Higgins of 5

Ready, Set, HUT!

2012-02-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

We have a new sports hero in our family. James started Flag Football this Winter season. His team is called the "Tigers." I don't know what I was thinking signing him up for Winter ball. The last two practices and games were in 36 degree weather. Sitting on the sidelines for 2 hours can get really cold, but James is having a blast.

The first couple of games were so cute to watch. We are learning so much! The first thing we learned was to grab the flags, but NOT your own team mate's. We learned when you get the football, RUN! ...but NOT the wrong way. LOL!

After a few slips, we learned that athlete's wear cleat's for a reason. And we learned there are different kinds for the different sports. We found the perfect pair of football cleat's that James absolutely loves.

Also, we learned how important it is to put our "listening ears" on for the Coach. And when he say's "Everybody ready?" We shout back, "ALWAYS READY!"

We also learned that at halftime we can have drinks and snacks, but NOT in the middle of the game as you are running by your Mom. That was a hard one to remember! After all, a true athlete needs to refuel!

And best of all we learned that good sportsmanship is an important value to have. We are all friends that are here to have fun! GOOD GAME!!!

Wisemen Still Follow HIM Today!

2011-12-31T10:33:00.000-08:00

This Christmas Season was busy and fun for the Higgins' of 5! As we celebrated the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we were reminded of how incredibly blessed we truly are.

James stated that he didn't want to pick up the toys in his room because "The Savior of the world is coming down and I might miss Him!" Sometimes God uses even the smallest of children to remind us that HE is what its all about.

I am reminded of one of my favorite songs by Mercy Me, I Can Only Imagine, that puts things into perspective. I would like to share the lyrics...

"I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Sun

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine"

My mom put it best as she wrote in her Christmas letter, "At the first Christmas, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds saw Jesus for the first time face-to-face. We can wonder what that was like, but what's more important is what it will be like when everyone (past, present, future) will see Jesus face-to-face when He comes to earth again."

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE!

So we began our Christmas season volunteering for the Angels of Light. Our church has been doing Angels of Light for many years and has it organized so well. There is opportunity to volunteer in many ways.

Each campus collects toys throughout the year for a specific age group. For example, our South campus had boys age 8. The actual event is 5 days long (the first week of December). Each campus is in charge of one night. We sign up on committee's such as toys, greeting, food, bus captain, prayer, etc. Our family helped out with the toys.

The schedule works like this... Inner city families are bussed into our main campus church where they are greeted first, watch a program, hear the message of Jesus, eat a Christmas feast, and receive a present or two. So the night of, Ashlee, Sydney, James, Darrell and I showed up to wrap presents and distribute them onto the seats of the bus where the kids would find them when they got back from the program. Such a blessing to serve the Lord by serving others!


Sydney AKA toy runner

The Higgins' of 5 was full of music and song throughout December. James sang in the GIGL (Growing In God's Love) nursery choir. To listen, just click: http://youtu.be/tgn9BcKUyj4

Sydney sang in the children's choir for the last time...sniff. To listen, just click: http://youtu.be/qVrYS5LM5sA

And Ashlee played her trumpet in her Winter Band Concert. To listen, just click: http://youtu.be/TIWTKtjrTzg

The kids and I have a tradition of baking Christmas cookies each year, but decided to do something a little different this year. We made hot chocolate cones and white chocolate peppermint popcorn for the teacher and neighbors. They came out so cute and it was such a big hit with the teachers that I think we might do it again next year.

The other project I had going on was picture frame photo gifts for all the grandparents and my lucky sister...because I love her so! ;) I took 8X10 B/W headshots with my camera, paint, canvas', ribbon, scrapbook paper and a little modge podge and ... VIOLA!

We were so excited when we found out that cousin Andrew would be staying the weekend with us. The boys are only 5 weeks apart in age and hit it off instantly! Playing ...and fighting ... just like brothers. They were two peas in a pod.

We went to the Odom Christmas gathering at Aunt Muffy's house this year. She had everything decorated so beautifully and the food was delicious! We missed Mom, Dad, Susan, Travis and the kids as they were away at Alyssa's soccer competition. But it was wonderful to catch up with the Odom gang.

We took Drew to "The Really, Really Big Christmas Show" which was AMAZING! There were acrobats, dancers, singers, you name it! All dancing and singing on stage, popping out of the audience, and flying through the air. Just a spectacular production put on by our church.

While the two peas played outside on the 4 wheeler, James took the opportunity to "fix" it. I HAD to take a picture!!! LOL!

The next day was our Christmas Open House at church. Each bible study class was in charge of decorating a candy house to represent one of the old houses in the historic village of Williamsburg, VA. Our class spent something like 30 hours on it. All of them turned out absolutely beautiful.

They had one "unfinished" house that they allowed each kid that walked through to help with. So cute!

After we visited the village we went to the sanctuary where they had different activities and presentations for the visitors, such as dancing and singing groups from throughout the community. We have some very talented people around here in this town!

Ashlee and Tori were in charge of the Christmas tatoo station.

James' favorite station was the cookie decorating table! Mine was the ornament making!

But the best of all was the Smores outside! James made his and found a perfect spot to indulge!

Sydney and James got hyped up on sugar and decided to play Rock Band in the youth building. Good times!

The night was so fun and spending it with friends made it perfect!

So then we all hopped into the car and went camping! Yes, it pretty much went just like that. Darrell and I discussed how it would be fun to take the kids to the State park about 30 minutes from our house. We looked it up online and saw that there was a vacancy at one of the cabins and we booked it.

The next three days contained biking, hiking, cooking out, campfires, and family time!

Sydney drawing in her art book

The campfire that Ashlee worked diligently to keep alive

Bike trails and hiking trails were so fun.

And of course the afternoon nap was a key piece to our day.

Right after the bike trail!

Anyone for a game of CLR? A game even our youngest family member can play!

Our pet squirrel that lived in the attic of our cabin

Then finally the big day arrived...Christmas Eve! We met with friends and family at church including my bestie, Monica, her husband, Roger, and his Dad (which was a sweet surprise). Darrell's sister, Jamie and family, as well as Mom and Dad Higgins' also came to be with us for the candlelight service.

James and best friend London

Gary Thomas, Christian writer and author, gave an awesome message on this Christmas eve. His overall message was that God wrote the bible for us and the main character was Jesus, throughout the old and new testament. But... He didn't retire as author after that. It tells us in Revelations that He is still writing. He is writing our personal biography.

Gary pointed out... "What will He read to us when we come before him? What did we do with our life that God will see important enough to write about." Wow! I never thought that way before. What have I done (or will do) in my lifetime that will impress my biographer...GOD!

After the service we returned to spend time with the Higgins' at Mom and Dad's house. Jamie, Dan, Amanda, and Emily were there. Susan, Travis, Alyssa, Ava, Aidan, Andrew were all there.

We were all there except for sweet Ashlee. She left for East TX right after the church service to spend time with her family there. That's alright though because we got to do Christmas a day early with her and spend time in a family devotion at home just the five of us while we opened our immediate gifts and the Hoenerhoff-Carter gifts. Then we made a special lunch trip to Grandma/pa Higgins' house for her to celebrate opening gifts from the Higgins'. Good memories made!

Uncle Dan was properly harassed by the boy cousins.

Ashlee opening her gifts at Christmas eve lunch with Grandma Higgins.

YES! Cars 2 movie! Thanks Aunt Susan, Uncle Travis, and my cousins!!!

The traditional chaos of opening gifts at Grandma's.

The oldest of the cousins...aren't they beautiful!

We stayed the night at Grandma and Grandpa Higgins' Christmas eve night where Santa came to visit. Christmas morning, after we found the gifts that Santa brought, we packed up the car to go spend some time with our Powell family.

Mimi and Grandpa Powell relaxing on Christmas day!

We all met at the Mercer's house where we had good food and conversation. We talked, laughed and us ladies even got in a game of old fashioned Scrabble.

Aunt Jennie and Darrell comparing their new technology.

But the biggest moment of the day was when Grandpa Powell was introduced to a spectacular gift from the Powell/Mercer clan. An incredible restoration of an old photograph that Grandpa Powell had of the ship, The Mason, that he lived on from 1950-1952.

Grandpa's smile...priceless!

Jenny presenting the photo restoration of "The Mason" and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1950

Pointing out exactly what he would do on the ship.

And so this brings us pretty much up to date. Ashlee is in East Texas. Sydney and I are relaxing at home, catching up on some reading...and blogging. Darrell and James are in West Texas with friend Glenn, son Garrett and daughter Lauren. They are riding 4 wheelers on the ranch, having campfires in the sand dunes and hunting birds.

James and Garrett

The gang getting ready to ride.

Pale Rider and Easy Rider

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

"When He shall come with trumpet sound, oh,

my I then in Him be found clothed in His righteousness alone,

faultless to stand before the throne."

Happy Thanksgiving...Gobble, Gobble!!!

2011-12-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

We spend every Thanksgiving now in Austin visiting my Mom's side of the family. It's always good food and good company. I look forward to our family traditions.

One of my favorite's is Dad's Thanksgiving devotion where we all gather round in the living room to hear what he has prepared to say. Thanking the Lord for the incredible love and blessings He has generously showered on this family and His ultimate gift of Jesus.

Then its tradition to sit down together for a great big meal prepared perfectly by Mom and her kitchen helpers.

A long standing family tradition is when Dad carves the turkey. Mom stands at his side to help with anything he needs. Now these are the simple things... that as I get older... I can appreciate.

Of course we can't forget the family tradition of taking group photos. Here we have "the cousins." It's always fun to see them and how they have grown.

Then its tradition to all jump into vehicles and head to the movie theater where we catch whatever popular movie is playing at that moment. Last year was Harry Potter. This year...Jack and Jill? Well, let's just say it was funny because it was about twins. And we get how funny twins can be...right Nathan and Philip?! Ha!

Our newest (but rapidly becoming one of the sweetest) traditions is the "buddy" relationship blooming between Philip and James. For the past couple of years now they hang out and play all day. The two are inseparable pals...priceless!

Another one of our family traditions that I look forward to the most is relaxing with my sister and husband. They are two of the most amazing people. Not only in their professional life, but personally too. My sister and I can be ourselves and talk and laugh. I miss her and love them so.
This year Thanksgiving was extra special because of two beautiful people, my Grandparents. Oma is the sweetest, caring person I know...hands down! And Opa is the most knowledgable, experienced person that I know! I love sitting and listening to stories about his life in the military, travel, and education. I have learned so much from my grandparents and I can only hope that one day, I can give the same beautiful legacy to my own grandchildren and great grandchildren.

And here is where it all started, my family! I am so thankful to be a part of THIS family. I love you!

But wait...one last family tradition...A BIRTHDAY PARTY!

We always get to celebrate Mom's birthday with her because it falls so close to Thanksgiving. This time she had a great idea to take the kids to a bounce house in the neighborhood. Let's just say Grandma's birthday party was AWESOME!

Right down to the birthday cake that Dad "surprised" her with. Happy Birthday MOM> GMA!!!

Fall Into Season...Happy Halloween!

2011-11-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

So what's Fall without PUMPKINS!!! It's a family tradition to visit the local church's pumpkin patch (along with the rest of the town). So about a week ago we met up with some fine pumpkins and had a blast. The kids love picking out just the right batch...each one unique in its own way.

This year James tried to grab the biggest pumpkin he could pick up. Every time I turned around he was stumbling down the walkway carrying a pumpkin that probably weighed more than he did.

"James! I think that one is a bit too big for you...

Ahhh, yes! That's more like it!"

Sydney looked for the ripest pumpkin...good for the pickin'! "Hmmmm, does this one sound ripe enough?"

And Ashlee looked for the perfect round one. "This is it, Mom!"

The church had a little portrait seating area where parents were taking advantage of photo opportunities...me included! "Say Cheese!"

The pumpkins stacked up nicely next to our addition to our Fall family this year...our homemade scarecrow!

Halloween was a blast this year too.

Who is this jailbird? And what is she doing out in the night wandering around? She looks innocent, but probably up to no good!

We better call a Policewoman to come save the day!

We got her now!

What?! Wait a minute!!!! She is breaking free!!! Ahhhh, catch her!!!!

HAHAHA! Ashlee and Tori had a blast reenacting their costume duo for all that came to watch.

Sydney was our very own Camp Halfblood's, Annabeth! If you read any of the Percy Jackson series you would find that Annabeth is his sidekick that helps him save the day.

And we can't forget our very own...Spiderman SLASH Superman!!! Yes, we got not only one but TWO Superheroes for Halloween...priceless!

And we can't forget our token black cat. Note the two glowing eyes next to Sydney's left leg. Tate didn't miss out on his guest appearance on Halloween night.

Time to trick or treat!!!

Keep your eyes on the prize.

