Happy Birthday to this AMAZING man!!!!
We are so lucky to have this guy in our lives! He is seriously the best hubby and daddy!
He is the most compassionate, loving, funny, and dedicated man. My favorite is when his staff tell their single friends and family that they need to find a man from Utah because they are a good breed... ha ha. They always say, "y'all can't find a man like that around here. Ya got to go to Utah!" The only guy they know from Utah is Derek! ha ha.
We love you and are so proud of who you are!
His staff bought lunch for us and we celebrated by singing Happy Birthday!
Derek and I decided to go to Corpus Christi a day early so we celebrated Derek's birthday early too! My favorite gift we got Derek was a book that I found at Target and every page had a page where it was about family and the dad was really involved. So each page a girl wrote down a memory that they have with Derek that relates to the page in the story.
We went to Corpus Christi for Spring Break and had such a great time. It is so amazing the serenity that you can experience at the beach and being in nature with the family.
We went to the Aquarium and they had a fun dolphin show, we watched a 4D nature show, and got to touch a lot of animals.
We went to the Aquarium and they had a fun dolphin show, we watched a 4D nature show, and got to touch a lot of animals.
Ice Cream!!!
Ice cream is Emmett's fave!!!
The beach is so beautiful! The weather was perfect even if the water is a bit cold.
Ready for the beach!
Desi and Claire had so much fun playing and rolling around in the sand. This is their happy place!
Derek go a new phone for his birthday. The pictures are so much better than my camera. He took these two pictures of Emmett and one he was able to focus on him and blur the background. Derek is enjoying learning how to use his new gift.
Flying kites!
Jumping the waves is so much fun with this company!
Emmett couldn't find his biscuit. Can you?
I can't believe these two. They would just roll around in the sand and throw it into each others faces all with lots of laughter and smiles.
Birthday boy dinner
Learning to use chopsticks
There was only one other house occupied in our beach place. It was so nice to be able to have the pool to ourselves.
They had this really fun seawall boardwalk! It was fun to take little strolls and set and watch the ocean on our breaks. The ocean is so breathtaking. It is great to share these moments with the ones I love the most.
This girl was so brave. She got stung by a jellyfish. The rescue boys came a put vinegar on it. She was a trooper! We tell her that she now has a story that she can tell people for the rest of her life!
The jellyfish that stung her.
Derek took these pictures in the dark right from his new phone without a flash. Isn't it unbelievable?!
It was fun to see these girls all cuddled up together. So cute!
One of my favorite pictures from the whole trip!
So I got fried the first day on the beach. I didn't put any sunscreen on and man did a pay for it. The next day I was doing my makeup and I noticed that when I was putting on my mascara I didn't have any wrinkles on my forehead. MY FACE WAS SWOLLEN!!!!
It was funny because I laughed and smiled at myself in the mirror and I looked like a totally different person (to me). If you look close at my nose and eye area you can see that it is swollen.
Ashlyn writes to best letters. We will cherish these forever!
Thanks for the ancestory kit Tammy and Steve! I did it and it is in the mail!
So excited!
When we were in Corpus Christi Derek and I were debating to stay longer to soak up time being away from Lufkin. We love Lufkin, but it is always fun to get out of the everyday life. We didn't want to go back quite yet, but we ended up going home a day early.
One night I was up at 3am because of some college kids making so much noise and the cars driving in and out. Well at 3:30am out doorbell rang and I just sat still. I didn't want to answer it and derek slept right through it because he was wearing earplugs. I thought to myself if the doorbell rings again I will wake up Derek. Luckily it didn't, but I couldn't go back to sleep. At 4am there were 2 guys yelling, fighting, and threating to kill each other. It was so terrifying! Derek woke up with all the yelling. We would peek outside the window because it was right out of our window. We felt unsafe and decided to pack up the car, spend the rest of the morning and afternoon at the beach then head home. It was bitter sweet to say goodbye, but it was so nice to feel safe and be home under our own roof.
Derek and I were so impressed with the girls. They played so well at home and spent the day laughing, playing, and being outside.
Ashlyn got new clothes. She loves the look and feel of sporty clothes.
On our date night we witnessed this beautiful sunset!
Emmett is my little buddy. He loves me so much and I am definitely his fave. Derek will at time be jealous and I remind him that there is a special bond that he has with the girls and it is FINALLY my turn!!!! I LOVE IT!!!
We have been going on lots of walks and we saw this and I called it the jungle. So now everytime we pass "the jungle", they love to run through it.
This kid.... he loves to get to the toilet and splash the water. It drove me nuts, but now I embrace the fun and adventure he is having with water. I just have to make sure that the toilet is flushed ;)
Silly faces and giggles at the door. Emmett loves it!
Emmett is a busybody. He is always climbing the stairs. We use to put a chair at the bottom of the staircase, but he always found a way up. He recently learned to make his way downward too.
This boy is busy busy busy!
Recently while I work out in the mornings the kids go upstairs to play in the toyroom together. It is so much fun!
These two are the best of friends!
We continue doing Mommy School and this girl loves when her homework includes chocolate!
Just chilling!
