A New Post

I havent posted much in the past few months. During the summer it was mostly due to being busy and out of the house more, but these past couple months have been extremely difficult. I have a hard time letting time pass as each day I wake up and the loss of Melindas husband becomes more real. I know he is my brother-in-law, and that doesnt seem like such a close relationship, but my little sister is the sweet one in our family and has been my best friend many times in my life. I loved her husband as much as I would my own brother - and my parents loved him like a son. While the loss for us is not near as painful as it is for Meilnda, I have had a lot of heartache and a hard time letting time march on. I explain this in order to explain the inability to make a new post. I dont want time to move on. I dont want him to become a memory, and I want what happened to stay recent- so that he isnt part of some past that we remember.

I dont know a lot about grieving and death, but I do know that the saying, "Time heals all wounds" is simply not true. Im not saying that wounds cant be healed- because I am certain that through faith in the Lord we are healed- but time in this case has seemed to make it harder.

This post may sound a bit desperate, but I do want to note that I have had many precious moments of sweetness through this experience. The tender mercies of the Lord have been many, and have had a lasting impression on me and have strengthened my faith. I am grateful for these things.

There, Ive done it. A new post is written.

We Love You Clay!

Clay with his kids
Melinda and Clay
Clay and his Ah64 Apache
Melinda and Clay
Clay and Cale
Melinda and Clay during R&R from Afghanistan

My sister Melinda recently lost her husband, Clayton, in a helicopter accident. We will remember Clay as one of those guys that everybody loved. He had a love for life and lived it to its fullest. This past Spring his family celebrated his 30th birthday. He accomplished much in those 30 years of his life: including marrying Melinda, the love of his life, in the temple, serving an LDS mission in the Philippines, serving his country by flying AH64 Apache helicopters in Afghanistan, graduating from BYU and getting accepted into dental school, and supporting and loving his wife and 3 kids. It is no wonder why he is so dearly missed. We are heartbroken to lose such a wonderful person, but grateful for the time that we had him with us.

GO Diego GO!!!

Dave and Josh scored some last minute tickets to see Go Diego GO LIVE!!! OOOOOH Babay! Just what Dave has always wanted to see. They got there a little late, and Josh actually fell asleep on the way there, but when he came home- He was as happy as could be. He brought home a little baby Jaguar mask and showed off to his sister and her friends- who were having a "girl" party that night.

Lizzy and Her Twin

Lizzy's cousin Brielle came out to see Texas! They had a blast- and even met one of their heroes "Wonder Woman"! They visited San Antonio and went to Fiesta Texas, then met up in Salado at their other cousins house. Lizzy had been looking forward to the visit for 17 days- i know the number because she did a "count down". On the final day- she waited by the window counting down the hours and minutes- it was pretty exhausting being held to my exact phrases such as ; "They'll be here in a few minutes." I better be sure next time or Ill get crossed-examined by my 6-year-old. Their final night was a sleep over where they watched "High School Musical", put on make up, played rock music, colored little love notes, and giggled like 6-year-old girls! I let them stay up as late as they wanted to- I think they finally quieted down about 1 AM. What a week!

So What if Your Kid Isn't Potty-Trained!!!

Why do people find it to be their buisness if your kids isn't potty-trained in what they perceive to be the appropriate time? My 3 1/2 year old isn't potty trained- big deal! Yet for some reason "seasoned" moms feel that they are experts at such a topic when pediatricians and child psychologists support letting the child be trained when he is ready. "Ready" would mean that he can acctually relax on the toilet to "let it out" and that he has the desire to be toilet-trained. So yes, when I took him to his 3-year-old check-up, I was concerned as any mother would be, but reassured (by a doctor who not only raised 4 kids- but sees hundreds of kids per month) that potty-training should not be forced or rushed. Why? I suppose that a traumatic potty-training experience is not worth the setback it may have or the "guilty" feelings it would create in a child who is faced with this major task prematurely (from a 3-year-olds- veiwpoint) just to get him into underwear a few months earlier. So for all those moms who have their own "theories"- potty-train your own, and don't worry about mine!

Fossil Rim

Josh and Grandma- Look at those teeth (zebra)!

"I can see the Giraffes- here they come!"

Got any food in there?
Dont mind my drooling tongue.

Josh
Jaxson

Our trip to Fossil Rim was great! Definitely the highlight of the trip was the feeding of the giraffes. "Here they come!" And come they did- right through the sunroof and into the car. One giraffe lowered his head through the sunroof and wouldn't leave until my sis-in-law and I gave him a few handfuls of food. The kids were terrified- and screaming "close it, close it (the sunroof)." The giraffe finally raised his head back through the sunroof leaving behind the most amazing string of drool ever- no kidding, it was about 18 inches long! Definitely the most exciting part of the trip- even though the kids were a bit scared it was pretty hilarious. I definitely recommend the trip- worth the drive and a very unique experience.

Field Day

First grade Lizzy

"Pull, pull, pull!"

Way to go Mrs Cortes Class!

You are the tug-of-war champs!

Our Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

Cinco de Mayo was even better when we got to Pappasittos for 1/2 price fajitas- oooh yeah.

We are a tex-mex family (except for Dave) even the kids have become addicted to chips and salsa- and they love fajitas. As my husband, Dave gets his share of chips and salsa and fajitas- in fact he was even selected somehow as a taste tester for On the Border Restaurant. If he actually goes to one of their taste tests sometime, we will get a $60 gift certificate. If only they had selected me- I could get paid to eat the food I love!

Our Lakewood Super-Stallion!

