E Cheese because as Olivia says , "It's where a kids can be a kid." Good marketing!
We had a lot of fun riding the rides and playing the games. We always do!
Saturday, her actual birthday, we went to lunch and ice cream with Nannie and Poppy. The girls enjoyed there ice cream and Ava got some great gifts. Her favorite one was her very own Dora backpack. She actually took and nap with it that day. HEHE

Then after naps she opened her gifts from us. Dora bike, Dora phone, and a shopping cart.
The girls played grocery store until it was bedtime!
What a fun way to celebrate our baby!!!
We love you Ava!

I'm Back!!!

2009-07-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited I can hardly wait! My computer has been VERY sick so I haven't been able to update my blog or put new pictures up. I know no one really reads this blog but I do it and love it anyways!
For my first blog back I'm going simple.
Ava came in the house last night after playing outside with her sisters and said in her cute little voice.....
"I fall down on my head."
And this is what see looked like.

Pictures don't quite do it justices but you get the idea.
Needless to say, I grabbed the camera and the video camera to document her in all of her cuteness.
Then off to the bath we went.

4th of July Fun!!!

2009-07-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July. I don't know if it's all the patriotism, the parades, the fireworks or the excuse to have a giant BBQ with family. I think it might be all of the above. This year we went to see fireworks for the first time in 4 years! Crazy I know!
Olivia and Ava had never seen them before so we were ALL very excited! They enjoyed watching them and staying up way TOO late!

Saturday we put on our RED, WHITE, and BLUE, put our flags in the yard and headed to the family BBQ. The girls had so much fun playing with their cousins in the pool and on the slip n slide! It was 100 degrees and glorious!
Here are just some fun pictures of our time together.

Our Getaway to San Antonio!!

2009-06-10T07:59:00.001-07:00

Not a great picture of us but it's all I got!
the Alamo!!
A young boy singing at the festival. He was great!

Nathan and I just celebrated our 11th anniversary in May, so we decided to have a getaway. This was our first getaway since our honeymoon!!!!! I know!!!
Nathan planned the whole trip and he did a great job. We stayed on the riverwalk in a beautiful hotel. If you've never been to San Antonio the whole city is built up around the river. Now, that being said, I'm from Ohio so when I think of a river I think of the Ohio river. You know, the one that large barges go down, the one with a huge bridge over it the thousands of cars go over, the one where it would be close to IMPOSSIBLE to swim across. That's where my mind went.
Oh no, The river in San Antonio is about 20 feet across and 3 feet deep!
We did take a boat ride down the river which was very neat. They tell you all about the town and you get to hear the stories behind the buildings and the people there.
When we were on the boat ride the tour guide pointed to this building and told us that if we went through it on the other side you could see the Alamo lit up at night. When we got off I wanted to go see it. I was envisioning that we would walk through this building and come out on the other side to see the Alamo sitting on a hill all lit up in the far distance. Oh no, we come out of the building and there is was! Right in the middle of town. It was the stranges thing! Right in the middle of town surrounded by huge hotels and businesses sits the Alamo. It looked so small in comparison. I guess I should stop imagining things because they are NEVER what I think they will be.
The next day we visited the Mexican market and then went to the festival on the main street.
We walked a lot, ate a lot, and learnd a lot about each other. ( I'll post more on that later)
Thanks honey for a great time!!!

Isabelle's 7th Birthday

2009-05-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that it was 7 years ago that my life changed forever. The most wonderful gift was giving to me that day. It has been a privilege and a honor to have Isabelle has my first born. First of all, she is SO forgiving and we all know that first borns need to be that! Second, she is so caring and loving and is just a pleasure to have around.
So on this day we celebrate!!!!
We started the weekend off at our annual trip to Chuck E Cheese!! All the girls had such a great time that I think we may be upping it to 3 times a year!!
Sunday was her birthday so we started the day off with blue sprinkled pancakes and a sprinkle donuts. Can you tell she likes sprinkles. Then off to church and to the Olive Garden for lunch. She got to pick the place but we all loved her choice! Back to the house for presents, cake and ice cream!

I had to add pictures of her opening her gifts because she does not disappoint with her reactions. The only thing she really wanted was a model horse that she could paint. That is what is in the yellow box above. Nannie and Poppy got her an American Girl doll!! She has been hoping for one for about a year now. She was thrilled.
She also wanted a Barbie cake with a blue dress and polka dots. I did may best. But as a friend said I'm sure I'll have many more opportunities to try again. She liked it so that's all that really matters. Sorry Martha Stewart.

