Anyone for instant stress??

Ok, I was trying to take some pictures of the kids this past weekend to make a Christmas photo card. YES, I think I am a professional photographer with this new camera and, YES, I am just now trying to get these done. Since I heard that Heritage Portraits weren't doing their Santa pics this year, I had to scramble to get my pictures done to get the cards sent out.

Well, if anyone is curious to see how much fun it is to try to get a two year old to hold a two month old, sit still, smile at the camera, not pinch he sister's face, have his hair look halfway decent, and wipe up the spit up off of both of them....NOT FUN at all!!!! Just ask my mom, Aunt jennifer, and Lance! I turned into an instant stressed out bear!!! I immediately start sweating trying to get the camera turned on, focused, pick up Kennedy after being shoved by Landon, and keep them from crying. As I am frantically trying to snap as many pictures as possible, I am snapping at my helpers too. I felt awful afterwards. Anyway, here are some of the ones that WON'T make the cards. I am going to attempt one more session in the morning before throwing in the towel!

Our first road trip with 2 kiddos!

I was really nervous taking our first trip with a two month old and a two year old, but we survived!! My mom and I decided that it was time to finally visit Klint at his new house in Dallas and we had a ball! Klint and Tonya moved into our cousins', Kyle and Meredith Liner, house this past summer and we hadn't had a chance to visit them until now. Kyle and his family moved to Hungary and are leasing it to Klint who needed a place to live when they decided to move down from Michigan. Kyle and Meredith were actually in Dallas at the same time (for the first time since they left the states) so we were glad to get a chance to visit with them as well.

I have to admit, Kennedy was absolutely PERFECT!! She never really cried that much and sleep most of the time. In fact, mom and I want to find another road trip to take while she is still so young and can sleep anywhere. I also discovered that having a paci is greatest thing EVER! Landon never took one (I was easy to quit trying) so I never knew what I was missing. I am sure it will be a hard transition later on, but I will cross that bridge when we get there.

Landon started feeling bad on Sunday morning. He was fighting off a cold and got a little cranky. But he was overall a good traveler. I think he really enjoyed having his KK in the same room with him while he slept. I was worried that we wouldn't sleep much with all of us in the same hotel room, but everyone slept all night!

The first night we stayed at Klint's house. He cooked some delicious burgers for us while Aunt Jennifer brought over some cake and ice cream to celebrate both mine and Klint's birthday. The next morning, mom and I got up to do some quick shopping before heading off to the Gaylord Texan Resort. This place was beautiful. It's a really nice hotel with a convention center attached to it and every year they turn it into a Winter Wonderland! They had an ice exhibit that was really beautiful. If anyone gets a chance to go, I highly recommend it! It's a great place for photo opportunities too!

Here are a few pictures (with my new camera!!!!) from our little trip. We were also able to stop along the way to visit my childhood best friend, Ashley, and her family.

Landon playing with cousin, Kenzie's, toys!! ;)

Playing hide and seek

My mom and two of her three GREATEST kids!!!

Cousins: Landon, Kennedy, Kenzie, Caden, and Reece

Landon cried the entire time during the ice exhibit. It was 9 degrees in there so I don't blame him!! This was also the day he started feeling bad too.

KK and two of her grandbabies

While Landon was crying, Kennedy slept the entire time of the Ice exhibit




View from our hotel room balcony

Just another birthday!! ;)

Today is my 33rd birthday!! I think it's going to be a great year simply because it's the 33rd year and the same number as Larry Bird!!! LOL! I know... I can be a basketball geek sometimes! ;)

It's been a great week and it really doesn't even seem like my birthday. Last weekend was a lot of fun because my parents came to stay with us to go to the Tech football game (for mom) and duck hunting (for dad)! Landon was in hog heaven having them around and really enjoyed going to the game with them, even though i was a bad mommy and didn't prepare for the cold weather. As you can see in the picture, Landon had to borrow Buzz's wrap to keep him warm at the game. And for the record, MY MOM WAS RIGHT AND I WAS WRONG!! There I said it. She said that it was going to be freezing at the game and I didn't believe her. Thank goodness I have learned that she is almost always right and listened to her (unwillingly!!). I guess I can be wrong sometimes!! ;)

And can I say how spoiled I am??? My dearest husband got me the best birthday gift!! I have been wanting to get a really nice SLR camera because my point and shoot camera has been driving me crazy. I love pictures and it drove me nuts when I would miss great shots of the kids because it was so slow!! So, my precious hubby spoiled me by getting me one when I thought it was going to be a Christmas present!! I am trying to convince him that it will be my Christmas gift too since we have spent so much money lately on the house. I hope he honors that request but something tells me he is too stubborn to listen to me.

