Our Weekend in Pictures

Fun times swimming with the family over labor day weekend...

Avery's long hair (story to follow)

Laney STANDING UP next to her cousin Tara. These two little buddies babbled to each other all weekend. I can only imagine what their conversations will be like in a year or two!

A couple days ago I got tired of combing the rat's nest out of Avery's hair every day, so I decided we were going to cut it. Thankfully she was okay with it because Tinkerbell has short hair too. So I got my special hair scissors and I chopped off about 8 inches of hair. We were both really happy about it and it looks alot healthier and thicker now that it's shorter.

Anyway, the next night, after the girls were already in bed, I went into my bathroom and found my hair scissors out on the counter and a few clusters of hair on the floor. I knew I had not done a perfect job on Avery's hair the day before, so I asked Brian if he had decided to even out Avery's hair or if he thought his mom might have decided to cut her hair a little bit. He said no. Turns out our little angel Avery had gone into my bathroom, found the hair scissors that I keep in the back of my jewelry box (where no one can find them!), and taken off a few strands at the front of her hair. She now has a row of uneven itty bitty bangs. I can't decide if it's not that bad and I should just leave it, or if I should just take her to get some real bangs cut (I don't trust myself to cut her bangs... I've tried before and it wasn't cute). Look at the pictures and give me your opinion.

Here's the damage up close:

Here she is the morning after our discovery:

I know it could have been much worse, so I am thankful it's just a few strands of hair. Tatum has the best morning hair ever. I hope it never "calms down" because it makes me smile every morning. Here's the back of Avery's hair so you can see how much I cut.

We enjoyed having some family & friends over to our house on Sunday. Thankfully it was nice & cool and the rain held off for us, so we really had a great time. Here's Avery & Tatum with their buddies Carson & Rylin.

I was explaining to Avery a few days ago how I used to be named Melanie McR**, but when I married Daddy, his name was Mr. K, so I became Mrs. K. It took some explaining, but she finally understood that a woman changes her name when she gets married and takes the last name of the man she marries. It didn't take her long to decide who she wants to marry. She is officially in search of an eligible 4-year old with the last name "Bell" so she can marry him and be named Miss Bell (as in Tinker-Bell). :)

The blessing of a broken dishwasher

My dishwasher isn't working, so I spent alot of time this past weekend hand-washing all the dishes that we used all of last week. At first I had a really bad attitude about it, but after I did one batch of dishes, I had this fulfilling sense that I was experiencing life the way women in earlier times did and it really wasn't that bad. Now don't get me wrong, I am having a guy come out this afternoon to fix the dishwasher, but I was surprised at how I really didn't mind doing them all by hand for one weekend. Avery has been mesmerized watching me wash dishes by hand. Pretty funny that she has never seen me do it before!


Here's a few recent pictures of the kids...

The oldest of my four children, and the handsomest, I might add:

He has been working so hard lately. He is coaching girls volleyball again this season and feeling alot more comfortable with it now that he knows what he is doing. He is also still working on his masters degree and should finish up in just 6 months! I am so proud of him. And of course, the list of projects we have here at home is never-ending, so he definitely has a full plate right now. But you would never know because he just goes with the flow and takes everything so well. The Lord knew I needed him because I am a crazy nut without his laid-backness.

Avery is so grown up. She calls Tatum "honey" and leads her two little sisters like the mother hen. She has needed alot of re-direction lately because she has become a little bossy, but I know she is the oldest for a reason and God is using this role in her life to shape her into the beautiful young woman He wants her to be. She has a great imagination and can always think up a fun pretend game to play with Tatum. I love that she doesn't care what anyone else thinks, she just does her own thing. She's alot like her daddy.

Tay-bird, we like to call her. So submissive and cooperative to all her big sister's imaginary games. Such a rollercoaster of emotions... one minute the happiest, most joyful little girl in the world, the next minute a sobbing, tearful mess. You never have to wonder what Tatum is feeling because she wears every emotion on her sleeve. She refuses to have anything to do with the potty right now. She uses her manners really well. She is in love with all things froggie.
My baby is pulling up! I walked in to her room last week to find her standing up in her crib holding on the rails, just smiling at me like she knew she had accomplished something big. Now she crawls everywhere and pulls up on every table or chair she can reach. The only problem is she can't get back down to sitting, so she cries until you come help her sit down. She woke up from her nap a little while ago crying and usually I let her cry for a few minutes and she goes back to sleep. Well that didn't happen so I caved in and rocked her back to sleep. There is no feeling in the world that compares to knowing that you are the cure for one little persons' every need. I'm so glad I caved. She completely owns me.