All in all she had a wonderful day and we had a wonderful day celebrating her! You are truly a joy my sweet Belle!! I love you!

First Hair Cut!!!

2009-05-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

Isabelle is about to be 7 years old and has never had a haircut before. Well, technically I did trim her bangs when she was about 4 months old but that was the one and only time scissors have touched her hair. Well kind of - she did cut a curl off when she was like four but you couldn't tell THANK GOD!!! Anyway back to the First Official Haircut!
I have been talking to Belle for some time now about cutting her hair. She wasn't sure she wanted to do it for a long time but then she had a change of heart and started asking me when I was going to cut her hair.
I was very nervous about doing it #1 because I didn't want to mess it up #2 it has just become apart of her identity #3 her grandmother wouldn't hear of any such talk #4 the ends of her hair have been there since she was in the womb!!!!!
But I did it!

After I cut it I measured out how many inches I cut off.... the longest piece was more than 10 inches long!!!!
That girl has SO much hair!!!!
By the way, it still touches the bottom of her lower back!

"We Love Allen" Community Outreach

2009-04-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Harvest Church in Allen put on this great community outreach Easter weekend. They had the Allen police and fire departments there, SPCA, Chuck e Cheese, and many local business. They had games, bounce houses and free food!!! They even had the Easter Bunny.
This is the best picture we could get of the kids and and the Easter bunny.
This picture was their first reaction to him. I think it is so funny. Ava started crying first, which is kind of expected since a 6 foot bunny is holding her. Olivia started crying because Ava was crying. I guess she thought she was suppose to and Isabelle just sat there posing for the camera. She always knows where the camera is. HAHA

Olivia and Isabelle got to sit on the police motorcycle, climb in a police car and fire truck, and even spray a real fire hose. They thought that was pretty cool.
Ava looks so tiny driving the fire truck.

Thank you Harvest Church for such a fun family day. Can't wait for next year!

Easter Dresses

2009-04-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

When I was a mother of just one beautiful girl I really went all out for Easter. I had Belle dressed up in her filly, poofy pink dress with white shoes and of course white gloves to top off the outfit. Now that I have three beautiful girls to dress I just can't seem to do it.
I no longer want to pay the $20 per dress plus ALL the accessories for a "That's too nice of a dress to play in!" kind of dress.
This year I waited till the weekend before to go shopping. I knew that it was now impossible to find matching dresses in three different sizes so I decided we would just go with what I could find. As I was preparing to go shopping a little voice in the back of my head said," Look in the girls closet for something for them to wear." So I did because I always listen to little voices.
In a bag in the back of the closet I found these beautiful dresses. I totally forgot I had bought them months ago. I didn't buy them for Easter but they worked great. I wanted something that said Spring, something matching, and honestly I was hoping to find something in blue because Belle loves blue and we ALWAYS do pink.
I was just so happy that I got everything I wanted and didn't have to go shopping with three kids to find it!!!! Jesus loves me!!

A Day at the Aboretum

2009-04-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

I decided to take the girls to the Dallas Arboretum the other day to look at all the beautiful Spring flowers and hopefully get some good pictures of them. I haven't been to the arboretum since Isabelle was around two years old. The girls enjoyed being there a lot. This year they had 16 different playhouses spread out throughout the grounds that you could go and play in. They themed each playhouse by a different children's book. They had Peter Pans ship to Alice in Wonderlands shrinking house. It was very cool.

Ava stopping to smell the flowers. The tulips were as tall has she was.

This is the best shot I got. I think it is almost impossible to get everyone looking the same way and smiling at the same time.

Isabelle the Ballerina

2009-03-30T14:07:00.001-07:00

This semester in our homeschooling co-op Isabelle got a chance to fulfill her dream of being a ballerina. She has had so much fun learning the positions and practicing for her performance.
I had so much fun peeking into her class and take these pictures. Isabelle was so in her element. She was focused but just thrilled to be doing something she really loved to do.

Ava's Room

2009-03-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ava is now 20 months old and still sleeping in our room. We decided to put her in the guest room but before we could actually do this I needed to find curtains for the extremely large window. It gets so cold in there at night and I couldn't bare the thought of my baby freezing.
I went on a very long search for curtains only to find that if I bought the ones I really wanted it would be a couple hundred dollars!!! Not Happening!
I decided I would make them myself. I mean after all I took home economics and clothing 1.
I made Isabelle's curtains and I also made some for my bedroom a few years back so I was up for the challenge. Anything to save some $$$.

