A Night Out

Our neighbors, Les & Erin

Happy Birthday, Sandy!

Erin, Becky, Laura, & Me

Jeremy & I

Brunch at the American Girl Bistro

Just checking out all the BIG kids @ the Play Center.

Logan talking on his phone as he strolls the Galleria.

What a sweet, sweet smile!

Great friends!

Jaidyn ~ Jordyn ~ Caroline ~ Molly

The kids are home, it's cold outside, therefor we will be staying in today. I love having my kids at home and I really think that they enjoy just being home, too. Everyday seems like such a rat race, here & there, school, dance, you name it. This morning Jordyn woke up first & was thrilled to tell Makala their was NO school. Of course, Makala went right back to bed. Jordyn, on the other hand, got the computer, turned on itunes & was rockin' out to Fergalicious, Shake It, & the Cha-Cha Slide. Now, it's 8:00 am & she's dancing & singing her heart out. How can she have this much energy that early in the morning?!?! I guarantee, come tomorrow morning I will be dragging her out of bed, begging her to put her clothes on, eat, brush her teeth and all the other things that have to be done before she begins her day at school. Why is she this perky on such a cold, nasty day & every other day of the week she's dragging?!?! Too funny! Ok, thanks to my friend Nicky, I am addicted to Facebook. It is out of control, I just can't get enough! I have found friends on their that I have not spoke to in 19 years. They were great friends for the first 7 years I was in school. How crazy, I love feeling connected again when we had shared so many things during our childhood. Thanks, Nicky!

Fun times over the weekend, too. Friday night Jordyn had her good friend, Caroline stay the night, along with Caroline's American Girl doll, Molly. Jordyn got an AG g/c from Santa, so she wanted the Just Like Me doll from AG. She has officially named her Jaidyn Ashton Payne & has made it very clear that Jaidyn is not a doll, but another member of our family. She loves this little friend. So, Saturday we all got ready & headed for the Galleria to have Brunch at the AG Bistro. The girls were so excited and had a great time feeding their new friends their own food. I was very impressed with the menu and most importantly the food was very tasty. We were treated to mini strawberry muffins, wow! The best muffins I've ever had! It was definitely worth the drive up there. Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa, they entertained Makala & Logan at the mall while Jordyn & I had Mommy/Daughter time. Now that Logan has figured out the places he can go on his feet rather than his hands & knees, he's walking everywhere. It's such a joy to watch Sherry & Bill walking just a few steps behind; making such he doesn't get hurt, and if so, they are there to pick him up when he falls. What a blessing it is to have such wonderful in-laws.

After such an eventful morning, Jeremy & I thought we would wrap up the day hanging out with old friends at Cowboys in Arlington. Yes, I know, but we had a really good time. For a couple that doesn't get out often, we usually jump at an opportunity to get out of the house. We met up for a friends 32nd birthday, along with 10 other couples. Just a night full of good times, dancing, laughing, and catching up on each other. Happy Birthday, Sandy ~ we had a great time! :)

Looking Back on 2008

We had a very eventful year, and we look forward to the many blessings to come in 2009.

To start off, Jeremy made a job change, not once, but twice last year. After the many years he spent at Don Davis Auto Group, he has landed the position as Finance Director for Grapevine Chrysler Jeep Dodge. He has come to love the auto industry and is finally back in the position that he enjoys the most. He works extremely hard and sometimes very long hours, so that I can be at home with the kids. Man, who ever said that being a Full-time mom was easy?!?! My work is never ending, although I would not trade this job for anything! Thank you, Jeremy for your hard work and dedication to your family.

I spend my days running the kids here and there and keeping up with all the other stuff that mom's do. Last May, my sister's daughter, Makala, came to live with us. This has been such a great transition and we love having her here. Makala is 12 1/2 and in the 7th grade. She enjoys spending time with her family & friends, text messaging, listening to her iPod, and reading the Twilight series. She is quite a character, and becoming such a beautiful young lady! I love you, Tadda!

Jordyn is our 6 year old little diva. She loves shopping for herself, gymnastics, dance class, playing w/ her little brother, riding her bike, and going to the park. I tend to look at her and think ~ What have I created?!?! She is so fun and full of life. Logan thinks that she hung the moon, she is so sweet to him. BTW - he just started walking at 15 months, there was no need to when he had his BIG SIS to tote him where she though he needed to go. She is a very studious 1st grader who loves to go to school. Jordyn ~ Mommy loves a sky full!

Logan, on the other hand, has the silliest personality. He is 15 months old - walking, feeding himself, climbing on everything, exploring mommy's cabinets, and just having the time of his life. He loves the outdoors and watching his sister dance. He is a true fighter, last year he fought Pneumonia & RSV twice, and was a champ having tubes put in his ears. I love this little guy so much, he just melts my heart everyday!

I hope this finds everyone with a humbled spirit and hope you all cherish life's little moments!

Still Catching Up!!!

To start off, I want to say what a joy it has been at our house this past year with our son, Logan Paul. He was welcomed by the best big sister in the world, Jordyn Ashton and I love waking up each morning to their beautiful faces. I feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to love, nurture, and guide these two amazing children. Jordyn & Logan ~ Mommy loves you so much! So,we had a big birthday to celebrate in October. Logan turned "1", October 19th and we had a fun party at the park in our neighborhood. Logan loves the outdoors and loves to swing. I really think he could swing all day if mommy could push that long. Logan's 1st year has been so fun just watching the relationship between he & Jordyn develop. They have lots of fun with each other. The birthday party was great! We had lots of family & friends join us to celebrate with pizza, cake, and wonderful gifts. Thank you, once again for sharing this special day with us! Enjoy the pictures and hope to post again soon.

Playing Catch Up!

Ok, I know it's November, but I have to share last month with you. October was extremely busy for us as we celebrated anniversaries, birthdays, and all of the Fall festivities. To start out, this month Jeremy & I celebrated our 8th anniversary. We had a lovely evening out as we dined at The Keg in Ft. Worth. Dinner alone does not happen very often so very cherish these moments. Earlier that day the kids & I joined family at the Baldwin Farm in Rio Vista. We rode 4-wheelers, feed the ducks & cows, played in the creek, and Jordyn got to ride on a tractor. From there Jordyn went camping at Cleburne State Park w/ Uncle Bubba & Meghan, while Logan went to my cousin, Kristinia's house. Believe it or not camping and playing all day at the farm is a lifestyle that Jordyn could get used to. She was not phased by the mud on her feet & legs! She is so much fun and becoming more adventurous. I love you, Jordyn, and I love watching you grow!

My dad & his girlfriend invited us to join them one evening at Beaumont Ranch in Grandview. They have a Fajita/Catfish Buffet every Friday night. Fun for the whole family! By the way, the bull won!

Makala's Hand Mime Drama at Church

This is the hand mime drama that Makala has been working on for the last 8 weeks. We were so proud of her dedication to this and the presentation was very moving to all of us. Enjoy!

This is the start of my blogging experience! My hope is that we can all enjoy this together. Please leave your comments.