(What is in store for me?!? He is keeping me on my toes!)
We are loving the outside weather!
This girl is our picky eater, but oddly enough she loves broccoli. She will devour a whole bowl and ask for more!
Bike adventures!
Desi and Daddy made delicious Cadbury Egg Cookies! Yummy!
Flowers from our yard!
Letters and stickers from Nana! Thank you!
The first day of Spring Dairy Queen gave out free ice cream cones!
Happy Spring!
My handsome Dude!
Daddy did Emmett's hair
Derek maxing out his calf raises.
Derek went with Brinley on her field trip to the airport and then to a theater to see the movie planes. They had a great time! Brinley soaked up her time with Daddy. She was so excited!
We got the pool up and going!
Train (or the girls like to call it the cruise).
Emmett is going to be like a fish with the rest of his sister. He loves the water!
Matchy Matchy
So the girls got up and matched for the day. They are really into wearing the same color and it is so fun. Well I get ready to go on this walk and I didn't notice that I put on the same color as the girls. We start our walk and Ashlyn points out that I match the girls. It is so crazy. I must have thought about it subconsciously...
I absolutely love Date Night with this guy. We went for a walk in the SFA gardens and we discovered a new area. We were so excited and couldn't wait to take the kids. We found a special swing that reminds us of the gardens in Omaha. Oh that place will always have a special place in our hearts!
Happy birthday to me! I am so grateful for this beautiful life and beautiful family. For my birthday I got a new bike and a carrier so now we can go on family bike rides. I love this thing. It has been so much fun to ride all together.
After we went to the SFA gardens. It is my favorite thing to do for my birthday each year. The flowers are so beautiful and the company is fun!
This guy never falls asleep anywhere but his bed. I tuckered him out on my birthday!
Precious
Oh how much we love a swinging bench!
One day we will have one of these!
Dad feed them fishies
These trees are so cool. They are bent like an archway.
Derek made my favorite...coconut cream pie! It was so so delicious!
He loves to climb in the chair and now he is venturing out of my comfort zone... the fireplace.
Brinley loves reading. She has really grown in her ability this year!
Can't wait until summer so we can read a lot more.
Ashlyn and Brinley love to play this hand game and sing to it. It is fun to see them get along so well.
Found these baby birds in our bushes. There are four.
Meet the Jesus spider. This guy was walking on top of the water on our pool. Derek caught it and put it in a container and left it on our counter all night. I woke up and asked him what he wants to do with it and he said he wanted to take it to work. I was so relieved.
I get a text from his office manager telling me that Derek has placed this spider on her desk, the mirror, and more places. ha ha. Derek is just a jokster! I love how he can do more stuff like that on his staff than me. ha ha.
He is a big boy. He is learning to feed himself.
Our new toy
Mommy school
Another one of his favorite things is to go to the bathroom toilet paper and unwrap the WHOLE ROLL! (Me taking a deep breath).
( He just got caught)
I am so proud of this girl! She was student of the month for February. She was so excited! She got a chick-fil-a card, a few toys, and ice cream.
These girls got their haircuts from a new lady. She was amazing. She had crayons and books for the girls before we got there. She was so sweet and kind to them too. To top it off, the salon had over 30 chickens free range. It was so fun!
She is getting so big!
We met up with Ashlyn on her field trip. She went to the college plantitarium and had so much fun. Then we met her at a park and had lunch with her.
She is so strong!
I went to Time Out For Women with my friend Angela. It was so much fun! It is nice to rejuvinate and be spiritually fed.
Derek made creme brulee and it was delicious!
Derek and the girls read the book Helen Keller and then on Sunday we watched a movie about her. What an inspiring woman that has influenced the world and let nothing hold her back. She is incredible!
Making Nana Cookies!
We made this Easter garland for FHE
I wrote Helen my childhood babysitter thank her for everything that she has done for me and creating such wonderful memories and being a 2nd mom to me. There is a lot of things that she did that I do with my kids because of her influence. I love to power of influence that woman can be on generations.
Mommy School: Fly swat
you say the letter and swat the "fly"
We got our yard cleaned up and I was able to put it together. I wanted to create a space where my kids can use their imaginations and make memories together.
When Ashlyn and Brinley got home, they were so excited too.
Bird area
It makes me laugh that the bird bath is a splash area.
I am really excited about my new and improved furniture. I have been wanting to throw away this patio furniture because the old cushions where all ripped up and I wanted to get nicer looking furniture. Well 2 years later and I am happy to say I never threw out the old furniture, but just got new cushions, pillows, and rug. I am so happy about my oasis! I like to invite people over to swim, but it is an easy way to have a playdate- no cleaning the house, swimming as the activity, and everyone has a great time. But I have always been a little embarrassed about the yard. It was way over grown and way overwhelming. I convinced Derek to let me hire some people to clean it up and plant a few palm trees and I planted a sego palm (I call it a palm bush). I love how it turned out!
Ashlyn and I were looking out the window from Emmett's room that over looks the pool and said, "Mom we have everything that we need and want!" It is so true. We love our pool, home, and most of all- all the family time! We are truly blessed!
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