School is going so well. I am at peace about working, my students are all so cute and sweet (I am sure I will be taking that back in a few weeks), and I am enjoying learning a few new things this year about how to teach kids on laptops. A prayer request... one of my good friends since I first started teaching back in 2003 just found out she has breast cancer. She is having surgery in a couple weeks and chemo and radiation to follow. I can't imagine what she must be feeling and going through and I don't really know what I can do to help her during this time. I know she needs Jesus so please pray she will draw close to Him through all this. thanks!

One Day Down, 176 To Go

We got our kitchen updated! I can't believe how pretty it looks. After living for five years in a kitchen with pink countertops and 1980's wallpaper, I am absolutely thrilled to have such a beautiful & modern kitchen. You can scroll down to my previous post to see the before picture of our kitchen. Now here is the after pictures!

The first day of school went really well. I am being intentional about having a good attitude this year. Although this school year is gushing with reasons to have a bad attitude, I am going to (by God's grace) refuse to fall into that trap. This year each of my students will get to check out a laptop to keep for their own personal 24/7 use. I'm super happy for the kids to have this opportunity, however, I know there are still alot of kinks that need to be worked out from the teaching side of the project. All my lesson plans from the past 5 years of teaching are now worthless, and I will need to learn how to teach my students lessons that allow them to use their laptops in my class every day. I definitely have my doubts about how it's all going to work out, but like I said, I am choosing to have a good attitude.

Our district also decided they will allow facial piercings this year, so as a result, many of the precious children walked in today sporting their new jewelry, sharp objects protruding from their chins and colorful hoops from their eyebrows and lips. I personally don't have a problem with it, except that it surprises me how much freedom students have in school now compared to when I was in school. Whatever happened to one hole in each ear? I remember back in college when I got my belly button pierced. I thought it was cute and I enjoyed it mostly because it made me feel unique. I must admit I came very close to piercing my eyebrow too, but it was dependent on my brother martin getting his nose (or chin?) pierced with me, and I'm pretty sure it was him that chickened out. When I first met Brian, he had a big barbell pierced through his tongue, and I thought he was so dreamy. All this to say, I can excuse the piercings because it's really just an attempt to be different from everyone else, to be an individual. At least it's not as permanent as a tattoo. It's just different seeing all the students wearly them freely this year.

Our school is also in a huge financial crisis which means we don't get alot of "help" to get our kids to pass. Yeah, don't ask me why all the 11th graders get laptops, but we can't afford to buy paper or bus our students to school. Something is messed up. Oh yeah, good attitude.

Thankfully, there are no more than 30 precious students in each of my classes and I can pronounce all their names. God made each of those faces and loves them so much. I hope I don't lose that perspective.

Back on August 10, Brian's grandmother in Midland went to be with Jesus after a long battle with Alzheimer's. They called her "Boozer", not because she was a drinker, just because it just suited her. I will always remember her laugh. She was a role model in many ways, but I especially want to remember that she never let anything get her down... she laughed about everything. The Proverbs 31 woman could "laugh at the future" and that describes Boozer perfectly. We were all able to go out to Midland for her funeral and celebrate how precious her life was. We had a great time seeing the family out there and the girls loved playing with thier cousins.

Cowgirl Laney

Princess Avery, Princess Kenadi and Princess Tatum

Kade loved Laney! They were inseperable the whole time!

Kenadi, Avery & Tatum at the church

Sweet Girls

Galveston

Laney's first bath with the big girls! Please notice the look on Tatum's face. Poor sweet thing... this look captures her entire attitude toward her baby sister as of late. Not happy. Not amused.


Yep, we visited the beautiful island of Galveston last weekend to let the girls experience the beach for the first time in a long time. It was our first time back since Hurricane Ike almost a year ago. It's pretty sad driving around seeing all the familiar stores/hotels, etc. that used to be there gone. Thankfully alot of the seawall is built back up and looks even better than before, but there is still alot of destruction.

