Bragging about my Husband

I usually blog and brag about my kids but I thought today I would brag about my husband. It has really hit home how much I appreciate him because he has been gone almost two weeks on business in Minneapolis. I have definitely had some crazy moments while he has been gone and ones that I really wished he had been here for, but luckily we got through them. I can't wait until he gets back and will be so glad to have him here. He definitely helps me stay calm when I get stressed. He is very thoughtful even when he is over a thousand miles away. Last week he sent a beautiful plant with white flowers and yesterday he sent balloons with a rose and teddy bear. Luckily this should be his last trip this year. I don't know if my sanity could take him being gone again anytime soon.

David and Machella Started Their New School!

David and Machella started their new school on January 5th. They have really nice teachers. The transition to their new school has seemed to go very smoothly and they have made a lot of friends. They seem a little ahead of what they are learning right now in their classes so I guess their school in Bakersfield prepared them well.
In Bakersfield their elementary school was right across the street from where we lived and now their new school is right behind our house. We have debated whether to just hoist them over the wall in the mornings, but have decided against it. I forgot to take pictures of David and Machella on their first day of school (what a bad Mom I am), but I found this picture of Elyssa on our swing set in our back yard that shows their new school.

David is 11!

David turned 11 on January 5th. We had a party for him and it was nice to have family near to come and share this event with us. I can't believe David is already 11. What I really can't believe is that in one year he will be 12. That will be a big. It has been great these last 11 years and David is truly a blessing to have in our family. He is such a great example to all of us.

We Made It to Tucson!

We are here in Tucson and doing great! It was sort of an ordeal getting here though. The morning we were planning on leaving the Grapevine was closed due to snow the night before. We were originally planning on leaving early in the morning, but because of the Grapevine being closed we didn't leave until 1:00 pm. We ran into traffic and two accidents, so what normally would have taken us 9 1/2 hours took us 12 hours and we didn't get here until 1:00 am. I was dealing with being sick and didn't know how I would do driving the whole way (since we had to drive both our cars), but I managed by eating chocolate and Skittles the whole way to keep me awake. I am just glad it is over.
We are loving Tucson. The first week we got here the weather was really warm. The last couple of days it has gotten cold. It even snowed yesterday (but didn't stick). We are pretty much completely unpacked and our house is feeling like home.
We had a great Christmas and it was fun doing things this year with family.

Crystal Palace Night With the Kidz

One of the kids last requests before we moved was to take them out to eat and one of the shows at Buck Owen's Crystal Palace. Since we've moved here it has been one of our family favorites. They have the best chicken fried steak, ribs, and rib eye ... as well as Amy's favorite ... their old fashioned green beans.

These are a few pictures I took with the camera in my cell phone. In the background you can see the Buckaroos performing on stage. It was a fun night.

David - Arrow of Light

David was awarded his Arrow of Light Tuesday evening. He has worked so hard to earn this, as well as his 13 activity pins. We are so proud of him.

One of the coolest things about scouting is that the mother gets an award, too. Amy was given her mother's pin for the Arrow of Light and David was able to pin it on her at the Pack Meeting. I don't know who was more proud ... David or Amy.


David graduates into 11-year-old scouts in January. We can't wait to work with him on his Boy Scout badges.

The Twins R 2

Elyssa and Joshua turned 2 years old today. The last 2 years have been lots of fun ... but absolutley CRAZY!!! We still look at them and can't believe that there are two of them ... and that they're not babies anymore.

We had cupcakes and ice cream for their birthday ... chocolate frosting for Joshua and strawberry frosting for Elyssa. We turned off the lights once we lit the candles and Joshua wanted to light his again and turn the light off so he could try and blow it out again.

Joshua got a train and Elyssa a little piano keyboard. It is so much fun watching them open presents. Christmas is going to be a blast this year.

Their big present for their birthday was a kitchen. They both played with the one at Grandma Doll's house for hours on end ... so they were so excited when they tore the wrapping paper off of this one. They've been playing nonstop since they opened it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELYSSA AND JOSHUA!!!