Pinewood Derby 2012

It's derby time!!!! The kids always get so excited at this time of year. They love getting to pick whatever design they want and then seeing their dad make it happen.

The kit looks like this. Just a block of wood with four wheels.
Then, they took time at church during their Wednesday night classes to shape their cars. Whatever they don't finish at church, the kids bring home and Craig helps them complete the transformation.

Kaitlyn and Preston helped with the sanding.

He's so goofy.

Time to paint.

By the way, this was all done on a cold, rain Saturday in the garage. But Craig and the kids wanted to get it done. I stayed inside the warm house and came out every so often to take pictures.

Can you tell what Kaitlyn's car is going to be?

A potato!!! I don't know why she picked this design, but it's what she wanted. She made a carrot derby car last year so maybe she wanted to stick with the vegetable family. Craig knicked out little spots and painted some a darker brown.

Preston wanted a race car, of course. He painted it his favorite colors: orange, red, and blue. No decals were added, just the paint.

The day of the race, we got out the two cars from previous years so we all had a car to race.

The track is ready to go.

The trophies are proudly gleaming!

Preston's car came in 3rd place in this heat. His car wasn't very fast. Well, neither was Kaitlyn's.

The potato is 2nd from the right, ready to go.

The other cars are waiting.

The potato eventually made its way to the bottom.

So did the race car.

Kaitlyn's potato car won a ribbon for Most Authentic Looking. She actually had a party to attend so Craig collected the ribbon for her.

Craig raced the carrot and I raced the ladybug in the adult division. His carrot came in 1st place!

Preston and Kaitlyn also got trophies for participation.

I was an Appearance Judge and Craig helped with staging the cars to race. We all had a great time and can't wait to do it all over again next year.

The Babies Are Gone

When did our babies go from this...

Kaitlyn-3 1/2 yrs old, Preston-1 1/2 yrs old

...to this?

Kaitlyn-8 yrs old, Preston 5 1/2 yrs old

Our firstborn, Kaitlyn Lee, was born just after her dad's birthday and just before our anniversary/Christmas. She was a miracle baby, a planned pregnancy, but still surprising since I had previous uterine complications. She was born at a petite 7 lbs and 18 inches and immediately captured our hearts.

Kaitlyn-2 mos. old (dress made by my mom to match my dress at that age)

Our second child, Preston Craig, was born fittingly on Father's Day. What better present could a dad receive than a son? He, too, was a planned pregnancy, but still another miracle. He was born at nearly a whopping 9 lbs and 19 1/2 inches long. Once again, our hearts were captured by another tiny, frail human being.

Preston-2 mos. old

Recently, Craig and I have realized that our kids are growing up. It seems like we just blinked once since they were babies and now they are our mini-me's. We've dealt with struggles like homework, bullies, and staying positive. We've comforted, cuddled, and wiped tears when certain situations were just too tough for their little hearts. We've also laughed, encouraged, and enjoyed the many triumphs we celebrated along the way.

Being siblings, Kaitlyn and Preston have their share of squabbles. Some days they can't even look at each other without the other one getting upset. However, they know we are a family. They love when we are all together and know there are no more siblings in the future (I had a hysterectomy in 2009). I love the times when I catch those sweet moments and they don't realize I'm watching.

Preston has come a long way since the beginning of the school year. It was very, very rough for him and caused anxiety for him and me. However, he remained brave, just as we told him to be, and we prayed many prayers for God to give him courage. He continues to flourish in school. He loves that he can read now and excels in math. Preston continues to add to his collection of cars and we can always find them in some type of formation around the house or his room. He is an incredibly affectionate Mama's Boy, always showering me with kisses, hugs, and nose rubs (Eskimo kisses). But, he won't let me do that in front of his friends. He has to give fist bumps instead.

Kaitlyn. Our little girl is gone and she has become so independent at such a young age. She loves to help as much as she can in the kitchen (I was not at all like that as a child). She makes chocolate milk for herself and her brother every morning. She likes to pick out her own clothes and fixes her own hair. Lately, she doesn't want us to tuck her in at night either. Kaitlyn certainly has 'firstborn' qualities, especially with Preston. I call her "Little Mama". She loves to read, draw, and do crafts.