Over 100 trick or treater's visited this Halloween night. Cars and people covering the neighborhood. Neighbors hanging outside visiting together and nice cool Fall air. So much fun! It was over before we knew it!!!

The Superhero House!

2011-10-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well summer is over and fall is definitely underway, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to blog about the Superhero Party we had for James' 4th birthday. Since his birthday falls during the first week back to school, I knew I had to plan it way in advance if this teacher was going to be able to do anything at all.

So about a month before hand, James told me he wanted a "Superhero" party which got me thinking. Wouldn't it be fun to have superhero capes? Wouldn't it be fun to have a Batcave? Wouldn't it be fun to...??? And that's where it all started.

When James' friends arrived, they each received their very own Superhero Cape, Superhero Energy Fuel (bottle of water ;) and Superhero Energy Snack to get them ready for the Superhero Academy.

First stop of the Superhero Academy was the BATCAVE (James' room) where they had to find all the Kryptonite (glow sticks) to save Superman!

Next, they lined up to go outside...

to walk across the HOT LAVA PIT which my dear husband placed dry ice in and plywood on top.

Once each Superhero made it across they were able to go LEAP TALL BUILDINGS IN A SINGLE BOUND!

James' friend, Stone, (aka Superman) was ready for the action!

The Superheroes then took turns showing off their MIGHTY MUSCLES by lifting balls of steel!

James, especially trying to impress this sweet superhero friend, London.

The Superhero Academy ended with VAPORIZE THE VILLAIN!!! A huge silly string fight!

The posters on the back fence were of the Joker, Cat Woman, the Penguin and other evil villains but what could be more fun than attacking each other. Cousin Aidan understood!

Once all the Superheroes accomplished the Superhero Academy it was time to come in to refuel.

My girlfriend, Melissa, has a love and true talent for making cakes. They not only look fabulous but taste amazing! She made this Bat City for James and it was the talk of the party!

James was soooo happy and proud of his cake! Thanks Melissa!!!

After the cake, James was ready to open his presents. He received so many wonderful gifts, including trucks, remote control cars, balls, transformers and superhero action figures. One of the most sentimental gifts came from Grandpa and Mimi Powell...

a fishing pole and line, handmade by Grandpa Powell himself.

Another sentimental gift came from Grandpa and Gma Hoenerhoff, a monster truck quilt with matching truck pillow case. It was made with love by Gma.

And another highlight of the gifts... HUH?! ...balls with bells in the middle?

...big bag of kitty litter?

...what could be in this box?

My very own KITTEN!!!

Meet our new kitten, Pumpkin. She is the gift that keeps on giving! Thanks Aunt Jojo and Uncle Chris!

Round Up!

2011-08-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Ashlee, Sydney, James and I volunteered for Vacation Bible School at our church. If you have ever been to Second Baptist's VBS before, you know what a huge production it is. They go all out reaching 1,000's of kids with the gospel of Christ. At our South campus we had over 1,200 children and volunteers that attended for the week.

This year's theme was Round Up! We transformed the church into a Rodeo Town. We had a bank, jail, barn, animals, even a town store. For a couple of weeks before hand, we volunteers spent many hours designing, painting, cutting, and assembling it all. Check out the bank sign...yes, that's my creative artwork. Ha!

Now volunteering isn't just all about the decorations. Ashlee was able to serve in a different way. She is a member of the GIGL (Growing In God's Love) dance team. The GIGL dance team makes learning about Jesus fun for the children through dancing and singing. James loves to watch his big sis on stage and feels so loved when she comes down to the audience to dance with him.

They had many practices and dress rehearsals leading up to VBS to learn the choreography. The members have all become really good friends. And they love, love, love! their leader Mrs. Brigette. She is a beautiful lady inside and out and we are blessed that God put her in our lives. She is such a sweet, positive influence for Ashlee.

Then there is the big show. This is a play put on by volunteers and staff members. Every day they would perform the next piece or act. The plot this year involved Miss Georgia Peach, the school teacher, was kidnapped by the bad Renegades and tied to the train tracks. The good Sheriff had to rescue her before the train came. In the end, with God's help the Sheriff is able to save the day and the Renegades change their hearts and become Christians.

Meanwhile Sydney and I were apart of VBX. VBX is VBS on steroids. Ha! No really...while VBS is about Jesus, little kids, decorating the rooms, singing, dancing and the big show. VBX is about Jesus, big kids, decorating the kids, team spirit, recreation games, singing and dancing.

I volunteered as a team leader. My team was the "Yellow Clue" team. Each team was a color and a board game name. Sydney's team was the "Orange Twister." Throughout the morning the teams would break into small groups where we as team leaders would reinforce the lesson of the day in the smaller environment.

Every day was a chance to win the spirit stick. High energy, team chants, color and lot's of screaming earned you this stick. My team won it the first day...we decorated it all up in yellow and carried it around proudly all day.

But that wasn't the only part to VBX. Every morning after we decorated ourselves up and checked in we went for worship. The kids sang, praised God and had a blast playing silly games like eating baby food or throwing a pie in their leader's face.

Then we would get serious and here God's powerful message through our Youth Pastor Terry. Each day he taught about the fruit of the Spirit. The kids love Pastor Terry and God works miracles through him because on the last day, several of these kids turned their life over to Christ. The following Sunday, a total of 23 children were baptized during our church service.

And let's not forget the little tots. All of the Baughman cousins came to VBS including Ava, Andrew, Aidan, Megan, Katherine, and Berkley. Mimi Pat, Alyssa, and Shelby came to help volunteer in the classrooms.

Here the kids are watching the big show after their time learning about the fruits of the Spirit in their classrooms.

July 4th Austin Vacation with the Hoenerhoff's!

2011-08-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

This year we took a July 4th mini vacation to Austin to visit Mom and Dad. Wendy and Bill took some time off from work and were able to make it too. The kids were ecstatic! Ashlee and Sydney were angels as usual while James...well let's just say it's hard being the only 3 year old boy in the house! Ha!

James and Papa spent quality time creating masterpieces out of the building blocks that I used to play with when I was James' age. Mom still kept some of my toys after all of these years. It's so fun to see my kids enjoying the exact same things as I did so many years ago.

Mexican train is huge in the Hoenerhoff house. Sydney and Ashlee beg us every evening to play. When we do finally give in we have a hilarious time. This time the girls got the giggles and I don't think any of us could of stopped them. I remember when Wendy and I would get the same way when we were their ages. Mom and Dad would tell us to stop after hours of annoyance but as hard as we tried...we just couldn't. We would hold our breath and noses trying to stop only to end up exploding in laughter.

James' favorite part of the vacation was the pool. He has turned into a regular fish lately. He enjoyed showing off his swimming abilities to his audience...floating on his back to the count of 23! Wendy joked (and she is probably right) that this was the most still he was for the entire visit!

On Sunday, we all took a trip to Georgetown to visit Oma and Opa. We had a beautiful visit at their Lutheran Church. It brought back memories of my childhood church that I grew up in. I enjoyed the traditional service and was able to show my kids the Lutheran way. The picture above turned out great but it was missing 3 important people so below I inserted a picture of these wonderful people.

Dad took this picture over Mother's Day at Oma and Opa Carter's house and I thought it was such beautiful picture! So I'm glad I got to use it here!!!

The three muskateer's! Ha! And NO we didn't plan the outfits...really! We all woke up, got dressed for church, drove in separate cars, arrived in Georgetown matching like we were high school girls at a party. Haha! But in all honesty, it doesn't surprise me...and I'm happy about it! I love my Mom and Sister so much!!!

Lakeway has a big July 4th parade every year and this year was superb! The kids, Papa and Gma had a blast standing in the hot sun taking pictures, catching candy and watching all the floats. Me and Darrell...well, it's HOT in Austin! We wimpy Houstonian's had to find shade...did I mention it's HOT in Austin?!

But thanks to Gma, we caught some precious moments on camera. James checking out his loot! Happy July 4th!!!

What's Austin without a little Oasis?! Since the Oasis restaurant burned down a few years ago, the owners have been working hard and in my opinion...rebuilt it bigger and better. There is this overlook walkway that extends far out over the cliff and above Lake Travis. Wendy and Bill look like Top Model's over the beautiful oasis. Of course my fear of heights got the best of me but I still was able to pose for a quick picture...(even though the thing was SWAYING!)

If you take a close enough look, you can see Darrell is talking...yes, in the moment he was trying to comfort me by assuring that we did not put our entire family in danger and that we were not going to die. He is such a good husband.

After lunch at the Oasis we headed back to Houston...except for the girls. Lucky ducks got to stay with Gma and Papa for an extended vacation. First stop...the Sea Ray!

This was the last stay on the much loved Sea Ray! As just a week ago Mom and Dad finally sold it (it had been on the market for some time) to a couple from San Antonio. Many good memories made on the beloved boat...hopefully mom finds the time to make a scrap book!

After the boat trip, Gma and the girls got busy sewing! This is a favorite thing to do with Gma!

This time the project was making banner bracelets. The girls each picked out their own fabrics and Gma taught them how to cut, piece, fit, sew, and whatever else it all entailed.

They even sewed buttons by hand! They each brought home several for their friends, me, and James.

I love my Sis!

2011-08-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe its already August! Temperatures are soaring in the 100's, kids are hard at play and everyone is facing reality that school is just around the corner. I actually start back full time next week while the kiddoes have a little over 3 weeks left of summer. So I decided I better catch up on blogging before the hussle and bussle starts!

In June I took a trip to Fort Worth for a training I needed for work. The training took place just minutes from my sister and hubby's house! So I was fortunate enough to stay with them and catch up on some much needed sister time. Wendy and I went to work during the day and hung out in the evenings. I loved going shopping with her for our Dad together for Father's Day. We found a beautiful silk shirt that we knew he would love.

When we got home Bill surprised us with tickets to a concert at the House of Blues. He knew the singer of the group personally because he had helped her through many spinal surgeries enabling her to walk and not be permanently stuck in a wheel chair. She was up there on stage doing what she loved to do because of Bill and the doctor Bill is a PA for. The story just blew my mind away. I am so proud of my BIL!

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2011-07-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

This past June 9, Darrell and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that we have been married for 5 years already. Five years ago we were going through the process of selling my house and merging our two families (and all our stuff that goes with two families) together. Whew! Since then we have molded together nicely, becoming a happy family of five. God had it all planned out and what a beautiful plan indeed.

I found my knight in shining armor. A man that loves God first and puts his family at the top of the list. Darrell is passionate, loving, good hearted, and not to mention...handsome! He works hard for us. I admire him as my husband and father to our children. I cannot imagine my life without him!!!

Ashlee and Sydney instantly grew on each other. They not only got the sister they always wanted but they became really good friends too. Then James came along...I like to say that he is the knot that ties all of us together. Ashlee loves being the oldest and is very good at it too. She looks out for her little sister and brother. She is a huge help to me! Sydney is our little social butterfly, always happy, making the fun! And James...well, lets just say...he is a rough and tough, BUSY, 3 year old,little boy.

Happy 5 years, honey! I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the years ahead.

James' New Blackout Curtain Project!

2011-06-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Gma is one of the most talented people I know. When it comes to a needle and thread...she can do anything. Whenever anything needs to be fixed Darrell's first words are "I bet your mom can do it!" And basically he is right. From sewing pant hems, holes in tree house roofs, to trampoline safety nets...she has fixed them all. Not to mention she makes the most beautiful blanket quilts among a ton of other things.

Well when she found out that her only grandson's room is the brightest and hottest because of the setting sun that shines through it everyday, she got the idea to make a blackout curtain. This curtain turned out gorgeous, matching James' room decor with balls of every sport highlighted in stars. So last week, during Dad's meetings in Houston, they stopped by to set it up. And wow! What a project that was! Four hours and a dinner later, the black out curtain project was completed.

And did I mention that the next morning, James slept into the late morning hours for the first time in a long time. His room is cool, dark and sooooo comfortable now that the heat and light is blocked out.

Then it was time for good ol' snuggling with the grandkids. Ahhhh, this is what it's all about!

Thanks so much, Gma and Papa!

Sand, Sun, Beach!

2011-06-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

Well summer is officially here and the Higgins' believe the only way to get it started is to make a run for the beach. Galveston may not be the most beautiful beach in the world, but it is only 45 minutes from our doorstep and well...it's the beach!

This beach gathering involved friends and family all meeting up Memorial weekend at Surfside. The older girl cousings hung out in the water while the younger cousins used their creative juices building sand castles. Aidan and James teamed up for a good while trying to keep the mote full of water. So cute!

And the Trumpet Sounds!

2011-06-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Ashlee finished the school year off with a fabulous performance by her award winning Symphonic Band. They put on a Spring Concert in the high school auditorium that was music to my ears. Playing songs like "Superheroes R Us" and "Highlights of Harry Potter." "Engines of Resistance" was my personal favorite, highlighting the brass instruments. Ashlee plays the trumpet and is very good...so good that she made the Honors Band for next year. Woo hoo!