This was our first family trip with all 5 of us and only the 5 of us. Lots of ice cream (for them) and coffee (for me), and lots of laughs. Avery & Tatum could both be beach bums, they loved it!

At Moody Gardens, Palm Beach. We spent lots of time there!

At Stewart Beach

Just collecting sea shells

At Rainforest Cafe

I just got this totally random picture from about 6 months ago. Tatum & her BFF Julia playing at the park! Both are currently learning how to be big sisters for the first time. Not an easy job. They are such a funny & cute little pair!

Hiccups & Home

Last night while I was feeding Laney before putting her down, I got a major case of hiccups. I mean, the kind where your whole body jumps every 5 seconds. It was really frusterating to Laney b/c she could never get a good rhythm going with her eating. Everytime she'd suck, I'd hiccup and bounce her off me. So I tried really hard to just relax and take deep breaths so they would slow down. Finally she got a rhythm and finished eating. When I held her up to burp her, she starting hiccuping too!!! And now that her tummy was full, she thought the sounds of my hiccups were hilarious. She busted out in laughter when I hiccuped and I laughed at her every time she hiccuped. I don't know how on earth we both got them at the same time, but it was one of those little blessings from God that just makes you smile.

I made a list back in January (when we were still in the "dreaming" stage of thinking about moving) of all the features we would like our new house to have some day. I pulled it out last week to look at it again, and I was absolutely amazed & humbled that God answered our unspoken prayers by giving us EVERY thing on that list! Our list was pretty specific too. Things like: long flat driveway to play basketball, seat in master shower so i can shave my legs easier, two sinks in the girls' bathroom, secondary bedrooms close to master bedroom, spacious living room for having company, big backyard with covered patio, divided staircase so if the kids fall it won't be too bad, one big garage door instead of two little ones, easy access for dogs to go to bed in the laundry room, and the list goes on. I mean crazy specific stuff. And this house has everything on our list. And several bonus things we never knew to ask for, but that we are so glad to have. It is so awesome that we serve a God that cares about the little details that matter to us and is so generous with us.

This is not the order I was planning to post the pictures in, but for some reason I can't cut & paste them (can anyone tell me why blogger won't allow that anymore? or is it a setting I have messed up?), so this will have to do.

The living room, with our clean, folded laundry on display The girls new bunk beds! I can't wait to get their room decorated with some PINK stuff!

Tatum did not want to eat her taco soup tonight. No banana pudding for dessert. Poor thing.

Our kitchen "before." I hope very soon to post "after" pictures when we bless it with new countertops & backsplash. I guess 2 inch tiles were cool in 1989.

The view from my kitchen... the GAMEROOM and the backyard!

Laney is a sitter now!

No basketball goal yet... Christmas present maybe?

The yard still takes my breath away. It is the main reason we chose this house.

Brian finished summer school today and starts volleyball tomorrow. I wish for his sake he had a break, but I am so thankful he is willing to work hard & that he enjoys what he does.

Some friends have asked me recently how I am feeling about going back to work in a few weeks. Honestly, I am at peace about it. I am not looking forward to it, but it's not the end of the world. Life will go on and God will carry me through another school year. The girls will enjoy their time with their Gigi or Nana taking care of them while I work each morning and I will try to keep the perspective that I am my husband's helper and it is a privelege to help him in this way. Please pray for me that the Lord will help me be more bold & outgoing in my faith this year at school. I feel like God has kept me at that school all these years for a reason and I don't think I've fulfilled it yet. I hope this will be the year I fulfill my purpose there, whatever that may be.

I'M BACK!!!

I am so excited to get to blog again!! We have tried for three weeks to get internet in our new house, which has been so frusterating. Then this morning a technician came and spent about 10 minutes messing with the wires and now it works! I can't wait to read up on everyone else and see what all I've missed over the past month.

We are settled in to our new house and we feel very "at home" here now. I keep thinking someone is going to come in and tell me I'm dreaming and it's time to get out, but it's ours and we are so thankful the Lord has provided this house for us.
Over the past month we have mostly been busy working on the house. It's a 20 year old house that has been very well taken care of, but it is in need of a lot of updating and fixing. I think we will always have projects to work on, but it's kinda fun fixing it up and making it look even better.