Here is the final product. There aren't by any stretch of the imagination perfect but hopefully they will do the job of keeping the cold air out in the winter and the heat and sun out in the summer. And yes, this is Ava's soon to be room/ guest room. The crib is on the other side of the wall. Next project is refinishing her dresser and getting some paint on the walls. Hopefully she will be in her room by the age of 6.

Homeschool Gym Day

2009-03-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

Twice a month the local gym opens it's doors to the homeschoolers. We got to go for the first time last Friday. We had a great time ,that is after we got over the terrible smell of sweat and feet. Totally gross!!!
The girls got to jump on the large trampolines, swing on the robes, and run around like crazy.
It was very interesting to watch their personalities come out. Isabelle just took off! She did everything. Ava was very much the same. She was a little hesitant about the trampoline because you could see the floor through it but she warmed up quickly. Olivia was very nervous about everything. She had to be convinced to get on the trampoline. Once she was on she would jump about 1 inch high with her whole body as stiff as a board. Very humorous. What she took to quickly was the swinging robe. She grabbed on and would swing back and forth then fall into the foam blocks.
They all can't wait to go back again!

End of the Season Party

2009-03-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

The basketball season has come to a close. It has been such a wonderful experience for all of us. As her parents, Nathan and I have enjoyed watching Isabelle's competitive spirit come out. She really enjoyed playing defense. Her sweet joyful smile turned very serious and determined.

Celebrating a wonderful season at CiCi's Pizza!!

Heart Shaped Pizza and a Small Fire

2009-02-17T14:57:00.001-08:00

When I was single I so desperately wanted a valentine, but when I found my true valentine it just all seemed kind of silly. I say that because Nathan and I don't really celebrate Valentines Day. This year I felt like it was important to do something with the girls. I guess it's because I'm in the homeschooling mode. My girls didn't have class parties or pass out cards and valentines, so I wanted to do something special for them (ok, really it was for me I admit it.)
So, this year I bought these heart shaped pizzas. They were very cute. Then I decided to step it up with cute little pink candles. You can see them in the above picture. We sat down and ate our pizza. While eating our pizza I decided to put a napkin under the candles so that the dripping wax wouldn't get all over the table. My brilliant husband advised me that the napkin would catch on fire and being the super submissive wife that I am, I insisted that that was silly and it wouldn't.
Ten minutes later....
Nathan went to his office and I went to get something from the bedroom. Nathan hears Isabelle screaming "FIRE! FIRE!" He comes running to the kitchen and as he predicted the napkin caught on fire. Isabelle threw her glass of water on the fire then Nathan blew out the rest. Honestly, it was a small fire. The napkin was barely burnt. So Isabelle was crying and screaming in fear which made Olivia do the same. Ava just watched.
(Let's take a moment here to applaud Isabelle for her fire safety and let's try to not hold this against the mommy who was just trying to do something special.)
After all the drama we watched Wall-e.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2009-02-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking and talking about getting my hair cut for about 2 years now. I like taking my time making decisions. My husband has to practice his patience with me every time we go through the drive thru or go out to eat. I'm a creature of habit. I didn't set out to have extremely long hair I just never made the time to go get it cut.

So, I finally did it. I ended up donating 10 or 11 inches to Locks of Love and the rest ended up on the floor.
Here is the final product. People keep asking me if a I feel different or lighter and the answer is "not really." Being a stay at home mom to three girls I never really had my hair down. It was always in a pony tail. So it really doesn't feel that different. I do like it though.

1 Corinthians 11: 15

2009-02-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Our first family picture May 17th 2002. Our sweet Isabelle came out of the womb with lots of hair. We couldn't believe how much hair she had. (Excuse the picture of me. It was a very long and painful night.)

Here she is at the age of three holding her new baby sister Olivia. You can see that she still has lots of hair!

Here is my sweet girl today. Everyday of her life we do her hair. I don't have those kind of kids that I can just run out the door and say " Oh, I forgot to brush your hair today." Doesn't happen, will not happen. I can't! Hair has become what I do. Everywhere I go someone stops me and comments on her hair.
So the other day we decided to change things up a bit and try to straighten it. This is the end product. She really enjoys the fact that now it only takes 5 minutes to fix her hair instead of 20 to 30 depending of the day and style!
And yes, if you need to know, it touches the the back of her knees!!!!! No Joke.

Inuaguration 2009

2009-01-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

Here we are getting ready to watch our new President be sworn into office.
Yeah!