James the Camera Ham!

2011-06-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get a picture of James' new car seat that I purchased after my recent car accident...don't worry! Nobody got hurt! I just felt that it was better to be on the safe side by getting a new one rather than to keep the one that had been jerked around a bit. Yes, I can be one of those paranoid moms when it comes to my baby's safety. But in reality...it was a win, win situation because James was rapidly outgrowing his old one anyways.

I looked online at these Britax seats which I heard were the best...ummm, yeah and the most expensive! But I was able to score this bad boy off of our neighborhood yahoo group. A lady around the block just so happen to be selling a slightly used one for a third of the cost! Needless to say I jumped on the opportunity and hence the photography shoot.

Anyhoo, James is a real ham these days when it comes to self portraits. "Look at me Mommy, Look at me!"

"Take my picture, Mommy!" And thanks to digital cameras the child knows he can instantly see his funny faces. "Let me see, let me see...ME!"

Personally my favorite!

We Love Mimi Powell!

2011-06-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

Spending time with our family is the most important thing to us. We don't get to do it as much as we would like, but when we do, it's always so full of love...and hugs! The Powell's took us (Ashlee and me) in as their own 5 years ago and I truly feel blessed by them. The smiles and cuddles in these pictures are the true meaning of family...holding each others love tightly. And Mimi is the one that holds us the tightest. We love her so!

Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed

2011-06-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sydney is the only one of my kids right now in AWANA. Ashlee went through it and James will when he is old enough. I think it is an awesome program. It brings fun to reading the bible and memorizing scripture.

The founders of Awana derived the Awana name from the first letters of "Approved workmen are not ashamed" as taken from 2 Timothy 2:15 of the Bible. Awana helps churches and parents work together to develop spiritually strong children and youth who faithfully follow Jesus Christ. The program offers a proven approach for evangelizing and discipling kids in the church and community.

Sydney graduated this year from the first book and because of her hard work she was given the opportunity to throw a pie in the face of her favorite teacher.

She picked Mr. Max (of course). He is always goofing around...well, he's a big kid at heart and the kids love him. After careful aim, Sydney hit her target dead on! Good one Syd!!!

Sydney Is A Decade OLD!

2011-06-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Our Sydney Marie turned 10 this past April...as her sister puts it "She is a decade old!" She wanted a sleepover movie night with a few of her bestie's. So we gathered up some of her favorites (Tangled being #1) and tide down the hatches for a night of fingernail painting, pizza, cake, and fairy tales. Even James had fun decorating his fingers and terrorizing his sisters and friends.

New York Pizzeria has a party pizza that is always fun. The slices are huge and make for great conversation and full tummies. I've never seen such happy faces!!!

I made Sydney's favorite cake...CHOCOLATE! She was impressed with the chocolate icing topped with Nestle's candy pieces. Happy Birthday sweet girl!!!

Easter 2011

2011-05-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Easter! Out of all the holidays, Easter is my favorite by far. There is nothing sweeter than celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. This year, the girls and I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Resurrection dance with our church. Over 2,000 members of Second Baptist gathered together at Discovery Green Park...smack dab in the middle of downtown Houston where we danced for Jesus that Sunday morning. To our disbelief the video was put on YouTube and instantly went viral! Spreading the word all over the world! I even had a friend tell me that she was in Okanawa, Japan visiting her son when it came on the TV news program they were watching. What an awesome blessing to be a part of!

After all of that fun, we celebrated tradition in the Higgins house. Beginning with the Hoenerhoff "Easter Water" where I sprinkle water on each of the kids to wake them up on Easter morn. Every year it's excitedly anticipated the night before...kind of like the Easter Bunny. The kids know it's coming, they just don't know when. James sat straight up after being sprinkled and asked for his Bob the Builder umbrella because it was "raining in my room." So cute!

After the kids are awake the next tradition is to dig into the Easter baskets to see what the Easter bunny brought, shortly followed by the first hunt of the day. The Easter bunny always hides the dyed eggs we created the night before throughout the house just for Ashlee, Sydney, and James to find.

After church, lunch and a much needed nap, we invited the neighbor kids over for another egg hunt. These plastic eggs each containing lot's of candy, but the ultimate prize... CONFETTI EGGS!!!

James' First Fish!

2011-05-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

We always have a blast at the Baughman Bayhouse and this day was no exception. Everybody, friends and family, gathered together the Saturday before Easter to celebrate Travis' birthday which happened to fall on Easter this year. While the girls and I dyed Easter eggs upstairs, the boys decided to do a little fishing.

Darrell made sure he explained all the ends and outs of a fisherman. Beginning with the appropriate bait for the environment...

Then Dad made sure James understood the importance of patience and concentration, never letting your guard down...

It didn't take long before James was able to yank up not one, not two, but three fish! ... all by himself!

National Junior Honor Society

2011-05-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

On April 14, 2011 we attended the National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony where our beautiful Ashlee became a member at her middle school. This is a high honor for any 7th grader and we are so proud of her.

Certain requirements had to be met and an application had to be turned in for her to even be looked at by the Officers. Ashlee was accepted on the basis of her achievements as well as her participation and service within her community. Ashlee is expected to keep all A's in her honors classes and remain on the Leadership Committee of her youth group at church. She will also be expected to do service hours within her community next school year.

Several of her friends from church were inducted this evening also. So we got them together for a group shot. From left to right; Madelaine, Ashlee, Marissa, Manzi, and Koen.

The Chocolate Bar to Celebrate!

2011-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

This year I thought it would be fun to celebrate my birthday at The Chocolate Bar! I heard about this place from a friend but had never been. I knew the kids would especially enjoy Mom's birthday if they were surrounded by chocolate! So after church Monica, Roger, the kids, me and Darrell drove to Rice Village for a chocolate treat.

We had all kinds of chocolate! Chocolate covered bananas, strawberries, and apples were my favorite. The kids loved the chocolate Oreos, cereal, peanut butter chocolate, and even chocolate pizza. You could make your own chocolate bar with whatever fixings inside it, but we were so full of chocolate already so we didn't try it.

Then Roger saw the Pop Rocks!!! Oh boy, were they fun! James' first experience with the candy I grew up with. He took a whole hand full and crammed them in his mouth. At first he wasn't sure about the popping sensation, but soon wanted everyone to play with his new found fun!

And to top off the evening, Darrell surprised Moe and me with the best... yep, you guessed it! Chocolate Coffee! Truly one of the best bdays in a long time! I was sick for days...

A couple days later my Higgins family took me out to Barcena's, our favorite Mexican restaurant. It's always a ton of fun getting together. The kids are so close in age and are always excited to see each other. I am blessed to have such wonderful in-laws. I just wish we could hang out more often!

Best Zoo Trip Yet!

2011-04-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

Every year I purchase a family membership at the Houston Zoo. It pays for itself after two trips, so it's worth it for our fam. This year our Spring trip to the zoo turned out to be the best one yet. The new African Safari area was finally open and the giraffes were a huge hit! Sydney, James and I were very impressed!

The first thing we saw was a baby giraffe sitting in the middle that was absolutely adorable. We could see people on top of a fenced in area that looked like they were petting the giraffes so we decided to get a little closer.

We saw a line leading up to the petting place (so I thought) but after asking the zoo keeper what everyone was doing she said that they were FEEDING the giraffes!!! Well we HAD to try that out. So $5 later we were standing in the line waiting our turn.

Finally, Sydney turn... She held out her piece of lettuce like a pro! The giraffes walking right up to get a bite. How exciting to see such a beautiful animal God had made so close up!

Then James' turn... The giraffe was ready and waiting. James stood back half reaching out with the piece of lettuce not sure about the long, dark purple tongue sticking out (eye level) of this creatures mouth. It took a little coaxing from big sister Sydney before he stretched his arm far enough for the giraffe to get a hold of it.

I absolutely love hanging out with my kids at the zoo... especially when the weather is nice. I praise God that we have such a beautiful place to explore and hang out with all the interesting animals that He created... including MY little monkeys!!!

Happy 13th Birthday... My Favorite Teenager, Ashlee!

2011-03-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

This past February 24th we experienced our first teenager birth in the Higgins household. Ashlee turned 13!!!

Celebrating with her closest friends, she decided to have a slumber party that went into a day of swimming at the indoor pool in Angleton. We ordered pizza, ate strawberry cake and opened presents. The biggest box was from her bestie Tori. After much effort she opened it to find a huge teddy bear dressed up in summer swimming gear!

Ashlee's favorite flavor is strawberry so I made her a strawberry birthday cake and threw in a cup of mini chocolate chips. It was a hit! Make a wish!

Being born in February, Ashlee has never been able to have a pool party. The weather is always too cold, but not this time. It didn't matter how cold it was outside because the Angleton Rec Center has the best indoor pool, with a lazy river, hot tub, and a curly slide. It even has a play area for toddlers complete with a beach, toys and a baby slide.

Ashlee and I have been through a lot in the past 13 years and I am so proud of who she has become. She is a smart, sensitive, compassionate, Christian young lady... full of life. I love being her Mom!

My Sweet Valentine!

2011-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person. Love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of. Love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you. Happy Valentine's Day to the man of my dreams. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you!

We celebrated the special occasion together with our friends at our church dinner and play. Johnny Carino's catered our delicious meal while we watched a hilarious musical highlighting "Love Through the Ages" I could not stop laughing at the cavemen, Renaissance people, Flapper's, and even ELVIS! Even Darrell tapped his foot through most of it. All the actors/actresses were volunteers from Second Baptist. Impressive!

Dear Love of my life,

You are more beautiful than a hill full of spring time bluebonnets in central Texas.

You're personality is sweeter than a favorite jelly bean.

You have given your heart to God and you lean on Him for He can give you things that I can't.

But still I am more blessed than many men.

Our beautiful and wonderful family is worth more than anything we could ever pursue in this life.

Let's go stronger as we pursue God and all that comes with His masterful plan.

I Love You my wonderful jewel.

Darrell

Woo hoo Ashlee!

2011-02-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

This past month Ashlee has worked diligently on perfecting her trumpet solo as well as an ensemble piece. She experienced her first solo/ensemble contest through her band class. She practiced before school with her ensemble, after school with her piano accompanist, and in between with her private lesson teacher on her solo. We are very proud of Ashlee for working so hard. She walked in cool, calm and collected. Confidently earning straight ONES and taking homes 2 medals!!! Woo hoo Ashlee!

Snow Day... NO SCHOOL!

2011-02-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

What does the Higgins' family do when we get the day off of work and school for a "Snow Day" ?? PLAY!!! What a fun day hanging out together... just the 5 of us! And did I mention... it never snowed!!! Ha!

Sydney performing for her audience of Barbie's

Ashlee, our token teen... barely got out of bed!

James and Dad wrestling all day!

James' Big Boy Room

2011-02-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

James is a big boy now... 3 1/2 years old! He is too big for his baby jungle themed room decor. So when I found out that Mrs. Christie (James' teacher) was going to have a baby, I thought of how nice it would be to hammy James' sweet things down to her AND perfect opportunity to upgrade to a big boy room for James.

James' perference was blue and orange. I thought at first that I would do blue curtains and bedding with orange, blue, green dinosaurs painted on his wall. However, after I started looking around I came across this fun blue/orange sports comforter. James loves sports and balls. Perfect! Everything else just fell into place. He has a brown wood ceiling fan, wood curtain rod and curtains to match his wood head board and trash can.

I picked up a couple of pillow balls to finish it off. James fell in love with it as soon as he saw it! I was a little nervous about taking the side rail off, but James was ready. He hasn't fallen out yet (going on day 4) and he feels like such a big boy... excited to climb into his bed! Bedtime is a little easier these days. :)

The Spotlight is on Sydney!

2011-02-01T08:02:00.000-08:00


"Just A Glimpse" By Sydney Higgins

We have a little artist in our house! Sydney's Rodeo Art piece was recognized by the school district and displayed in an art exhibit at the community center. She was a 4th grade representative of her elementary school. She worked hard on her rodeo scene naming it "Just A Glimpse."

And then we have a little singer/performer in our house! "A Journey To Africa" was performed by the 4th graders at Sydney's school. The performance consisted of fun music and dancing highlighting the country, Africa.

Sydney's highlighted part was a song called "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" where she played her recorder with other friends in her class.

Gma's sewing talent was a huge help in making her African dress. She just happened to come visit on the day prior to Sydney's performance. Using Ashlee's new sewing machine, Gma sewed a beautiful green and black cloth (and ribbon) with gold elephants into the perfect African outfit topped off with a hair piece for Sydney.