Kaitlyn drew Spongebob on her chalkboard. She says it's for the art class she

has with Preston every week in her room. She is his teacher.

This past weekend, Kaitlyn went to her first sleepover birthday party. She was so excited to go. Again, it's just another milestone on their road to growing up. Preston kept asking when his sister was going to come home.

As parents, we try the best we can. God hears our prayers of anguish, sorrow, and joy. Each day brings a new challenge, a new milestone, and you just keep hoping you are raising your children to be the best they can be. They imitate us and see it through our words, through our actions, and hear it in our prayers. We often wonder how God can give us such an awesome responsibility, to raise these little humans, to live their lives for God and love Him with their whole being.

At the end of the day, when we're exhausted and we reflect back on the day to all that was done and said, we can just peek in on one of our human angels, in a peaceful slumber, and know we are blessed to witness the constant transformation of their lives.

Valentine's Day 2012

We had such a fun, festive Valentine's Day. It started with the kids waking up to find their Valentine's gifts.

They also got the movie Dolphin Tale to share. We saw it in the theaters and they loved it!
Craig got his card and box of chocolates. He's also getting a watch of his choice. We just haven't had time to go to the jewelry store and buy it. Craig is very particular about his watch so I'm letting him pick what he wants.

Craig bought me a Nook Tablet. LOVE IT!!!! I take it everywhere. The kids are enjoying it too.

I made one of their favorite breakfasts-strawberry muffins. Notice the festive plates? We used them for dinner and dessert too.

I printed off labels and taped them around water bottles for Craig and the kids to take with them for the day.
I also added these notes to the kids lunches. I love that they're pre-printed and I can just fill in the blanks.

We all had a party-filled day at school and work. Preston and Kaitlyn had classroom parties with cookie decorating, games, and exchanged Valentine's cards. They also took Valentine's pencils to share with their friends. They came home with tons of cards and candy.

I received some nice treats and gifts from some of my students and coworkers. My boss even made a yummy lunch for all the teachers. Craig was super busy with his Valentine's tent at work. He said people were in and out of Kroger all day buying flowers and chocolates. Since he's the boss, he was kind enough to buy lunch for his floral department.

As tradition, we bought a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's.

For dessert, Craig requested a homemade cheesecake. It was actually my first time using a springform pan and it was so easy! The cheesecake was easy and delicious. Look for the recipe tomorrow on my craft blog.

I prefer my cheesecake plain and Craig likes cherries on his.

The kids like caramel and chocolate sauce drizzled over theirs.

And that ended our day. It was fun, festive, and full of love. It's just the way we like to do things.

Our Suburban Life

So, it's been about a month since I've updated this blog. I've still been heavily blogging, but it's mostly been on my craft blog carsandribbons.blogspot.com. What have we been up to? Just the typical family activities: church, school, church, work, did I mention church?

The kids had the day off from school for a holiday recently and actually asked to do some crafts. Kaitlyn and I created bookmarks. Preston got a wooden pirate ship kit from his aunt and uncle and was ready to start building.

Preston carefully colored the wood pieces.

The ship slowly started coming together.

Kaitlyn wanted to help once she finished making her bookmarks.

The ship still remains to be completed. Preston needs to add the finishing touches and we'll make the big reveal!

Kaitlyn also had a 3-D landform project for school that needed to be completed. First, let me just say she is in 2nd grade. The kinds of projects she's had to do this year are crazy! It hasn't been anything we couldn't handle, but I remember doing Show And Tell still at that age. Plus, half her homework and schoolwork has to be done on the computer. Things have sure changed since I was a wee lad (don't know why I felt the need to start typing in an Irish accent but it seemed fitting).