This has been so neat to do with my girls. Yesterday we talked about Martin Luther King Jr. and why he was so important and today I got to sit with my three babies and watch history. I told Isabelle that in 20 years she can tell her kids that she watched the FIRST black president take office. I'm so moved by all that is happening. I love to watch the faces of grown people that thought they would never see the day. This is huge and I'm glad I got to sit with my girls and take it all in.
Thumbs up for home school!

A Star is Born

2009-01-16T14:44:00.001-08:00

Here is my superstar!!

Chatting it up on the bench with her new friend.
Here she is trying to bring the ball down the court. She would drop the ball and then catch it. haha
Nathan and I decided a long time ago that we wouldn't rush our kids into sports and activities. We saw so many parents stressed out because of ALL the many activities and classes their children were doing. We decided to take it slow. So, this is Isabelle's first team sport. Her best friend Joy is on the team and Joy's mother is the coach. Isabelle is really having a lot of fun and actually learning some basketball skills. Her nickname on the team is Smiley.

She did it!!!!

2009-01-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

This is how my sweet baby has spent her entire life. Yes, all 17 months of it. The law says that a child must be facing backwards in their carseat until they are 1 year old and 20 pounds. We got the 1 year thing in July but we have been waiting for the 20 pounds.
I took her to the doctor and she hit it!!! She weighs a hefty 20.2 pounds!!!!!
She is loving being able to see what her sisters see, being able to see mom and dad without twisting her neck, and most of all being able to see the DVD player!!!! We are so happy for her accomplishment!!

Gingerbread House

2009-01-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

I know it's January but I'm not one of those people that has to have everything done at a certain time. I'm more the laid back kind. Yes, the kind that posts Christmas stuff in January. So here we go.
Isabelle made a gingerbread house last year and enjoyed it so much we decided to do another one this year. This time we asked Olivia to join in on the fun. As you can see from the pictures Olivia really enjoyed eating the decorations much more than actually decorating.

Merry Christmas to All

2008-12-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! I pray that you all enjoy your families and really remember the reason why we celebrate! God Bless. The Malones

Cookie Extravaganza

2008-12-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to decorate cookies with my girls this year since they are getting older and LOVE to "help" in the kitchen. I then thought it would be fun to have some friends over to help in all the fun. Thus the COOKIE EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
It was so much fun to watch all the girls rolling their dough, cutting it into fun holiday shapes and then decorate them. I had marshmallows, NERDS, sprinkles of many colors, shapes and sizes and coconut. They were all very creative!! Some girls were very neat and particular where and how they decorated and some (Isabelle & Olivia) just put as much stuff as they could get on them. What a great new holiday tradition.

The Nutcracker

2008-12-15T14:17:00.000-08:00

The day had finally arrived. The day we had been looking forward to for many weeks now. We were on our way to The Nutcracker. Isabelle picked out her special dress, the one she had " been dreaming of." She knew how she wanted her hair fixed, like the first sister in The 12 Dancing Princesses."
Isabelle brought her closest friend Joy. They had a great time and danced the whole way home.
I can't wait till next year when Olivia can come too.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-12-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

In the movies and TV shows decorating the Christmas tree is one of those family memory things. Everyone sits around the tree singing carols and drinking hot chocolate. They each take an ornament and place it gently on the tree recounting the glorious day they received it and all the memories surrounding it.
At my house it's just the same. Ok, without the carols being sung, hot chocolate being drank and all the warm fuzzy's. At my house it was craziness. I really tried to make it a nice family thing to do but it just didn't turn out that way. The Christmas lights kept blowing their fuses ( did you know that there are little fuses inside the plugs that you can change instead of buy a whole new strand of lights!) Isabelle broke her brand new ballerina ornament, Olivia kept putting 15 ornaments on one poor limb, Ava was just walking around and my dear husband sat on the couch watching sports. He did however replace the fuses! Isn't he smart!!!
So that was how we put up our Christmas tree. In the end, the tree was decorated and still standing and no one was in time out. Not to bad!

Daddy's Girl

2008-12-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

Lots of Kisses for Daddy

Nathan has waited 6 years to finally get his Daddy's girl. Having three daughters it was bound to happen but he wasn't so sure it would. Ava is the first one to greet him when he gets home from work with a very excited "DAAAADDYYYYYYY" which he loves. She loves to be held by him and when she was a baby would fall asleep in his arms every night. She is always willing to pucker up and give her daddy kisses. She has him wrapped around her finger. Anything Ava wants, Ava gets from Daddy.