Monster Jam

2011-01-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

Well as we all know James is obsessed with Monster Trucks. We decided a long time ago that we would have to take him to the Monster Jam the next time it came to town. My friend Michelle takes her son every year so we grabbed our friend Melissa and ventured to see the show with our kids and hubbies. After a few hiccups such as a lost phone, lost bus, and lost minds (heehee) we arrived just in time to grab some food and get settled into our seats.

I didn't know what to expect, except what I saw from the hundreds of YouTube videos that James insisted on watching the day before. I have to say I had a really fun time. Watching the smiles on the kids faces (not to mention our husbands faces too) made it all worth while.

James definitely needed some coaxing to keep his earplugs on. We started out with the gun muffs that daddy allowed him to borrow. When those refused to stay on we tried the bright orange earplugs that expand to fit to your ears.

Lot's of trucks, noise, exhaust... but tremendous fun to watch! Spike, Brutus, Mohawk, Superman, Avenger, Monster Mutt, and many more...the favorite truck of all was Grave Digger. Not holding back in the least, this truck flew through the air causing chaos, excitement, and huge applauds before coming to a rest upside down.

We all had a great time together. It was so nice to hang out with my girlfriends and kids even though it was quite loud and we didn't get to talk much. But knowing sign language (once again ;) was a blessing!

The boys didn't sit still the entire time except when the ice cream showed up...no not the ice cream truck, Michelle! Ha! Poor James was so pooped by the end of the show that when it was time to walk back to the bus stop he sat in the middle of the street in complete refusal to move.

I love this picture of our three Musketeers! Friends to the end... Only one can hope they remain as cute and completely innocent ;)

Rainy Day Fun!

2011-01-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

So, what do you do with the kids on a rainy Saturday in Pearland? Well I decided to take them to the brand new, grand opening of Chuck E. Cheese! I think half of Pearland families had the same great idea. I don't know what was better...the clean atmosphere or the huge smiles on my kids faces. All of which I captured on camera...of course!

This picture is the best of all. James has been infatuated with Monster trucks for about 6 months now. He has collected several of the Monster Jam trucks through birthday and Christmas gifts. When he noticed this ride, he was all over it! Little does he know that we are taking him to the Monster Jam Truck Show at Reliant Stadium this next weekend. He is going to be ecstatic!

Our friends from church, the Clark's joined us in the fun. Sydney and Rachael played the games together while James and Michael were attached at the hip giving Michelle and me some adult time to hang out. EXCEPT when the real Chuck E Cheese mouse came out to say "Hi!" James was VERY nervous about the giant mouse and would not let me put him down. I think I will take Michelle's advice and not take him to Disney World anytime soon...lol!

Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

Wait! Somebody ate Santa's cookies, drank his milk and chewed his reindeer's carrot!

Favorite gifts of this Christmas morning!
For Ashlee: A Bernina Sewing machine with all the fixins'!!! Thank you Gma and Papa Hoenerhoff!

For Sydney: A beautiful quilt made with love by Gma Hoenerhoff!!! Thank you Gma!

For Dad: His new hunting/fishing hat for the cold weather! Thank you Dad Hoenerhoff!!!

And for James:

An orange T Rex Dinosaur 4 Wheeler!!! Thank you Mom, Dad, Gma, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa!!!

Next we went to the Powell's Christmas. So many kids this year...11 total with one more on the way!

We love spending quality time with Mimi, Grandpa and all the Aunt's, Uncle's, cousins, nieces, and nephews! Never a dull minute and tons of love to go around!

While the smaller children played with their new toys, Aunt Sandy and Mimi got love and hugs!

And Grandpa Powell too!!!

On to the Higgins' for the evening! And soon we found that Santa came to Grandma's house too! Bringing baseballs, a tee, and a real baseball glove! Santa was very generous this year bringing lot's of goodies, including gift cards to Starbuck's, pedicures, iTunes, WM, Target, and lot's more between all of us! We are once again blessed beyond expected.

Grandma Higgins has a fashion sense that the girls appreciated this year. Painters hats were a hit!

Even Polly got to come in and be a part of the Christmas moment. She is definitely Grandpa Higgins' baby sitting in his lap all curled up.

After the chaos died down we were able to enjoy a huge feast, toys, and each others company. There is nothing like spending time with family!

And last but not least...the battery is charged, weather is nice, and T Rex is on the go!

And in case you didn't notice...there is a permanent smile on James' face!!!

Joy, Unspeakable Joy!

2010-12-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

JOY, UNSPEAKABLE JOY!!! What better way to celebrate the birth of our Christ Savior than on Christmas Eve with family and friends. As I listened to the angelic sound of children singing in the choir it reminded me of the pure and sinless life of our Lord Jesus Christ and the joy he placed in our lives. I praise him as I sit back and think about this past year... of all the blessings He has generously showered our family with. Thank you Jesus!!!

During our service, Sydney sang in the children's choir and was absolutely beautiful.

She was involved in practices after church for the past few weeks. She was very nervous to be in front of people but excited to be on stage. I think she did a fabulous job!

During the Christmas Eve service, our church tradition is to light candles representing the light of Jesus. The Pastor lights the first candle representing Jesus and then the Deacons light there's off of the Pastor's. Then Jesus' light spreads to the rest of the congregation from there. We sing Holy Night with no music... just the voices of Christians who love Him so. Joy, Unspeakable Joy!

The first service was packed! There wasn't an empty seat in the house. Ashlee ended up sitting with her friends because we didn't have enough seats for all of us. Mimi and Grandpa Powell were able to come celebrate with us.

As well as Grandma and Grandpa Higgins and Aunt Jamie.

After the service we had Smores and Hot Chocolate! The church provided little fireplaces with all the fixings! Ashlee hung out with her church besties and Grandma Higgins and Sydney got right down to business...roasting marshmellows.

Darrell and his Dad enjoyed conversation and hot chocolate. They remind me so much of each other in many ways. Two handsome, loving fella's!

And my bestie Moe came!!! She, her husband, and nephew surprised me! I loved squeezing a Christmas hug out of them! Joy, Unspeakable Joy!

Even James was able to celebrate with his friend, Stone. Running (literally) the lobby and cookie corner. Two peas in a pod...LOVE it!!!

JOY, UNSPEAKABLE JOY!!!

God Given Talent

2010-12-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

This year Darrell and I made gifts for our family for Christmas. Of course my craft included lot's of pictures and mod podge glue! I made a collage of 2010 wallet sized pictures on a 10X20 canvas. I forgot to take a picture of the pictures...I'm bummed! LOL!

Darrell dove into his new hobby of woodworking. He made some beautiful crosses, each one unique in it's own way. Little by little Darrell is learning and becoming more confident in expressing his creative juices.

He has set up our garage as a shop and it works well. He is working on a quilt rack for my mom. No doubt it will be beautiful when its complete.

While Dad was busy woodworking the kids and I were involved in a special project of our own.

Leading up to Christmas Eve Ashlee and I were blessed to be a part of the Kids Crazy Christmas Show at our church. Sydney and James hung out with the other cast members kids and pretty much made the church their backyard for a few weeks. After many practices throughout Decemcer we put on 15 performances, reaching thousands of children and families with the story of Jesus' birth.

The cast became great friends after so many weeks together and by the end it was a bitter sweet feeling. God gave us this wonderful talented cast to bring smiles and light to so many and what an awesome opportunity it was!

Christmas Cookie Tradition

2010-12-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight was our night to make Christmas cookies. A Higgins' tradition that for four years now, the girls and I have enjoyed together. We began with star sugar cookies, then gingerbread men, and finished with Sydney's favorite...peanut butter cookies with the hershey kiss on top.

Tomorrow night we plan to finish decorating each cookie with colored icing, sprinkles and red hots. We will make chocolate covered pretzel sticks too.

After everything is finished we plan to divide up the goodies, put them onto Christmas plates and give them to neighbors and teachers for Christmas. And whatever is left over...the girls plan on taking care of..and James too!

Rest In Peace, Brindley Bear

2010-12-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Brindley bear passed away today from a form of Leukemia. He was a trooper through this past week of pricks and sticks, doctors, and emergency rooms. We have wonderful memories of our friendly Brindley. And we thank our heavenly Father for the 6 years of precious time we had with him. Rest in peace sweet boy.

Ashlee and Brindley Bear

Sweet Brin Brin

He thought this good looking dog was worth a look even though he couldn't hold his head up.

My Talented Trumpeter

2010-12-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the big night...Ashlee's Christmas Band Concert. She and her Symphonic band have been working on the music for an entire semester. Practicing on it between Region band tryouts and Solo/Ensemble contests. But this is the time to show family and friends how it all pulls together and sounds magnificent. I remember these times from my band days playing the flute. I am so proud of this talented trumpeter!!!

Grandma and Grandpa Higgins came to show their support and celebrate. Look what they surprised me with! They brought along...JOY!!! I told Sherry that I wanted yard decorations for Christmas and she did not disappoint! I am so filled with JOY to have such a beautiful scene in my yard!

And they have perfect timing as I was just getting home from taking our sweet dog Brindley to the emergency care veterinarian where he had to have a blood transfusion because his blood cell count was so low (13%). We still don't know what is making him sick but we are so happy that the transfusion was successful. He had so much blood transferred that the vet joked saying that he wasn't a Maltese anymore but was now a German Sheppard!

So here I am on the night of my daughter's 1st Christmas concert, at home watching over her baby dog (Ashlee is very attached to Brindley). And that's alright!! I'm sure there will be many more band concerts...but there will only be one "Friendly" Brindley.

It's Starting to Look Like Christmas!

2010-12-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today the temperatures dropped into the 50s down from the 70s yesterday. You can feel Christmas and the excitement in the air around our house! We decorated today...

Our weekend has been full of shopping, parties, practices, and decorating. Friday night, we volunteered at the Angels of Light program put on by our church. The whole production is put on every night for a week...South campus' night to serve was Friday night. Darrell was a bus captain where the buses go and pick up children and their families from inner Houston and bring them back to the church. This is where we feed them, talk to them about Jesus, put on a Christmas puppet show and give them toys. It was a blessing to be able to see the faces on the kids faces as they experienced God's love.

Saturday was full of shopping!!! Darrell and I are trying to save a little money by making some of our gifts this year. Hopefully we get it all done in time. I am proud to say that I have created, printed, and mailed all the Christmas cards already! That is always a challenge, but this year instead of having them professionally made (we wanted to save money)...so I took the picture and created the card online. They were delivered to my door a few days later. Woo hoo!

Ashlee and I are committed to the Kids Crazy Christmas Show this year. It's a major production and tons of fun for the kids. Click here if you would like to see the details in case you want to bring the family. It is totally free and open to anyone who wants to come!!! Anyways, we have been practicing like crazy! I am going to be behind the scenes doing the puppets while Ashlee will be dancing with the GIGL team. We will have 15 performances before it is all said and done. Lot's of work, but absolutely loving it!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

James and Papa during a heart to heart

Thanksgiving is always a lot of fun at Mom and Dad's house in Lakeway. The kids and I drove in a day early to have some quality "Gma" and "Papa" time before their attention would have to be shared when the festivities began.

The weather was gorgeous this year. Beginning in the mid 70s with high humidity during the days leading up to Thanksgiving day and ending in the high 50s with low humidity during the days after. Wendy and I were able to make a few mornings of brisk walks through the neighborhood and park until I ended up with shin splints. My legs are not used to the hills...at least that's my story ;)

Backyard-agains

Of course, Dad's golf green was the ultimate source of entertainment. Not only for the adults but for the kids too. Once Papa reminded James that the balls were for putting not slugging into left field (for the most part) the balls remained on the green, but it was very interesting when one ended up stuck in the tree. James remaining perfectly innocent...yeah, right!

Soul Sisters! Love my Sis and Auntie!

I loved spending time with my family. I miss my sister dearly. We have such a great time hanging out together even though it always feels like such a short time. I heard a rumor that she and Bill are going to move closer...when they retire... :) I know this rumor because I started it!


Awwwww!

Oma and Opa are still sweet and funny as ever. They were so thoughtful and brought gifts for the kids. A new truck to play with (James was instantly smitten) and an Advent calendar which has been a hit in the Higgins household. I remember the Advent calendar as a kid growing up. My sister and I would be soooo excited to find out what little picture was going to be behind the next door. Now this fancy calendar from Oma and Opa, the prize isn't just a picture, but a mouth watering milk chocolate! Let me tell you, kids nowadays have it made!

Oma and Opa with the girls

The food was spectacular! Once again, Mom pulled off an amazing spread. Turkey, ham and sides for 20 and plenty of desserts...pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies, pumpkin cheesecake, plenty of cookies!