Well, I am about to take on a HUGE adventure!! Tomorrow morning, I am taking both kids to Shreveport and meeting mom to drive to Dallas for the weekend! My first road trip with the kids!!! Yikes!!! Lance is going to stay home and go to the duck camp and hang out. I just hope it won't be miserable traveling with both of them. I am sure they will be great. Besides, it will make it all worth it when we see my brother, Klint, and his family!! I can't wait to see them!

I miss college coaching...maybe...nah!

Ok, I originally started this blog to be all about my family and keeping everyone posted on what's going on in 'our' world, but this post is going to be all about ME!

Yesterday, I had my first basketball lesson since having baby Kennedy who is almost 2 months old. I arrive at the gym to await my new client who is driving in from Shreveport. I go to the back gym to peek through the window and I see that the Lady Techsters are practicing (with the doors closed). I continued to watch and memories of my college coaching days race through my mind. My thoughts were, "Ok, yeah, I miss it a little." Then I see Teresa Weatherspoon (assistant coach) get into action and start clapping and getting all in the players 'grill' to pump them up. I suddenly feel the tears start tingling in my eyes!

My thoughts are, "What? Why do I feel like crying?!? I love my life right now! I don't miss dealing with those crazy 18-21 yr olds!" Then it hit me. Weatherspoon has always been one of my biggest heroes growing up. She is ONLY one of the BEST point guards to ever play! And she has the biggest heart of any person I have ever come across when it comes to basketball.

I could feel her passion through the double doors and it's the same passion that I have for basketball and for the Lady Techster program. It's just been a little tainted over the past few years. What a joy it would have been to have the opportunity to work with her.

Moments later, I began my lesson and remembered very quickly how much I love doing private lessons. It is so rewarding! Plus I have a flexible schedule and I still get to coach the great game of basketball.

So, even as I am rocking Kennedy to sleep at 4:00 am this morning for an hour straight (for the second time), covered in spit up, then having to go calm Landon back to sleep, and get up again two and half hours later, I STILL would rather be doing what I am now than traveling 4 days out of the week and putting up with spoiled 20 year olds!!! Like my mom texted to me just three nights ago, I have the best job in the world!! I wouldn't want it any other way!

Kitchen pictures

Ok, for some reason I lost some of the pictures of the new kitchen! :( I am still learning this site!

Our New house

Ok, here is my first attempt to post some pictures. I want to share the before and after pictures to show how much work we did before moving! For those of you who didn't know that we moved, we are still in Ruston, just a little further out of town. We loved our old house, but knew that with our growing family that we would need more room in the house, outside in the yard, and a room for out of town guests!!

Here are some before and after pictures of our house. In the kitchen we changed the counter tops, back splash, flooring, removed/replaced the island, added a new vent hood, and added new fixtures.

In the family room, we painted and distressed the cabinets to black with red background, changed the flooring and painted the walls.

In the guest bath, we removed the vanity, faux painted the walls red, and changed the flooring.

Basically we put hardwood floors throughout the downstairs except for the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. Before, there was tile in every room except the living room where there was carpet.

Upstairs we painted each room and kept the existing carpet. It's amazing what a little color can do to a room!!

On another post, I will have to post pictures of Landon and Kennedy's rooms. They are too cute! I have to say that our family/playroom is my favorite room. We put a flat screen tv in the cut out and it looks great. I will have to take pictures of it to show what it looks like now.

Well, enough about the house. Next i will give updates on the kiddos and what's been happening in there worlds!!

Our first blog!!

Well, it's been a long time coming so I finally decided to start a family blog. Several of my friends and family members have one and I can't believe it has taken me this long to get one going. I figured it would be a great time to start one since we just moved into our new home and welcomed the birth of our baby girl, Kennedy on September 16, 2008. Big brother Landon, who is 2, just loves giving her kisses and has adjusted extremely well to having her around. Adjusting to his new room in his new house is another story!! I am going to learn to navigate on this blog site and try to post some pictures of our new house and the kids!!!