Malone Elfs

2008-12-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine had this on her blog and I just HAD to try it for my family. We laughed really hard when we saw ourselves. My girls kept asking me to play it again and again. Take a look at my family dancing HERE.

My Birthday Day

2008-11-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

So fokes. This is how I spent my 33rd birthday.
1. husband gets up with the kids ( yeah! Got to sleep in a bit)
2. Clean out craft cabinet ( I accomplished something!)
3. Homeschooled
4. Watched Jon and Kate plus 8 with Belle ( she loves this show)
5. Husband brings lunch (Panera Bread - YUMMY)
6. naps
7.Nannie came to watch the girls
8.Go to movies with my man ( Bond, James Bond)
9. Dinner ( Taco Bueno)
10. Glow stick fun with my girls
11. chocolate cupcake
12. bed

Another Year

2008-11-18T12:47:00.000-08:00

Birthdays have always been an interesting thing for me. I love to celebrate everyone else birthday but when it comes to my own I get kind of weird. I guess it's all the undivided attention that makes me feel uncomfortable. Too many eyes on me.
This year I'm really just enjoying the day with the beautiful family that God has given me. I think back about being a young girl hoping and praying that God would let me fall in love and get married. I wanted so to be a wife and mother. I could have never imagined the life I have. My husband is just so good. He really loves me just for being me. He thinks I'm funny, he thinks I'm pretty and he thinks I'm a great mom. He challeges me to be better than I think I am and he comforts me when my efforts fail. He is my one and only. My girls, well, what can I say about my girls. They are the most precious thing I could ever recieve. They make me laugh so hard I could cry and they make my heart swell with joy and pride. They are the most challeging responisbility I've ever had.

I thank God for my blessings. I tend to forget how precious they are when they are coloring on the walls or spilling their cereal bowls all over the kitchen floor but they are always a blessing. I count it joy to be their mommy.
In this year I pray that I'm more loving, more patient, more gentle in my words and deeds, and more thoughtful in my prayers for the four of them. I pray that they will all see the love of Jesus in my eyes.

Olivia's 3rd birthday - part 2

2008-11-15T09:19:00.001-08:00

Olivia wanted a purple cake with Strawberry Shortcake on top. This was our compromise. Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese icing and purple writing. I just couldn't wrap my head around a purple Strawberry Shortcake.
I started a few birthday parties ago putting out pictures of the birthday girl. I love pictures so maybe that's why I love the idea so much. I love to look at their cute little baby faces next to their big girl pictures. It helps me to reflect on what a privilege it is to have them in my life. I'm so thankful for the gift that Livie Lou is. She brings many laughs and many opinions to our family. She is definitely the Malone spark plug!

We had a nice small get together for Olivia this year. Well, it wasn't suppose to be small but it seems that everyone that we invited got sick this week. It turned out nice though. She had fun playing with her cousins and her good friend Rylie.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

2008-11-11T07:41:00.000-08:00

Here I am the night before Olivia was born. Wow! That's a big belly!
First family of 4 picture.

Olivia is our little miracle baby. When I was 10 weeks pregnant with her I started having some complications. The doctor said that I was having a threatened miscarriage. This meant that there was a 50% chance that I would loose her. There was nothing medically that they could do for me. They just told me to wait and see what happened. So we waited and prayed. It was a tough thing to go through. The complications that I had lingered for 7 weeks! I waited and prayed for 7 weeks not knowing if I would miscarry or not. God was so faithful to me during this time. I really feel like my faith grew leaps and bounds during this time and I'm forever grateful. I would have never thought that I would be able to say that then but I truly am. I got to be a first hand witness to the gracious, awesome, powerful God I serve!

First Grade Picture

2008-11-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Isabelle has been asking for about a month now if she could get her picture taken. She waited so patiently the day Ava got her 1st year pictures done and she waited kind of patiently when Olivia got her 3 year/ contest pictures done. I would have gotten hers taken that day as well but her front tooth was just hanging there waiting to be knocked out. I thought in the long run she would thank me for not getting her picture taken like that. So today was her day! She was so excited. I would have had my friend Jody take her pictures because she is a wonderful photographer but the drive to Illinois was a little far for this day. Someday Jody, someday. So hear is my camera shy, timid first grader.