Thanksgiving table

The best part of the whole thing is family! Darrell's sister Jamie, Amanda and Emily were in town and came for the fun. And everyone on Mom's immediate side was able to come...Aunt Judy, Uncle Joe, Aaron, Nathan, Philip, Aunt Cheryl, Uncle Ron, Rachel, Darrell, Oma, Opa, Me, Darrell, Ashlee, Sydney, James, Mom, Dad, Wendy...wait where's Bill??

Where's Aunt Judy?? ;)

If you look really close you can see the figure on the computer screen...BILL!!!! Poor Bill...was left at home alone to celebrate turkey day. He was attached to the pager (on call) and was unable to travel away in case of an emergency that may come up at work...so thanks to Skype and a computer, we were able to include him in on the good times.

Bill


Kids showing Uncle Bill the new truck from Oma and Opa

Philip and James

I have to mention this cute duo. James warmed up to cousin Philip instantly. They became best buds throughout the day and night. James' first words to Philip were "I have lots of toys." Which was his way of saying "will you come play with me?" They played trucks, building blocks, and football. When it came time to take a bath, bedtime books and prayers James made sure he had his new buddy by his side. Too bad we don't live closer together but I know Philip is loving his life at Tech at the moment. However the offer still stands that if wants to come...babysit..uh hum, I mean...visit! We will pay for his ticket down...anytime!

And we can't forget that with Thanksgiving comes Gma's birthday! We celebrated at a tasty Italian restaurant down the street. And finished up with cake and presents back at the house. Dad had snuck away to pick up a chocolate cake with candles that were supposed to read 61, but looked more like 16! We sure got a kick out of that!!!

Happy 16th Birthday Gma!

Last but not least, we posed in Mom and Dad's front yard for our Christmas card this year. With the economy the way it is and how slow work has been we decided to cut Christmas costs this year. So instead of the professionally made picture and card, we set up the tripod and snapped this one. Personally it's one of my favorites! Check out the little one and his new pose for EVERY picture I take lately! Stinker!!!

Higgins' of 5!

Chocolate Turkeys

2010-11-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

Today starts the first day of Thanksgiving break for the girls. They are enjoying their vacation already, as it's almost 10am and they are both still sleeping...lucky ducks!

As for the rest of us...work and school one more day. But the good news is that James is having a turkey party in his classroom. He was in charge of providing the dessert for the Thanksgiving feast. So we decided to create chocolate turkeys! These little buggers were a lot of work, but in the end turned out so cute! James was ecstatic! It was a trial to keep him away from eating them last night. I don't know why I tried so hard because by the end of it all he was so hyped up on sugar anyways!

Each turkey was made out of a chocolate cookie, mini chocolate cupcake, chocolate frosting, M&Ms, candy corn, and a gummy worm! Talk about a 3 year olds dream dessert! Can't wait to see his little friends faces!!!

Pennsylvania, Michigan, Friends, and Family

2010-11-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

I am just now getting around to blogging our beautiful family summer vacation through Pennsylvania and Michigan. We went for 10 days in August. Our dear friends, the Tremblay's moved to Pittsburgh last November. We missed them terribly and decided to cash in our airline miles that we had been collecting and head north for a visit.

August 12 to 21 - The kids have all been on a plane before but still it was exciting fun. I packed all kinds of games to play but in the end the good 'ol DVD player (and movie) did the trick. James was content strapped in his car seat and the girls played cards and read their books.

Once we arrived, the Tremblay's greeted us with open arms and the warmest hospitality. We hung out for a day, catching up with one another and seeing downtown Pittsburgh. Then we decided to caravan together to see Gettysburgh and Valley Forge. It was nice to see a little American history for a change.

We saw the place where President Lincoln gave the Gettysburgh Address. We walked the fields where the civil war took place. We saw a diorama program that explained how the individual battles took place in Gettysburgh. James had a hard time sitting through the whole thing so he and I went to the gift shop where he found plenty of action shooting the stuffed animals.

It was truly a serene feeling knowing how much blood was shed in the town and on the fields we walked. The kids loving every minute together...playing and laughing.

Next, we left Gettysburgh on our way to Hershey, PA and Valley Forge...first stopping for the night for a birthday dinner for Kevin at Olive Garden. Then on to our hotel room for the night. The next morning the kids swam in the hotel pool while us adults chit chatted and drank our morning coffee. Ohhhh and not to forget our wonderful coffee breaks we would have throughout our trip. Caroline was the best and made sure we kept a thermos of hot coffee and all times :)

Hershey, PA is where the Hershey Chocolate Factory subsides. This was the kids' favorite part of the entire trip. We took a tour at the factory and learned how Hershey chocolate is made. After the tour was over we each received a piece of the delicious creation...YUM! We then took the rest of the day driving to and exploring Valley Forge picnicking at parks along the way.

George Washington's Headquarters

Soldier barracks

We headed back to Pittsburgh to play at the Tremblay's neighborhood park, in their yard full of toys, and enjoy candlelit dinners on their backyard deck.

Just when our trip was what we thought the best ever...we found that we were only a half days drive to Aunt Jerrie and Uncle Jim Hoenerhoff's house in Michigan. Darrell and I were planning to take the kids to Niagra Falls but found out on Facebook that Aunt Jerrie offered for us to stop by for a visit. So in a spontaneous second we switched the compass to drive Southeast instead of Northwest. Before we new it we arrived in South Lyon pulling up to the most beautiful landscaped house on the block.

We found that we had just missed Cousin Mark but cousin Mike stopped by for a morning visit before the Hoenerhoff's took us to Greenfield Village. Uncle Jim and James immediately fell in love with the steam engine while the girls spent the afternoon making homemade candles out of real Bees wax. The village was created by Ford who brought famous houses and buildings together (such as the Wright bros and Ford Motor Co). The village was decked out in 1800s style. The clothing, model T cars, and everything back from the Colonial days. We learned about trades such as making pottery, weaving, tin and glass blowing.

What a wonderful visit we had with our family that we hadn't seen in years. A fantastic treat!!!

On our way back to Pittsburgh we stopped in Ohio at the State park to have a picnic. The park had a trail through the most beautiful tall trees that I had ever seen. The kids posed as I took a ton of pictures of course. Such beautiful nature God made!

We couldn't wait to get back to Pittsburgh to spend our last couple of days with our Tremblay's. The days of course went fast but we spent every last minute enjoying each others company. The last evening we roasted marsh mellows...a memory we will never forget. So much fun, with such good friends. Even though we may be across America...we will always keep the Tremblay's close in our hearts!

Lunch on the deck

DOG PILE!!!

James and Victor "fix" the lawn mower

Crazy friends!

We love the Tremblay's!

Fumble!!!

2010-11-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Finally the weather is cooler! We had a cold front come through and the highs today will be in the low 60s and the lows in the mid 40s. It actually feels like FALL!

And with Fall comes FOOTBALL! James is finally at the age where he loves to play ball. He has always enjoyed setting up his baseball tee and running the bases but lately he has been introduced to football and is obsessed! He carries the football, throws the football, and even sleeps with the football.

I believe this has a lot to do with Dad and the Saturday afternoon college football games. James sees how much Dad enjoys the sport and notices how much attention he gets from Dad when they play football.

It's hilarious to watch them. James pretends to throw the ball at Dad as he shouts "FUMBLE!" Then they clobber each other trying to get a hold of the football first. Only to then roll all over the ground trying to knock it loose. I had to invest in some Shout of my own if you know what I mean! The grass stains on the knees of my men are my newest project around the house :)

And we can't overlook fans...our dogs at first were extremely interested...all over Dad in an effort to protect their beloved brother, but soon found that it was all play. So they relaxed and found a comfortable spot to oversee the festivities. Clearly staying out of the way of the "FUMBLE!"

ZOO BOO 2010

2010-11-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Zoo Boo is beginning to be a tradition with my girlfriends. We meet up there because our kids have a blast and us moms can catch up with each other. I wish we all could hang out like the good ol' times but we are just to busy these days. At least we are making sweet new memories with the monkey's...that is our little human monky's! Ha!!!

The weather was beautiful and there was an exciting surprise this year....a sweet baby elephant!

Aidan and James played in the fan that had misty water blowing from it. I think that was the best part...besides the pizza and toy cars that were a belated bday present from Aidan for James.

James and his buddy Aidan!

Becky and birthday boy Kenneth

New Dinosaur Exhibit

Trick or Treat!!!

2010-11-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving at the Flores house

Proud Pumpkin Carvers

Trick or Treat

For Halloween this year, James wanted to be the Big Bad Wolf, but once it was time to put the costume on, he refused. He just wanted to drag it around like a blankie. I decided to introduce the Fire Fighter costume again and he loved the idea, so last minute he became the Fire Chief...just in time to go trick or treating. Ashlee dressed up as a nerd and Sydney was beautiful in her flapper dress.

Sydney and James trick or treated together, walking up to each house while Ashlee hung out with me on the sidewalk. James would yell "trick or treating" when he and Syd would knock. Then he would run to the next house yelling "I want another scary house!" Darrell stayed at the house visiting with the neighbors and handing out candy.

Funny Nerd!

Beautiful Flapper Girl

Fire Chief

James, checking out his loot!

Gma and the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Gma came to visit while Papa was in meetings for work near the airport. She took us to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out our favorite pumpkins for the holiday. There were big pumpkins, small pumpkins, bumpy ones, tall ones, and even fat ones! We had so much fun looking and walking through the huge variety!

When the pumpkin patch is over and the leftover pumpkins are getting too ripe, the church will have a huge catapult where you can buy a rotten pumpkin and enter a Pumpkin Chunkin Contest to see who can chunk the rotten pumpkin the farthest.

I loved this sign the church had at the entrance to the pumpkin patch. Thank you Jesus!!!

James' 3rd Birthday

2010-10-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

James turned 3 on August 31, 2010. I can't believe how these past 3 years have flown by. I catch myself saying that quite often these days! I just want to cherish every last moment. I guess that's why I take an incredible amount of photographs. I had to buy an external terabyte just to store them.

Back to James...his birthday was packed full of dinosaurs and fun! We had dinosaur balloons, wet slide, swimming pool, water balloons, pinata, and of course the "cold" tub :)

Thank you Moe and Roe for bringing your slide!!!

The O'Conner's and the Breaux's!

Snacks and "cold" tub

The Maxheimer's

Charlie and James

Make a Wish!

Happy Birthday James!

Thank you Gma and Papa Hoenerhoff!

I love Monster Trucks!

Garrett and James

James had a blast! This was the first birthday that he really understood. He played with his friends, ripped open his presents, and stuffed himself silly with cake! What more can a 3 year old want?!

Summer Highlights

2010-10-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! The summer has blown by and the school year began since my last post. And we have been busy, busy, busy! Here are some of our super summer highlights:

Ashlee's Baptism

We celebrated Grandma Higgins' birthday!

We celebrated Memorial Day with Watermelon and Family!

James and Sydney had many playdough creations throughout the summer!

James' first roller skating experience

Sydney and friend Jordan at skating birthday party

Visited Gma and Papa on Lake Travis

Visited Oma and Opa in Georgetown

Father and Son at work!

Go Lady!!!

2010-06-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially here and boy is it hot!!! Temperatures are in the 90's but with the heat index...it feels easily in the 100's. We have been spending lot's of time in the pool, on slip and slides and in the air conditioning. Our summer is packed full of adventures!

I will work through the summer and James will continue to go to school. James loves going to Mrs. Christie's where he is learning so much. He knows his ABC's and days of the week. If you ask him when his bday is he will tell you "August." He is counting with his fingers now, manipulating each finger holding them down with other fingers to make the correct number. He also knows a little Spanish...colors, numbers, and a few other words. Everyday he surprises me with something new. He told me yesterday, "Mommy you Shelly. I know that!" He is definitely listening and absorbing everything. His newest thing is when we are driving. When we come to a red light, he say's "red light, STOP!" When it turns green, he yells "green light, GO!" And when we come to a stop sign, he firmly states "GO LADY!" Hmmmm...wonder where he learned that from. ;0)

The girls are excited about camps which start up next week. Ashlee will go to Padre Island for Beach Retreat with the youth group. Sydney is going to Camp Carolina with the JUMP kids from church. It is her first time to be away from home at camp.

The week after that the girls will go camping in San Marcus with Grandma and Grandpa Higgins and all the older cousins. Then ... Ashlee's trip to East Texas to visit Mimi Jones and her family there while Sydney visits Mimi Powell and family there. They will arrive home just in time to go with me to Austin. I will be there on business, but the girls will be boating and having plenty of fun with Gma and Papa Hoenerhoff. James and Dad will be home, living it up ... just the boys!

Then I turn around and leave again on business to Phoenix for a conference the last week in July. The girls are going to be a big help to Dad while I am away for the week! And then we will wrap the summer up with our trip to visit our dear friends, the Tremblay's in Pittsburgh. We will take the kids to Niagra Falls and best of all...the Hershey Chocolate Factory!