Brian's Grandma K went to be with the Lord last week. Since they live in New York, she kept up with our family by reading my blog. She never got to meet our girls since by the time Avery was born, it was getting too hard for she & Grandpa K to make the trip down here, and we never got to make the trip up to New York. But she sewed each of our girls a blanket when they were born (even Laney!) and always sent them the sweetest Christmas packages. She always sent us cards for every special occasion. The last card we received from her was our anniversary card on June 2. She assured us in the card that the good Lord would take care of her and that has brought us so much comfort now that she is gone to be with Him. Brian flew to NY last weekend for her service and had a great time with his dad's family that he rarely gets to see.
Grandma & Grandpa K were in Houston visiting Brian's parents when I went to meet Brian's family for the very first time back in September 2000. I remember thinking what sweet & funny grandparents they are and how I would love to be a part of his crazy & fun family. Thank you Lord!
We also went on vacation with Brian's family to Lake Travis the week after we moved into our house. I will post some pictures of our house next.

My mom with the girls in front of our new house

Tatum, Laney, Avery & Cousin Tara at the lakehouse


We found Nemo!

Laney laughing at Nemo

Brave Avery jumping at the mall

Sweet Laney - 6 months old

Smiley Tatum

What a beautiful day!

The three monkeys!

Aunt Jenn & Avery in the lake

Gig Em, Uncle Brent (he put that hat on my child)!

Tatum & Grandad under the pontoon boat

Avery doing her backstroke!

Laney & Tara holding hands on their first boat ride!

Our new house!

Summer Fun!

I feel like I have been so out of touch lately. I have been having blogging withdrawals, and today I am going to TRY to catch up the life of this homeless family of 5.

Here's what we've been up to lately.

~ Laney turned 5 months old! She is rolling over, giggling at her sisters & their friends, sleeping through the night (I love not seeing the hour of 4:00 AM anymore!) and weighing around 16 pounds (it's all in her cheeks)! Her favorite pasttimes are staring at her momma, eating, kicking her feet as hard & as high as possible, eating, sucking the life out of her paci and did I mention eating?? She is pure sugar and we are all amazed at her sweet little life.

~ Tatum is potty training!!! She wears her Cinderella pull-ups proudly and never fails to put tee-tee in the potty when we sit her on it. However, she is still making Cinderella be dressed in yellow several times a day, so I don't think we're quite ready to try big girl panties yet.

~ Avery is in love with swimming and all things water. She will be starting her first round of swimming lessons in a couple weeks and I think she will pick it up quickly. We are in the pool several times a week so she is comfortable in the water, she just needs to learn how to swim. She & I are starting Hooked on Phonics together and I'm excited about the fun we will have doing it.

~ We celebrated our 8th anniversary! Hopefully next year we can actually go somewhere by ourselves, but this year since we're saving every dime for our down payment and Laney is pretty attached to me, we just spent some time in SA shopping and hanging out with my family.

~ We sold our Chamberlain house to a sweet young couple with a 9-month old baby girl. I am excited for them and happy that another little girl will get to have some fun times in that house & yard. We are supposed to get to move into our new house one week from today, but every one I've talked to says that since the market has picked up, most closings are pushed back a few days, so we are just hoping we can move in by the end of next week. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

~ We just got back from visiting our dear friends, the Kindle's, in Grand Saline! Jennifer is an awesome cook and we had so much fun watching all 7 of our kids play, eating great meals, and putting the kids to bed early so we could watch some good movies. I have not gotten to watch any movies since Laney was born so I really enjoyed that. They moved into their new home about a year ago and have updated it & decorated it so beautifully it could be in a magazine! Brian & I got alot of good ideas from them that we hope to copy and do in our new home. Thanks again for the great weekend, Jennifer! I haven't been able to find my camera, so I might steal some of your pictures if you post some from our weekend.

~ Brian started summer school today. He teaches an entire semester in 12 days. Then gets two weeks off, then teaches the 2nd semester in another 12 days. That's it!

~ We re-joined the Y last week. I love their splash pad. That alone is worth it. And we both hope to start working out again. We'll see about that one.

~ Okay, I'm about to delete all those sweet things I wrote about Laney at the beginning of this post! She is so tired right now, but is refusing to let herself fall asleep!!! All her fussing is waking up her big sisters, so my blogging time is officially over.

Hopefully I can post some pictures soon!