Election 2008

2008-11-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

They say children are like sponges. They soak up everything around them whether you are trying to teach them it or not. This can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing all depending on what is around them for them to soak up.
Isabelle has been very interested in this election. I don't know if it's because she has heard so many people around her talking about it or because she saw something about it on tv.
A couple weeks ago Nathan and I asked her who she thought we should vote for McCain or Obama. Her reply was " What about Palin? I like her." We were shocked she even knew her name! We explained that Palin and McCain were together and Obama and Biden were together. She wanted us to vote for McCain/Palin. Then about a week ago she said that she wanted us to vote for Obama. I asked her why she liked him and her reply was, " Because he looks like Daddy." So sweet.
So I went to our co-op on Monday and one of Isabelle's teachers pulls me aside and tells me that some of the kids in her class were talking about who their parents were voting for. Isabelle proudly states that her parents voted for Obama. One little boy told her in a terrified voice that "He kills babies!" She was shocked.
Later that evening I tried to get her to tell me what they were talking about and if anyone said anything mean about Obama. She just told me that they "having a discussion about voting." I didn't want to push the issue. I did however explain that we did not vote for him and the reasons why. So, this is my reminder that our children are like sponges. Be careful what you put out there for them to absorb.

Fall Fest

2008-11-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

Daddy coming down the slide. He's so creative.
Isabelle was Hello Kitty Olivia was Kanga with Roo in her pouch and Ava was a chicken.

Our buggy ride.

Every year we go to a Fall Fest. This year we got to go to TWO! One that our church put on and one on the 31st at another church. Both were very fun. The girls got to play lots of games, get lots of candy and jump in lots of bounce houses. Nathan and I even got to race in one of the bounce courses. I'll let you just imagine who one that race. hehe. We all got to go on a horse and buggy ride as well. I thought it was going to be a nice stroll around the yard but for some reason the guy decided to make the horse start running. It was fun and scary all at the same time. I guess he liked us or maybe just the opposite! :)

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last year we didn't get a chance to go to the pumpkin patch so this year I was determined to go. I have been taken the girls to this patch since Isabelle was 2. It takes about an hour to get there but it is so worth the drive. There are hayrides, bounce houses, hay maze, animals and of course pumpkins and best part of all - IT'S FREE!!! Isabelle and Olivia really enjoyed the maze. Isabelle was helping these little boys find there way out. She is so helpful. Olivia just liked running around and be free. Ava was so cute. She was walking around the place like she owned it. I'm so glad we made it this year.

State Fair of Texas

2008-10-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

This year we finally got to go to the State Fair!!! I have been wanting to go since we moved here over 5 years ago. Graciously, my wonderful husband took the day off and took us to the fair!! Thanks baby.
It was a beautiful Texas day. We first went to the wild bird show. It was really great. They had the famous parrot that was on the Tonight show and some other programs. He sang! No really - he really sang! He was singing How much is that doggy in the window. Isabelle was cracking up! I was almost in tears watching her laugh so hard. There is nothing sweeter than watching your children really having fun.
They had this HUGE bird in the show. It flew from the top of the fairus wheel to the stage. Well, as he was flying to the stage it flew right over Nathan's head!!!! I promise if he didn't bend down it would have hit him!! I didn't get Nathans head in the shot but I got the bird right over where he was. Isabelle then got to give a bird a dollar. She thought that was very exciting.
Then off to the fairus wheel we went. It was super high! We could see into the Cotton Bowl statium. We were 200 feet high and with our 3 precious babies riding with us it made for a very nerve racking experience!!!!
Oh!!! I almost forgot a really neat part of the trip! As we were leaving we stopped by the animal pens to have a look. We saw baby ducks, little puppies and minute old baby piggies! The piggies were literally born 5 minutes before we walked up. They still had the afterbirth on them and everything. That's something this city girl doesn't see everyday!

Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch

2008-10-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an exciting day we had at the wildlife ranch. It was such a neat time of learning about animals and getting up close and personal with them. We went on a safari ride where we got to feed Clydesdale horses, Lamas, a real reindeer, and camels!!! It was so fun to watch the girls little faces light up when they were literally face to face with a camel! Isabelle and Olivia really enjoyed the barrel train ride. I believe they rode it 5 times.
We also got to pet Lemar's and and watch a baby camel get his bottle.
We really had a wonderful time.
Sharkarosa is also well known for having albino kangaroos!!! They said that there is only one other place in the US that has one and that's in California!! Very cool!

One Year Pictures

2008-09-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ava Elizabeth , my sweet girl. It took a while to get the pictures but I think they are well worth the wait!

I love her cute face. She is so Yummy!!!