Darrell and I just celebrated our 4 year annivesary! Can't believe it! For our anniversary/Father's day, the kids and I got him a fishing kayak. He has been wanting one for a long time and our friends Roger and Moe found a really nice used one. So we surprised him (blindfold and all)! He was so happy! He is actually fishing right now with Roger...left with his kayak at 4:30 this morning!!! And I haven't seen or heard from him since. I might regret this gift ... nah!!! Just means the girls get to for a pedi and movie later ... heehee!

Oh, I almost forgot about our new family member! We rescued a puppy that the kids named Balto. He is a gentle, sweet dog that showed up in our yard one day. He hung out for about a week while we searched for the owner. Darrell went to take him to the Humane Society where he learned that they would euthinize him because he has Pit Bull in him. Needless to say, there was no way we could allow that. He is an absolute sweetheart! So here he is with James (in his kennel). His best friend as you can see!

April, Easter, and Sydney turns 9!

2010-05-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

Wow, April flew by! Easter, Sydney's birthday, and so much more to tell...

Easter was awesome! It's my favorite holiday!!! The kids had a blast coloring 30 hard boiled eggs in an array of beautiful colors.

On Easter morning we carried on the Hoenerhoff tradition of sprinkling Easter water on the kids faces to wake them up. Ashlee smiled a big smile, Sydney pulled the covers over her head, and James jumped up because it was "rainin in my bed!"

Then it was time find all of the colored eggs that the Easter bunny hid throughout the house. Once we made sure all the eggs were found (you don't want to find one a week later if you know what I mean...yes, I know from experience!) the kids tore into their baskets of goodies.

We dressed in our new Easter outfits and went to a beautiful service at our church, followed by lunch and an egg hunt with family at the Baughman house in Manvel.

The kids are never too old to hunt Easter eggs...right!? James really understood it this year and hung with the big kids in finding his fair share of eggs and candy. Needless to say we will be eating Easter candy for a looonng time!

NEXT ... I have to tell you about Sydney's 9th Birthday Bash!!! So many people and kids love our sweet Sydney Marie! It's the middle of May and she is still writing "Thank you's" for all the wonderful presents she stocked up on. This time we had all the family and friends meet us at Sydney's favorite restaurant ... CiCi's pizza! You can't go wrong with all you can eat pizza for 20 kids and 15 adults!

After the restaurant, a couple of Sydney's friends, Payton and Adeleine, came over to slip and slide! Cousins Drew, Ava and Andrew made it over too. Last but not least...Payton slept over! ... SO much fun!!!

Trip of a Lifetime!

2010-03-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my 37th birthday. My sister and I have been looking forward to a weekend getaway to Fredericksburg for months. Wednesday finally arrived and the girls and I jumped into the Expedition and headed to Austin arriving just shortly before 10pm.

James stayed with Grandma and Pa Higgins for a few days while Dad went to West Texas to hunt. Later he met up with Gma and Papa Hoenerhoff and spent some time in Austin also with his sisters.

Thursday we all toured the State Capitol and the Texas State History Museum. It was perfect weather and the girls were old enough to really understand and enjoy the tours and history. It was fun hanging out together.

The kids continued to hang out with Gma and Papa, going shopping and staying on the boat at the Marina. They also went to a bat cave that is very popular in Austin. Then on Sunday morning they drove to Georgetown to go to church with Oma and Opa Carter.

They were good kids on the drive and I received huge compliments on how well behaved they each were...a delight to be with.

While the kids were busy with Gma and Papa, my sister, Wendy and I headed to Fredericksburg for a girls weekend getaway. We had no plans, and everything just flowed beautifully. On the way we stopped at some of the beautiful vineyards and wineries of the Central Region of Texas. We visited Texas Hills Vineyard, Woodrose Winery, Becker Vineyards, Torre de Peitra, Grape Creek Vineyards, and Rancho Ponte Vineyard. We stayed in the Austin Street Retreat "Eli" Bed and Breakfast.

Saturday we spent all day shopping the main strip of Federicksburg. Literally shopped until we dropped! We ate the best Italian food for lunch and enjoyed dinner at a little German pub. Later we couldn't forget to visit the Fredericksburg winery. Sunday we woke up early and had a wonderful breakfast at a restuarant underneath the old hospital called Rakkswellers.

Then it was time to check out and head back towards Austin. On our way back we visited the Pedernales Cellars where we saw Orea Cows! Then because of a wrong turn we fell upon the Driftwood Winery in Wimberley Valley, and Mandola Estate Winery. Wendy and I had the best time touring the wineries. Each one unique with a touch of it's own heritage.

Here is a smilebox slideshow of our fabulous trip!

Another free photo slideshow by Smilebox

Tabletop Tapestry Women's Brunch

2010-03-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

Tabletop Tapestry is an annual women's event at my church. Members of our congregation hostess a table for eight. The hostess is in charge of decorating the table and inviting 8 guests.

This was my first year to be a hostess and boy was I amazed at the incredible tables. There was a huge variety..57 tables in all and every single one was completely different and over the top! I tell you what...we definitely have some talented women at our church!

The theme this year was "Between Friends." It was all about friendship and how to make deep, meaningful, lasting friendships. My mother-in-laws Sherry and Margie, my sister-in-laws Brenda, Linda, and Sandy sat at my table. My table was decorated with a Southwestern touch. Even had a real tumbleweed that we picked up in West Texas on our New Years trip through Bracketville. I called it "Trail of Friendship." We had a very nice visit, ate food catered from Johnny Carino's, and listened to good music (Les the piano player in the picture is a dear friend of mine) and speakers. Even the stage was decorated like a shopping strip. Very cute! Take a look!

Happy 12th Birthday Ashlee!

2010-03-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

"Promise me you will stay my baby forever!" "Mommy I never grow up! I stay Mommy's baby!"

I can remember this conversation with Ashlee like it was yesterday. But on February 24th we celebrated her 12th birthday. WOW! I can't believe how she has grown. I am so very proud of the young lady she is becoming. She is a precious child from God and I feel so incredibly blessed to be her mom!

We began her party at the roller rink in town with her best of friends, Tori and Jessica, as well as Sydney, James, Dad, and me. They had a blast! They all kept count of how many falls...Jessica being the winner at 46 times. Sydney was a little shaky at first but with a little help and encouragement she was skating like a pro! Go Sydney!

After we finished skating, we went home and waited for the incredibly huge party pizza from New York Pizzeria. Aunt Susan and Cousin Alyssa were able to come join us after Alyssa's volleyball tournament. While we waited, the girls watched Journey to the Center of the Earth and painted their wooden initials. I am impressed with their creativity!

After we ate and sang Happy Birthday with Ashlee's cake it was time to open presents. Thank you to Gma and Papa for the Chuck Taylor Converse and sweater. Also thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Higgins for the clothes and Alyssa and Aunt Susan for the Bolt movie. Ashlee also was excited about all the gifts she got from her friends. From Mom, Dad, Sydney and James she got an IPOD Touch. I think my ears are still ringing from the high pitch scream that she let out. She has been wanting one for a long time...and actually saved up half the money herself.

"Promise me you will stay my baby forever!" "Mommy I never grow up! I stay Mommy's baby!" Yes, you will Ashlee...you'll always be my baby!

I have attached a smilebox of all the memories from the party. Enjoy!

Another photo slideshow by Smilebox

Catching up with friends!

2010-02-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

My best friend from highschool Monica and her husband Roger came over for dinner last weekend. We had a blast catching up. I can't believe how time flies! Moe and I grew apart over the years which I am very sad that I missed out on our friendship during that time. She means the world to me and I am so glad that we reconnected once again...thanks to Facebook! It's funny how so many years can go by and we still can finish each others sentences and laugh like we were in highschool! Our husbands have a lot in common...spent most the evening talking about fishing and hunting. I even made venison chili which pleased the men! Good food, good wine and good conversation! Hope to do it again real soon!

Our 2-Year Old Now

2010-02-16T11:36:00.000-08:00

If I have learned anything lately its that a busy preschooler means an ever-messier house. And it's not just the toys and books strewn everywhere. James also likes to remove things from shelves and drawers. He draws on walls. He spills juice, tears paper, flings clothes and balls in the house.

James is more in control of his movements. Now he can play with small objects easily and stack (not just knock over) towers of blocks. He can also concentrate for slightly longer periods of time, as much as 20 minutes if he's deeply engaged. Sometimes he'll become so absorbed in playing that he'll resent my interruption. Transitions are easier by warning him in advance, as in, "You can play with the blocks for five more minutes, but then it's dinnertime." Sometimes I may give him a few warnings before I insist that he finish up his play.

Another thing I have learned is that messes have many different triggers behind them. Part of the upheaval is James' lives-in-the-moment mode; easily distracted, he abandons one thing right where it is and moves onto the next. Curiosity plays a role, too. James just has to know what's in this cupboard or what happens when he pulls every last tissue from the box. It takes time and practice — encouraged by lots of parental patience — to learn that there's a right place for dirty socks and a wrong place for crayons. Let's just say that my expectations for tidiness are low while James climbs this learning curve.

We are proud parents!!!

2010-02-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

Darrell and I attended the first semester awards ceremony for sixth grade at Ashlee's school. The principal used an interesting analogy during her speech to the students. She stated that this moment was like half time in a football game. The students should remember and use what was learned this past half to make the next half successful and even better. We are very proud of Ashlee's hard work in honors classes! All the late nights studying and doing homework has paid off. She made the A/B honor roll and "is a delight" to all her teachers. Woo Hoo!!! Go Ashlee!

Crib Talk

2010-01-27T13:14:00.000-08:00

James has begun to talk to himself when he is alone in his bed. Usually it's when he wakes up and is playing in his crib. I believe his little monologues may be helping him make sense of his day. At least, that's my theory. I know there is evidence (somewhere...there's gotta be!) that shows that small children who chatter to themselves are re-creating their world by retelling and interpreting key experiences, such as being left at day care or playing with his toys. By talking these experiences over, James finds meaning in them and this, in turn, enhances his developing sense of self.

These special musings are part of James' growing emotional and cognitive skills. So I decided to really listen to what he had to say without interrupting. You can understand my surprise when I heard my own scolding voice in his baby talk "you sit in time out for 2 minutes" and then an imitation of my comfort talk "sorry, hug you!" He's going over everything that happened to him, which naturally included what goes on in our family which now-a-days includes many time outs! So I could just picture him sitting there in his crib with hisn Lightening McQueen car putting the Chic car into a time out! Sooo cute!!!

Vaca in New Mexico

2010-01-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

Our family winter vacation was a whirlwind of events! After a wonderful time in Alvin with the Higgins and Powell's on Christmas day we packed and got ready for our week long journey. A day after Christmas we borrowed Darrell's parents camper and headed out for Ruidoso, NM. Our first stop was Corsicana where we picked up Ashlee from her Mimi Jones. Then we headed to Hurst where we had Christmas with Aunt Wendy and Uncle Bill for a night.

The next morning we climbed into the truck and pulled the camper to Monahan's State Park near the border of Texas. The park was very interesting with rolling hills of sand dunes. We bought plastic sleds at the office, waxed them up, and had a blast sledding down the sand hills.
The next morning the snow started to move in. We packed up early and left out to beat the storm. We battled some of the blizzard driving slow with our windshield wipers on high but the roads up into Mexico were fine as long as we drove slow and stayed in the middle. Once we reached New Mexico the weather cleared out. We arrived in Ruidoso and set up camp just as the sun went down.

The next morning we woke up to a sunny clear day full of snow. The RV park we stayed at was backed up to a beautiful national forest that turned out to be a huge playground for the kids. We built snowmen, forts and had a blast sledding down the hills. These plastic sleds payed for themselves between the sand and the snow. Even James had a good time on his sled that we pulled on hikes through the mountain side with a rope attached to it.

The second night in Ruidoso another snow storm came through. I was extremely nervous as we drove through the streets slipping and sliding in our 2 wheel drive truck to a restaurant where we met up with our friends, the Hectors and family. Let's just say that once we got back to the camper I was able to breath once again! One thing is for sure...Momma does not like ice and roads! I don't think God has heard from me that much in one week in a long time!

After a snowy night we woke up to a beautiful blanket of new snow that covered the national forest play area from the day before. It was smooth and absolutely beautiful! Darrell caught a ride up the mountain with Glen to go snowboarding for the day. The kids and I played in the snow with our friend Bobbie and baby Garrett. Bobbie and I went shopping that evening and I realized just how cute Ruidoso really was. The night before I hadn't noticed due to the blizzard. But without all the snow falling I was able to see the quaint little lit up town.