Anyways, back to the landform. Kaitlyn picked icebergs. So, we had to make a 3-D iceberg. I was actually not feeling well the week this project was due so Craig took charge and helped Kaitlyn. They did a great job simply using styrofoam and blue cellophane.

Craig cut the styrofoam in half and glued the cellophane in between the styrofoam pieces. If you look at pictures of icebergs, you can always see the bottom through the water. Craig wanted to duplicate that for Kaitlyn. I think it turned out great and can't wait to see what grade Kaitlyn receives.

The kids are also looking forward to their Valentine's parties at school. They spent time writing out their Valentine's for their classmates.

Finally, we just received our snowfall for the winter. It didn't last because we never got below freezing. It's supposed to be in the 70's in a few days.

It's been pretty mellow around here. Nothing too exciting. However, there are many fun things planned within the next few months and we can't wait to share them with you.

Count Your Blessings

It's a new year with new goals, new plans, and new dreams. Everyone always reflects on the previous year to see what they've accomplished or where they fell short. As our family looks back, we like to always stay positive, and not focus on the valleys that we've experienced, but rather reflect on those mountains that stand out and remind us of how blessed we are.

Our Faith-we are so blessed to be able to worship and freely pray to God everyday. Our morals and values are the foundation for our family and we will not ever take for granted what Jesus did for us.

Our Family-we love our family unit of 4: 2 girls, 2 guys. We are inseperable. We have 4 different personalities but love with the same heart. We cherish the time when all of us can be together and thank God for choosing us to be a family.

Our Health-we know what it's like to have to see doctors and specialists, to see the medical bills pile up, and to know surgery is inevitable. We made the decision in 2009 that I would have a hysterectomy at the age of 28. It was one of the best decisions we could've made and now I see my doctor only once a year. The kids never get sick and only see the pediatrician for well-child exams. Indeed, God has kept his healing hand upon our family.

Our Jobs-we don't ever forget how blessed we are to have jobs. Craig absolutely loves his job and was so ecstatic when God blessed him with a promotion last year. I only work part-time, sharing my passion with children, and get to spend the rest of my time being a mom and wife.

Our Home-we live in our dream home. When it was time to buy a house in 2008, we prayed for the right house and had a checklist of exactly what we wanted. We did not have to compromise on our list and God gave us the perfect house at the perfect price. I absolutely love my home and don't ever want to move again! Plus, we have a full pantry, full closets of clothes, and 2 running cars. What more could we ask for?

So, when you're feeling down and frustrated because things didn't go your way or you didn't get what you want, remember to stop and count your blessings. No matter how little you may have, you still have more than most.

And She's Off!!!

Yesterday, was January 6. It's winter. And the temps were in the 70's!!! People were wearing shorts. Next week, the weather is supposed to be in the 40's. That's Texas for you.

Since it was so nice, the kids wanted to ride their bikes. Preston does a great job on his bike with training wheels intact.


Kaitlyn has had her training wheels off for awhile, but was always scared to learn to ride with just two wheels. Finally, she set her mind to it and was ready to learn. She also did not want anybody's help.

Kaitlyn is surveying the area and getting ready.

And she's off!!!

And she did a great job all on her own!!!

Sadly, I think this is just the beginning of many things she'll be doing on her own.

Welcome 2012!!!

Ah, a year has past. So many changes. Craig was promoted. Preston started public school. Kaitlyn has found her passion in drawing. I've become even more involved in volunteer activities. Lots of people think that once kids start school, you have nothing to do at home. That couldn't be further from the truth. I've been busier than ever!

One thing that has taken up some time is a website called Pinterest. I have enjoyed finding new craft projects, ideas for the home, recipes, and more. People are always asking me to share my latest projects and creations. So, I've decided to start a craft blog. Believe me, it's not like I need one more thing to do. But, it's an easy way to share what I do and how I do it. Check out Cars and Ribbons (named after the kids favorite things) and become a follower.

This blog will still be active and will update everyone on what's going on with our family. Be prepared for lots of good changes and celebrations.

We wish everyone a blessed and prosperous New Year! Welcome 2012!!!