Heard Museum

2008-09-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog you know that this year the girls and I have been really into butterflies. When I heard that the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary was having a butterfly exhibit I grabbed my camera and the girls and headed off. Little did I know there would be so much for us to do and to see.
They had a petting zoo which totally scared Ava!
They had caged animals to look at and learn about. The first picture is the girls standing in front of the parrots. Olivia and Ava saw the Lemur monkeys climbing the gate right as I took the picture.
Isabelle saw two butterflies being "very friendly" with each other and said that she really liked the ones that were "stuck together." I thought that was an interesting way to put it.
The museum was also having a dinosaur exhibit. We could only stay and look at the baby dinosaurs because all three of the girls were pretty freaked out by them because they move and make really loud noises. They were a little too realistic.
This is just other reason that home schooling is great. Instead of Isabelle sitting at a desk all day she got to come have a fun educational day with her family! I'm so happy we chose to home school. It is hard some days but definitely worth it!

PATH Co-Op

2008-09-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

PATH is the home school co-op that we go to every Monday. This is our first year home schooling so I thought it would be a good idea to get involved with a co-op. Isabelle has 5 classes, American girl - Felicity, Beginning to Sew, Math in Action, Storybook Art, and Fun With Francis.
Each class is taught by a different teacher and different kids are in each class. She actually changes class rooms like a big kid!
Olivia has her own classes were she learns her colors, shapes and paints. She has music class and outside time. She is really enjoying being there and playing with her friend Vivian.
Ava goes in the walker class. It is quite a sight to see her in a class with kids her age group but she is by far the tiniest. Yesterday I peeked in at her and she was sitting at a table eating a chocolate cupcake!!!! Well, it looked more like the cupcake was eating her.
Every hour I am helping in the classes. Each parent is required to teach or help the entire day. I'm in with Olivia most of the day but Ava's class is right beside us with an adjoining bathroom.
After lunch Nannie comes and picks up Liv and Ava and takes them to her house for nap time while Isabelle and I finish our day. I stay for about an hour after to clean the gym, kitchen and bathrooms!! I have met a lot of great people and we are really enjoying PATH!!!

Mr. Softball Champion

2008-09-19T07:54:00.004-07:00

Yes! This is their fourth Championship! Nathan has played in 4 of the last 5 softball seasons and they won All four of the ones Nathan played in! I'm not braggin' I'm just saying he's the man!!!
It was fun to go to the park and watch him play and let the girls run around playing ball and getting fire ant bites, Oh yes, and Livie almost getting attacked by a dog! That's the way we spend our Thursday nights.
The middle two pictures are Belle and Liv wearing the Championship tee shirt. They got a big trophy as well!!

Livie Lou

2008-09-19T07:54:00.003-07:00

I picked up these wonderful CDs that sing through the Bible at the Home schooling book fair last month. They were written by these two older women and they are put to old tunes ( old enough that the copy write laws don't protect.) Well, there is one song in the David CD that Olivia just loves. Basically the song is singing the word honor over and over. Then it goes into " Honor God, honor God , honor all men also." Cute catchy little song.
The other night Livie went potty ( that's a whole another blog) and I told her thank you for telling me she had to go and that I was proud of her and all that good stuff when she says to me, " I want to honor you."
I say, " What?" in my most puzzled voice
She says," I want to honor you mommy."
Wow!!!! I don't think anyone has ever said that to me before and I sure didn't think the first time I would hear it would come from my " love to test the bondaries" middle child! I love this girl.

First Day of Home School!!!!

2008-09-19T07:54:00.001-07:00

Isabelle with her favorite teacher Mrs. Malone! She is so nice!

Working hard. Isabelle loves math. She is very good at it. We are doing the My Father's World curriculum which has been really great! She is learning a new Proverbs every week. I really like this curriculum because it is Bible based and a unit study. I've enjoyed having the freedom to be with her all day and give her that special care that I believe we all need.

Last Days of Summer

2008-09-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

You would think that in Texas when it stays HOT until the end of October that the pool would stay open past Labor Day. It does not. So I hurried to the pool for the last outdoor swim of the season. We had a lot of fun that day. We were one of two families at the pool so we had it all to ourselves!

The Best Thing EVER!!

2008-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

We found this ice cream that is just TOO good for words. Well, actually it's not ice cream at all. It's made from coconut milk so it's not dairy. For all you dairy sensitive people out there this is BLISS!! My favorite is the dark chocolate. It taste like an Almond Joy ( ok, more like a Mound because it doesn't have nuts) Go ahead and sing the jingle, I am.
Here is the bad news. It's only available in the west! Sorry east coasters.