The next morning was New Years day and it was time to head back to Texas. Another beautiful sunny morning but we hadn't anticipated the frozen pipes and connections. We ended up leaving a lot later than we actually planned waiting for everything to thaw out...including the roads. By noon we had the camper all packed up and we said goodbye to our friends and headed out. Next stop...Circle B Ranch!

We arrived in Bracketville at the Baughman ranch about midnight. Pat and Travis greeted us at the door with open arms. For the next couple of days we broke in the new year hunting and hanging out with dear friends and family. Then before we new it it was Sunday the 4th and time to get home. Once again we packed up the truck and camper and drove another day to back to Pearland. All together we drove over 2,000 miles and I have to rate this as one of our most exciting adventures as a family.

This is a picture of the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. Taken at the ranch from a deer blind.

Ashlee and Darrell sitting in "Stairway to Heaven" deer blind.

Our Superb Performer!

2010-01-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

This past first semester of school Sydney participated in her school choir. Every Monday afternoon she attended choir practice getting ready for her performances throughout the holiday season. She sang her little heart out at two senior homes and at the city hall. She sang in front of all her peers in a school performance and then that night she sang for the parents at a PTO meeting. We were supposed to go caroling and sing to all the neighbors around the school but the below freezing temps and rain put a damper in the fun. The most exciting performance was halftime at the basketball game where the Pearland Police played against the Alvin Police Department. We are very proud of our choir performer.

Sydney also performed in her class play. Each performing class group acted out their parts in front of parents and teachers during the holiday party on the last day of school before the Christmas break. She was a little bit nervous but had so much fun doing it!

Santa is here!

2009-12-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Look who we ran into at our favorite restaurant in Pearland...Chick-fil-a. It was a raining, cold busy holiday season evening. Darrell was at the Woodway campus helping out with Angels of Light. Angels of Light is a huge production...25 years in the making. Second Baptist busses in kids from all over Houston every night for a week to give them a hot meal, presents and most of all to tell them about Jesus. Anyways, it was a school night so the kids and I stayed home. We decided to run through the Chick Fil-A drive through and grab some dinner with the gift card Gma had given to us. So we are sitting in the car line and we could see into the restaurant and lo and behold sitting right next to the Christmas tree in the lobby was SANTA!!! Needless to say we picked up our food at the window and immediately parked and ran inside. Thank goodness a friend of mine was there with a camera so we could catch the memory on film. The JUMP team also was there from church. They did a few fun dances that the kids enjoyed. So much fun at Chick-fil-a!!!

Snow Day in Pearland!

2009-12-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Two Decembers in a row now it has snowed in Pearland! Yesterday morning it began with a slush falling from the sky and by lunchtime the sky was full of fluffy white snow. It snowed heavily for a couple of hours and made a few inches of snow to play in. At first James thought it was too cold and wasn't at all impressed. The schools closed down early so the girls got to come home to play too. James changed his mind when he saw his sisters having so much fun. Before I knew it we had our very own Frosty the snowman in our backyard. He was a little dirty...but a snowman none the less! The girls had fun playing "snow" ball with James' plastic bat. All it took was about an hour for the fun to wear off before they were ready to come in and sit in front of the fire with hot chocolate warming their tummies. Amazing how quickly the cold gets old! The last bit of snow was still hanging around this morning too. Although Frosty looked as if he was the leaning tower of Pisa...he hung in there until this afternoon before he completely fell over.

Right about the time things started to slow down it was time for the Pearland Christmas parade. We usually walk in it with our church float but decided this year to sit and enjoy it from the sidelines. We bundled up and headed out to get there early to get a good seat. Our dear friends, the Bohannon's daughter Shelby came along with us. Soon the sun set and the cold was on once again. But the kids had a blast and had a good excuse once again to cuddle by the fire and drink hot chocolate. Gotta love the Christmas season!

Thanksgiving Feast and Birthday Fun!

2009-11-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was at our house this year. We had a bunch of family and friends come to town! Oma, Opa, Nathan, Philip, Aaron, Gma and Papa, Wendy and Bill, Rachael and her new hubby Darrell, Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Ron, Sherry and Jimmy, Muffy and Freddy, Lisa and Mike and Tyler, Todd, Susan and fam, Jamie, me and Darrell, Ashlee, Sydney, James, Chris and Rick Berkseiger, Mike and Cindy Sheen to name a few.

We surprised Gma for her 60th birthday with a party at Johnny Carino's the night before Thanksgiving. She didn't have a clue! She said she was expecting something the next day on Thanksgiving. Wendy and I ran around to Party City, also to pick up her cake and went early to the restaurant to decorate. Then we just acted like we were going out to dinner for Mom's birthday but when we got her there everyone was already at Johnny Carino's and surprised her. I wrote a poem for her and turned it into a scrapbook for her to keep. She still keeps saying "I'm just in shock and amazement!"

The next day we had around 30 people at our house for Thanksgiving dinner. Everything went even better than expected! I cooked a turkey and ham in the oven and Darrell fried a turkey outside. People brought different sides and desserts. Everything was fabulous! We played dominoes and stayed up til the wee hours of the night talking and laughing. Even the weather was beautiful for the kids to play outside in. I hated to see everyone go, but boy was I wiped out!

I have made a slideshow of the memories and attached it below. Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Budding Conversationalist

2009-11-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

My little one's a budding conversationalist. He's beginning to ask lots of questions, a development that fills two needs for him: It's a way of finding out about things, and it's also a way of keeping Mommy's attention.

Early favorite questions include "Why?" and "What's that?" and his latest..."Where you going?"

James loves to answer questions as much as ask the questions. When we're reading books, I ask about the pictures or the story: "Where is the brown doggie?" "What do you think he likes to eat?" He enjoys answering and this happens to be our favorite part of the day.

I try to answer his questions as quickly as I can, in simple, full sentences. Today he was watching the birds through our window and he says to me "Where birds going?" I replied, "Birds have wings that keep them up in the air." He looks very serious at me and says..."Oh, birds fly away." Next thing you know he is getting a book out of his room about birds..he was ready to share. So we learned about birds today...what tomorrow will bring who knows! But I can't wait!

James is growing independent too. He insists on putting on socks "by self" regardless of how long it takes. After "mommy's turn" it is James' "my turn" to brush his teeth. He is also trying out the potty chair. He is definitely interested and has begun to experience it. He looks so big sitting there reading his "potty books" waiting to make the potty sing. (Yes, it plays a song when wet..ha!)

Speaking of chairs...James has learned about the timeout chair as well. With his new found independence also comes heated temper tantrums. It's amazing how the "pleases", "sorry's", "thank you's" seem to flow out of his two year old body with just the threat of the dreaded "naughty spot."

James keeps us on our toes....life is ever changing around here!

Happy Halloween 2009!

2009-11-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

Our friends and neighbors threw a Halloween/Birthday Bash for Adeliene and her brother Charlie. The kids decorated spooky picture frames, ate gooly food, and had a blast in their costumes. Once the party was over...trick or treating began! The neighborhood was filled with little people dressed in all kinds of costumes..from scary to sweet. James went as Thomas the Train...although he kept the costume on for a picture and that was it. Sydney was a beautiful ladybug and Ashlee began as a Midnight Fairy but changed her mind shortly thereafter. The itchy skirt was more than she could handle so the token Pirate costume emerged once again! Have to say that I got my money worth out of that one! Take a look at all the fun with the Smilebox of memories that I created.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Zoo Boo

2009-10-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

Back to the zoo we go! One of our favorite family outings in a long time was at the Zoo Boo. The kids didn't dress up but we still had a blast visiting our favorite animals. Ashlee's friend Tori got to come with us too. We ate our picnic lunch while watching all the little kids in the costume parade.
The weather was beautiful so the animals were out and so were the people. The Houston zoo is so big though that the crowd really didn't bother us. We did have to park across the street in the hospital parking garage but it was worth it!

Happy Birthday Darrell!

2009-10-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Today the rain poured down and the temperatures dropped to mid 50's. Fall is trying to trickle on into Texas...just in time! Tonight is our Fall Picnic with our Bible Class. The kids will dress up in costume, carve pumpkins, and go on a hay ride around the neighborhood. Darrell is supposed to pull the trailor full of hay and kids but he is coming down with the flu i think. The past couple of days he hasn't felt very good and now he is achey all over. We might need to leave him home tonight.

October 2nd was Darrell's birthday. We spent the evening with friends (home group) and a cake with 42 candles. We met up with his parents and sister's family at BJs Brewhouse for dinner. He spent the rest of the weekend at Academy and Home Depot hince the gift cards from both sets of parents and his sister Susan.
I need to brag on both girls! This 6 weeks they both received straight A report cards!!! Sydney is practicing daily with those multiplication flashcards. Learning her times tables is hard work! Ashlee is continuing to do well in advanced classes. Her math teacher pulled me aside at lunch the other day to let me know how much she enjoys teaching Ashlee. She stated that she is motivated and has a knack with numbers...don't know where she got that from! *Uh-hum...Papa!!

James is talking up a storm these days. Every word making sense if you listen hard enough. We were at the doctors office for his 2 year checkup. Yes, he was a month overdue. I just couldn't bare to take him to get a shot! He is now at the age he would know and remember...or so I thought. The little stinker didn't even whince from the pain...he is a tuff little bugger. Anyways, we had to wait for the doctor for a little while. So out of curiousity he would open the door and sweetly say "Doc, where are you?" and then "Doc come here." Then he saw a long prescription name on a wall poster he pointed at the letters and started to sing the ABC's. He knew they were letters! He is very observant too...directed me home from his school the other day. When we came to a turn I would say "which way is home?" He would point in the right direction and say "dat way home mom!"

Grandma and Grandpa Higgins came over last night. They came to hang out with the grandkids while Darrell and I went on a date to the new seafood restaurant in Manvel. It is nice to be able to go on date night together once in a while. Thanks to Grandma and pa Higgins!

Life is good. Until next time...God bless!

Catching up with all the fun!

2009-09-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

Let's see...the last time I blogged was the first week back to school. It is now the beginning of the 5th week and boy have we been busy. Where do I start???

I guess I'll begin with our visit to the Houston zoo on Labor Day. What a fabulous time! James is finally at the age where he really enjoyed the animals. His favorite was the dragon and elephants.
I love the Houston zoo in the fall! Not too hot, so the animals are active. We were able to see the lions and bears walking around and feeding. The girls and James were sooo excited. We will go back near Halloween time for the Boo Fest. The kids dress up in their Halloween costumes and play all kinds of informational games that involve candy! Animals, fun, and candy...what more could a kid want? *snicker*

My girlfriend Becky is having a baby anyday now. SO last weekend I hosted a baby shower for her with 5 other ol' friends; Michelle, MK, Jodi, Tasch, and Maria (Beck's friend from highschool). We held the shower at my house and it turned out beautiful. We served Becky's favorite food...enchiladas, beans and rice. We had little pinata's shaped like a pacifier and a duck. I made her a scrapbook and a diaper cake. Since she doesn't scrapbook (YET!-i'm working on her...ha!) I decided to put one together for her so that all she has to do is drop the pictures in later. I hope she get's excited about it then maybe in the future we can hang out with the kids and scrap! Fun girl time!
In the middle of all the baby fun, last Saturday I went to the Leadership Training through my church for all the kids bible study teachers. To open, Pastor Young spoke to us through a powerful message...he said that we (bible study teachers) have been called to do one of the most important things on earth...to teach children about the gospel. I had goosebumps all over my body and tears trickling down my cheeks by the time he was through speaking. I can't express what it means (or feels like) to me to see a child grow in His love...some grow more than others. You never know what an impact an adult can make in a child's life..especially at 5th and 6th grade where they are changing physically and emotionally. How Jesus fills their hearts and molds them into his image is amazing!

That's about all for now except that we have had our first "cold front" this Fall. The much needed rain brought cooler weather. The highs dropped to the mid 70's last week. The low humidity makes it really nice to play outside with the kids. The backyard toys have once again become a blessing! The kids absolutely have a ball with each other...they play so well together. We are so blessed!

First Day of School

2009-09-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

Summer is over and it's back to the ol' grind stone. The girls were excited and nervous about their first day at school. Ashlee is in 6th grade this year and Sydney is in the 3rd grade.

Sydney actually got Ashlee's old teacher so she is happy to have the inside scoop. She knows all the in and outs of Mrs. Reyes class and expects to have a smooth sailing year.

Ashlee is in honors classes this year. She likes it so far...even though she has much more homework than last year. She has already written a creative story from rough draft to the final copy and it's only been one week. I have to say she has wonderful writing skills. The plot is full of exciting pirate adventure and the characters are so detailed you feel like you're in the story when reading it. She has had some great writing teachers, including her mom! No really, she wrote this one all by herself and it's a masterpiece if I say so myself.

So here is to a good school year. I'm sure it will fly by...making exciting memories along the way.

God is so good!