Way to go Lizzy!!!!

World Aquarium

Lizzy's class, and every first grade class in Dallas, got to go to the aquarium last week so I volunteered and brought Josh along. I have to hand it to those 1st grade teachers. I had a hard time keeping track of my two, and I wondered how they didn't pull out their hair taking a head count of 22 every ten minutes or so with 6-year-olds wiggling and moving and screaming. It was pure chaos- but the kids sure loved it.

"From the Milky Thing"

Josh and I were out shopping today at Target, of course. I had to pick up a few things, but as usual I took a detour through the women's section where I buy a lot of my clothes lately. I wanted to see the swimsuit cover-ups to save myself from embarrassment when I put on that suit for the first time this Spring. As I was shopping and halfway keeping track of Josh, I noticed a pretty sexy looking bikini top in my cart!
Mom
"What's this?" -as I picked it up
"Josh where did this come from?"
Josh
"I got it for you." - pushing it back into the cart
Mom
"But where did you get it?" -looking for a place to put it back
Josh
"From the milky thing" -innocently
Mom
"The milky thing? What's that?" - confused and looking around for something "milky"
Josh
"Right here!"
A rack of sexy women's bikini tops! I should have known - this was the "milky thing".
Enough said! He is a sweetheart-totally innocent, and I hope when he's older he doesn't notice the "milky things" too much.

What the. . . . Hail?

"Just like an Easter Egg hunt, Mom!"

"Mom, can we go inside now? I think we're going to get struck by lightening!"

Not an Easter Egg!

"Can I bring these in to show to Daddy?"

What a storm! I guess we can just call ourselves lucky that we didn't get hit by the accompanying tornado. Despite the panic of golf-ball-sized hail hitting the windows, we did have some fun in the house when the power went out. The kids were a little scared when Dave and I told them we needed to get into a small room and make a "hut" by putting a mattress over us in case we had to "take cover". Luckily, the storm passed quickly. We had barely formulated the plan, and a few minutes later it passed our area. We were also glad that we had our cars in the garage before it even started (by about 60 seconds). I have never seen hail this big before, so I talked the kids into getting some pictures before it all melted. They were scared to go out at first, but warmed up to the idea of going out when Josh said, "Hey, It's just like an Easter egg hunt!" I'm glad we were safe and that it didn't last long. I'm also glad we learned a lesson in preparedness- one flash light and not a single candle is not exactly "prepared".

"Lions and Tigers and Bears- Oh My!"

" Were off to see the Wizard!"

All but one of them

How cute are these! And how many happy meals do I have to eat to get them all? I am in love with these dolls. I'm not sure if it is because The Wizard of Oz is part of my childhood, or if I am a doll collector at heart. I have almost the whole set for my daughter- who plays with them- but I'm really hoping I can somehow get a set for myself. Was this a marketing technique from Madame Alexander? If so. . . well done! I think these dolls are just darling. I have eaten way too many hamburger happy meals this week, and I'm ready to be done with McDonald for a while, but hopefully we can get that darn wicked witch of the west to complete our set. Despite the madness, I do take comfort in knowing that I am not the only mom who is gladly gagging down a happy meal a day just to get a toy. More than one of my friends have admitted to the same obsession- and yes, they are sick of happy meals, too!

The Egg Hunt

Josh and Liz before the "hunt"
Go Joshy, Go!
Lizzy shivering in the cold
Nice Hat!

I never thought we would be "snowed out" for an Easter egg hunt in Texas! It actually snowed the day before Easter and we had to change our egg hunt to the church. I was even more surprised- pleasantly surprised- to see hot chocolate being served at the picnic. We had a great time, and sat by Josh's primary teacher. I was working hard to make sure he ate his good food first and that his manners were good for her, and failed to notice that Lizzy- who was sitting right next to me- ate her cookie first, then snuck mine right off my plate and finished it while I was chatting. Those sneaky 6 years olds! The hunt was fun, but I realized that my kids are just not that good at competing for candy filled eggs. Josh ended up with only 3 eggs, so I told him, "Its okay, when we find Lizzy, she will share some of hers." But when we found Lizzy, she was starring sadly into her basket- only one egg! I had to chuckle a little, but all was well after some of the other kids shared and made things a little more even.

Worth Every Penny!

Mom and Josh on a most special day out with Thomas
Josh and his "Thomas"
Josh and James
All aboard!
The scary Sir Topem Hat!

"A Day Out with Thomas," has got to be one of the greatest ideas ever! I just wish I had bought stock in it or come up with the idea myself. It was just what you would imagine- minivans, strollers, moms and tots- with hundreds of those darling 3ish-year-old boys who have the "fever" for Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. These boys are some of the most loyal fans you'll meet. They know every song, every story, all the trains, and they somehow become mesmerized when they hear that whistle blow and Thomas the Tank Engine pulls into the station. They are partially frozen, neck forward and eyes wide open just waiting for that first glimpse when the anticipation turns to a most exciting event in the life of a 3-year-old! "Thomas, Thomas, Thomas!!!" Josh and his little friends had a great time bouncing in the bounce house, getting "Thomas" tattoos, smiling for mom and the camera, meeting Sir Topem Hat (Josh was scared of him), watching the clowns do tricks (Josh was scared of them, too), mom's trip to the gift shop, and last but not least a 25 minute ride aboard every body's favorite train! (Josh wasn't scared of the train!) A pricey event, but oh the joy. We loved it- seeing the excitement and capturing the moments of childhood that will be gone all too soon was worth every penny! Thank-you Thomas.