Butterfly Days

2008-09-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

My neighbor has this bush that scales over her 8 foot fence and onto our side of the yard. For years this bush has bothered me. I think I thought it was a weed or something. A few years ago we (the girls and I ) noticed that the butterflies just loved the purple flowers on it. So I gave up on taking the weed wacker to it so the girls could enjoy the butterflies.

It has been so fun to watch the caterpillars walk down the fence and find a nice comfy spot to make their cocoons. The other day Isabelle and I noticed that one of the cocoons was opened and the butterfly was still hanging on it. We were so excited. We went outside to get a closer look and found that about twenty had opened. The butterflies just sit there until their wings dry.
The neatest part for me at least was being able to watch a new butterfly fly for the first time. I'm sure there is a sermon in there somewhere but I'll save that for another day.

The sun was in there eyes so this is the best smiles I could get from them.

Dress up days

2008-08-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here are my girls doing what they love most! Dressing up!

Sweet southern belle
Warrior princess! She has her helmet
of salvation on.
Cinderella Livie

Ava's 1st Birthday

2008-08-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

Ava's birthday cake! Strawberry cake with homemade butter cream icing.
Yummy!
Blowing out her candles.
Here she is enjoying her first taste of sugar. I wasn't sure how she
would respond to it. Isabelle refused to eat any of her first cake and
Olivia inhaled hers. She ate the whole cupcake! I think she really liked it.
She's a pretty little princess!
Birthday sucess! She had smiles, cake, presents and lots
of fun on her special day. Happy birthday baby!

Sweet Ava

2008-08-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

This is my sweet baby Ava. She has been such a wonderful blessing to this family. From the day she was born she has had such a sweet spirit about her. She LOVES music! Anytime she hears any music she immediately starts to dance and clap her hands! I think she's a natural born worship leader.
She is also very petite. She turned 1 in July and is only 16 pounds 14 ounces and she was born weighing 8 pounds! So it's been fun to hold on to that baby stage a little longer this time. Believe it or not she still wears 3 - 6 month clothes. She loves to cuddle and will go to anyone. We have been so blessed.

The World Is Changing

2008-08-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was giving the girls a bath, yes, all of them at one time. I know, I'm crazy! Anyway, I got Ava out and got her dressed and ready for bed while I let the older two stay in the bath. Big mistake! When I came back most of the baby soap was dumped into the bath water and most of the bath water was on the floor and sink. How it got to the sink I don't know nor do I want to know. So, it's the end of the day and I've about had all I can take.
As a parent I can figure out who did what with what but I asked Isabelle anyway. I knew that Livie was a big part of the mess. I asked Isabelle if she too was planning with the soap. She said no but I continued to ask her to see if she changed her story. Which she did.
So, it's a Monday night and we always tape Jon and Kate plus 8 . If you don't watch this show you should because it's great! Well, Isabelle LOVES this show. So for punishment I told her that she couldn't stay up and watch it that night. The tears came flowing! So as the reality set in she says"Mom, sometimes I just feel like the world is changing. I go to bed then I get up and feel like everything has changed." I did a good job of not laughing at her even though I thought it was extremely funny.

One BIG Week

2008-08-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

It's May 16th our 10
year anniversary and our baby is graduating kindergarten!
May 17th our beautiful girl turned 6!!!!
May 18th she lost her first tooth!
Ok, you're going to have to bear with me I'm feeling quite emotional. I can't believe that time has gone by so fast. It really feels like just the other day when I was bringing her home from the hospital. I just couldn't believe that they just let us walk out of the hospital with this tiny ( I say that loosely she was 8 lbs. 14 oz.) baby! She is a wonderful little girl and I'm glad she's mine!

Pizza Face

2008-07-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

Nathan had a baseball game this night and I was so tired that I just ordered us a pizza so I could put the girls to bed and just relax. We ate our pizza and I fed Ava her Stage 3 baby food. I left Ava in her highchair while I went to get the older two ready for bed. When I got back this is what I found. I guess I left the pizza box and the dipping sauce within reach of a certain little person!!

Silly Girl

2008-07-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

Olivia is such a wonderful girl. She is on the go 24/7 and anyone that knows her will tell you that she is CRAZY! While we were eating dinner one night she kept looking at Nathan out of the corner of her eye. I sit across from her and this is all I could see of her the whole dinner. We laughed so hard that now she does it ALL the time.

I'm entering the wide world of Bloggin'

2008-07-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I'm a blogger! I know I know. It's just too exciting for words!
I'm not sure what I'm going to write about so bare with me till I get my footing. Let's go!