2009-09-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have very exciting news to tell. This past August, Sydney decided to make a very important decision in her life. She excepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior and on August 23, 2009, she was baptized. It was a huge celebration in our church as 14 children and 2 adults were baptized that day. The baptism was held at our dear friends house in their backyard pool. It actually is the same pool that Ashlee and I were baptized in when we joined the church. We are very proud of her and are truly blessed that God has given such a beautiful child to us to raise. Every day is amazing to see her growing spirtually. God is so good!

Happy 2nd Birthday James!

2009-09-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

Our baby boy James is growing big...FAST! We celebrated his 2 years of life this past weekend and boy was it a party! So many friends and family were able to come and so many were here in spirit! The fun began in the backyard with multiple activities. From Slip and Slides to water balloons to the famous "cold" tub to the trampoline...kids having a blast everywhere! James had his favorite cake...chocolate with Cars on top! It was a fun birthday...his first to understand and participate in...and boy did he! Take a look at our slideshow and see! Happy Birthday James!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Kids Camp

2009-08-18T17:25:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a whirlwind of a summer! It's coming to a quick close as the kids start back to school in only 6 more days. We have had many memorable experiences and good times these past couple months. The kids have had a blast visiting relatives, playing with friends, and going to camp.

Speaking of camps, Ashlee and I (mom) just got home from kids camp. Ashlee went as a 6th grader this year and I tagged along as a 5th grade girls counselor. What an amazing opportunity that turned out to be. I think everyone should experience the blessing...not only as a child but as an adult. I remember going to a christian camp when I was a kid and wanted to give back to my kids what I received so I decided to go as a counselor. To see God's love so profoundly throughout the week and to watch the kids grow was an absolute blessing! At this age kids are so impressionable and what a better place to be than among those who love and live their lives for Christ.

There were a total of 500 kids at the christian camp in Huntsville. By the end of the week, 189 of them excepted Jesus Christ as their savior. I can't even begin to explain all that went into this week away so I have attached a few pictures for memories sake.

Summer Week With Gma and Papa

2009-08-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

The girls spent a week with Gma and Papa Hoenerhoff in Austin. They started their good time by spending a couple days and a night on the boat. Lake Travis is at an all time low this summer. The west is having a serious drought and they say it's the lowest it's ever been and no rain insight. In spite of the dry lake bottom somehow Papa was able to get the boat out for a little while for his grandgirls and they had a blast.

The rest of the week was full of fun at Vacation Bible School. The theme of VBS was Discovery Canyon. Ashlee and Sydney haven't stopped talking about it yet. How they walked through the "splitting of the Red Sea"...buckets of spaghetti, rocks, soap and water. They loved the reenactment of when "Jesus calmed the sea of Galilee"...nothing like a flat bottom boat, water balloons, and shaving cream for a good time.

Of course, crazy hair day was right up Sydney's alley! She loved her purple and orange hair...even matched her "prayer rock" that the girls found and painted in the "canyon land."

The best part of every day was story time in the canyon cave. Unforgettable memories were made this week while growing deeper in Christ...priceless!

HAAK Winery

2009-07-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

We visited our first Texas winery this past weekend in Santa Fe, Texas. For our sister Susan's birthday we gathered at HAAK Winery for the evening. There was a little blue grass band with a small dance floor, good food and wine. It was absolutely beautiful amongst the grape vines right at sundown. The kids had fun playing hide and seek as we walked the vineyard. We will have to take Gma and Papa next time they visit!

Smoothies all around!

2009-07-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Another exciting summer day at the Higgins house including fresh fruit, yogurt, a blender and a few not "so bored" anymore kiddoes. Ashlee found a refreshing simple recipe in her "I can do it myself" cookbook called Summertime Smoothie. A couple of peaches, a banana, yogurt, and a hand full of strawberry's is all it took to make a delicious treat. Ashlee wass very happy with her cooking talent...and from the picture you can see there were a few other family members happy too! Can't beat having a fun time with siblings while making a healthy delicious snack. Smoothies all around!

G-Ma and Papa Visit

2009-07-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday evening Gma and Papa Hoenerhoff came to Houston for a quick visit. After Dad's meetings and Mom's appointments, they were were able to come for dinner and stay the night. The kids were so excited! James almost immediately attached himself to Papa. He made sure Papa was near him even in the car when we left for the restaurant. "Sit" he told Papa as he pointed next to his car seat. The next morning when it was time to say goodbye...James once again told Papa to "sit" next to his car seat. The crocodile tears pouring out once the door closed with no "Papa" in sight. Only a few minutes down the road before he asked me "Where Papa, Granma?" with his hands up in the air. I explained that Gma and Papa had to go home. He thought for a second, and said, "Oh!" And that was that...no more tears.

We love Aunt Wendy and Uncle Bill!

2009-07-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

We had a fast and furiously fun weekend visiting Aunt Wendy and Uncle Bill! Our long weekend began with a smooth drive...made it in 4 1/2 hours flat...no stops! We were happy about that until we lifted the sopping wet baby James out of his car seat. Thank goodness for the removable splash pad that I was able to easily grab and throw into the washer. At least we didn't bring headlice this time. Aunt Wendy made sure of that by checking each head as we walked in the door.

The first day we got up early and headed to the waterpark called NRH2O. That place is "sooo fun" according to baby James. Everytime he slid down a waterslide he would yell "sooo fun!" Too cute! I wish I had pictures, but decided it was an overall good decision not to bring the camera as we were wet the entire day. The "Great Tide Wave" had to be the best ride at the park. Huge slide with a inner tube made for two. I had the best partner of all...my Itta!

The girls enjoyed hanging out with Uncle Bill each evening playing the Wii. Ashlee barely could move her arms after all the boxing and swimming. But she didn't let it stop her...from beating Aunt Wendy's scores. Guitar hero was a blast as well...

My good friend from high school in England, Stacey Walrath Kuhn, was able to stop by and visit. I hadn't seen her in 16 years! It was so good to catch up with her. Wendy and Bill spoiled us all rotten by grilling an Alaskan Halibut and King Salmon dinner. YUM!

Ty became baby James' best friend almost instantly when they became ball buddies. James would throw the ball and Ty would run to get it. James would yell "drop!" And the process would start all over...again and again!

As always hanging out in "White Paradise" was nice and relaxing. The kids (including Darrell) played in the pool until they were waterlogged. When our time was over we didn't want to leave...sad goodbyes, but great memories made! We love Aunt Wendy and Uncle Bill!!!

July 4th Celebration!

2009-07-06T11:42:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Can't beat the heat!

2009-07-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Today temperatures were once again in the 100's! Texas heat is grueling! You can't beat it unless you find a pool or stay indoors where there is a working air conditioner. That is the key word here...working! Indoors is definitely not a place you want to be if your A/C is not working...so I found out this past weekend when ours decided to stop blowing cold air. Thank goodness we had the window unit from Hurricane Ike stashed in the garage. We had a family slumber party in the one room and all slept like babies! Best hundred dollars we ever spent!

The kids found relief in the "cold tub" in our backyard. It's actually our hot tub but in the summertime we don't turn on the heater and it becomes a nice refreshing "cold tub!"

I DID IT!

2009-06-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

After a long day of work I was ready to pick up Baby James from dayschool today. I couldn't wait to see his little face poke out through the curtains in the window when he heard me knock with a ear to ear grin screaming "MAMA!" This has become an everyday tradition with us that I look forward to and believe James does too.

So today I arrive, walk up to the door and knock...staring at the window in anticipation...I crouch down so I could be eye level with him...when James busts through the curtains and screams "I DID IT!" He was obviously very excited as he jumped and ran away a couple of steps and then back to the window screaming "I DID IT!" As soon as the door opened he yelled, "I DID IT!" again. I thought surely he didn't potty train that fast and EARLY! Christie, his teacher, would have to be paid a serious bonus if this were the case!

I soon learned that he learned the sentence when he finished a puzzle this morning. Amazing how much he is learning these days. A week or so ago he started to count...two, four, eight, and nine are his favorite numbers. Now when we count..I say one, he says two, I say three, he says four, then five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...but the best of all is "I DID IT!!!" at the end!

It's our 3 year anniversary!

2009-06-18T13:02:00.001-07:00

Last week Darrell and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Woo hoo! We weren't planning anything elaborate, just a special dinner out somewhere away from kids :0) So Grandma Higgins volunteered to babysit so that we could get away. Before we left Papa Hoenerhoff called and said he was in town for meetings and wanted to take us out to dinner. Perfect! We love to spend time with him as it doesn't happen often. Usually we get to see G-ma during these Houston meetings and Papa is too busy, but she was unable to come this time and he had some down time between meetings. So we ended up celebrating our anniversary together. It couldn't have been more special except if Gma could of been there too.

Dad took us to Killen's Steakhouse...which is an amazing place! The food was spectacular! The owner attended the renowned Le Cordon Bleu Cullinary Institute in London. Same place Martha Stewart and some other famous people attended. He also was a finalist in becoming President Bush Jr.'s private chef. The food was amazing as well as the company and conversation with the two most important men in my life. As an anniversary *slash* Father's Day gift I got Darrell a new grill. I will soon see if he was taking mental notes during out time there. Heehee!

3 Sweet Siblings

2009-06-18T12:18:00.001-07:00

This post is purely for the picture. I am biased but...aren't they just the most precious children!

Also, I have to post that James is saying a couple of new words...Ernie, Bert (he learned those off of Elmo, of course) and home. When we arrive at home or when I say Dada is at home...he understands and say's home. Still by far the sweetest words he say's is Sydney and Ash...so cute! He misses his two sisters. Ashlee is visiting Mimi in East Texas and is enjoying her time there for a couple weeks. While Sydney is visiting Mimi and Grandpa in Alvin as well as a few days with Grandma and Grandpa Higgins.

Beach Fun and Friends

2009-06-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach. The water was a bit warm and brown for my taste but the sun and fun made up for it. Our neighbors (and good friends) the Tremblay's caravaned down to Quitana beach just south of Galveston. I typically enjoy this beach because it is less crowded, but found out that isn't the case anymore! I couldn't believe how many people, families, and cars were parked up and down the coast. I am assuming the economy has something to do with it...can't beat the beach...a whole day of fun for the entire family for just a few bucks for gas and sunscreen.

As soon as we found the perfect spot, Sydney jumped into the waves. Within minutes she was stung on the ankle by a jellyfish. Next was little Mayken, the youngest of the Tremblay's...stung on the back of her leg. Then Victor, the Tremblay's son, was stung on the leg. It was almost comical to see who was going to be stung next. Mayken ended up the winner with a whopping 3 stings!!! Poor Baby!

Speaking of baby...I am so glad that James didn't want to have anything to do with the water. He was pleased just playing with the sand toys and knocking down all the sand castles. What a fun day!

2009-06-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well it's been awhile since my last post. Working full time and caring for a family of 5 keeps me busy. But I am going to give myself a personal goal of blogging at least once a week from here on out.

So as I type, I am watching "Elmo in Grouchland" for the 3rd time today. Not on my top 10 list, but #1 on baby James'. James has figured out the DVD player! And has not stopped asking for "Melmo" ever since. While sitting in his red Elmo chair and clutching his Elmo doll he screams for "Melmo" when he falls through Oscar the Grouches trash can down into Grouchland. I have to say it is a very cute sight...James is honestly concerned for the little red bathmat. After watching the movie a dozen times...I have to admit that I do too. You can never be too old for Elmo!

2009-05-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

2008-12-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

Although it's 75 degrees outside and feels like springtime, Christmas is officially upon us. My Saturday was completely full of...last minute shopping, last minute baking, and well, last minute last minutes. However, I did find some time to squeeze in my appointment at Dream Dinners...which (if you haven't tried it) is absolutely fabulous! I love the fact that I only spend an hour and a half making tasty, healthy meals, which I then take home. I run into friends and chit chat with the ladies. It's a kind of therapy for me...nice! When I walk out of the place I have a variety of meals that I can cook within 30 minutes and healthy ones too! SOOOOOO nice when you are a working mother of 3. Not to mention Darrell loves the food (and so do the kids for the most part). Which are asking what's for dinner as I type...hmmm...wonder what's for dinner tonight? Decisions, decisions!

Ashlee is bloggin!

2008-12-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

I got to go to my first concert in a limo!!! It was soooooo cool! There were twelve other kids and three adults. We had lot's of fun on the ride and then we got to the Toyota Center and people thought we were celebrities getting out of our limosines. There were 5 limos and our church paid for everything! The kids who got to go to the Toby Mac concert in a limo won the church contest of bringing the most visitors. I got to go because mom is the sunday school teacher. The coolest part of the concert was when Toby Mac ran and jumped on a trampoline and landed on the dance crowd that was in front of the stage. And they carried him like he was floating in the water! It was the coolest concert ever!!! Toby Mac rocks!!!