Easter 2011

Easter 2011! Zoeys first Easter! We had a fabulous Easter with the family, but missed my dad and brother as they were halfway around the world for Easter.

Decorating Easter Eggs

Icing the carrot cake

Taylor's carrot cake

Check out the muscles on that girl!

First time in her high chair

Total rockstars!

Watching the dancing chick pretty closely

Egg hunt in the back yard

Zoey holding her first Easter egg

Not sure what to do with this egg

Just a cute pic

Zoey and her daddy

Zoey opening her first Easter basket

Two little flowers

Nana, Zoey, Taylor and Poppy

Grandma with Taylor and Zoey

Homemade Easter outfits

Taylor and Zoey needed matching Easter outfits - so my mom and I made some. They were super easy and fun to make. I kind of have a thing for having the girls wear matching outfits. I am trying to get my fill before they get too old and won't wear what I choose anymore.

Pinkalicious

Abigail and Taylor

Pinkalicious set

Kayden, Abigail and Taylor

Taylor at Pinkalicious

The cast signed autographs after the show

Taylor with Pinkalicious

Abigail and Taylor with all their autographs

Saturday night I took Taylor and her friend Abigail to go see Pinkalicious the Musical at the local theatre. The play was so cute and so fun for the kids. I loved it and the girls seemed to have enjoyed it to. They kept telling me after the play that their favorite part was when Pinkalicious snuck into the kitchen at night and ate more cupcakes and when Pinkalicious woke up in the morning she was pink. The girls just loved that she turned pink and then red.

Zoey is 6 months old!

Zoey turned 6 months on Friday. 6 months! She is trying her best to sit up and is doing really well. We are still working on feeding her solids and she is doing her best to resist. When she opens her mouth to cry, we shove the food in. She's pretty good about swallowing it and not spitting it out. So fun! We went to the doctor last week for her ear infection and she weighed 19.6 lbs. We go back in 2 weeks for her check up and to get her ears checked. She is still a super happy baby (except when eating solids) and still melts our hearts when she smiles.

Two sick girls

I took Taylor to the doctor this morning because the past two nights she has woken up in the middle of the night complaining that her ears hurt. She has also woken up the past two mornings with gooey goop in her eyes. She seems fine during the day and you would never know she was sick. Taylor ended up with a sinus infection and an ear infection. We got home and about an hour later I noticed that Zoey had a fever and was grabbing her ear. We got back in the car this afternoon and I took Zoey to the doctor to get checked out. She ended up having an ear infection. Both girls are on antibiotics and will hopefully sleep through the night.

Zoeys first solids

We went to Uncle Julios last Tuesday and Nathan gave Zoey a bite of guacamole. We thought she would love it and she just seemed so uninterested. Taylor's first bite of solid food was at Babes and we gave her some mashed potatoes. She loved them instantly and cried when we left the restaurant. I gave Zoey her first jar of baby food today - once again, she was uninterested. I only gave her a few bites of it today and she just spit it all out, so I stopped. I will try again tomorrow - hopefully it will go better.

40 days of fasting

This Saturday our church had a womens retreat. It was fabulous and here at our church which was really nice not having to travel to it (already off topic, sorry). The speaker was Melissa Tamplin (hope I spelled her name right). She was an amazing speaker. Her story included her being adopted, her adopted parents adopting a brother for her when she was 8, her father is an alcoholic, but a good man, her mother was an amazing women, her adopted brother and his friend were high on drugs and murdered her mother and are both now in jail (the friend actually killed himself in jail), and the story goes on. She spoke about her journey with ups and downs and how she tried to turn away from God, but He just kept being present in her life. Her story is truly remarkable and I would love to retell it, but that's not why I'm blogging at the moment. Melissa said that her counselor told her she needed to fast for 40 days. Her counselor explained that she just needed to fast in the sense of taking 1 hour a day to spend time reflecting on herself, etc. Melissa said that she didn't know what to do with her hour, so she journaled, listened to christian music, etc. and at the end of her 40 days, she had dealt with some of her issues and was a lot happier in life.

So, I was thinking tonight while I was in the shower (I do all my best thinking and planning in the shower) that I would fast for 40 days. I am going to do what Melissa did and do whatever I feel led to do in that time (not sure how long I will spend yet). I plan to start off my journaling and then hopefully do a daily devotional and who knows what I will end up doing. I have wanted to do a daily devotional/quiet time for years and have just never done one. I think I overwhelm myself with what to do and how long to spend doing it, etc. With this fasting, I know I only have to do it for 40 days and I can spend however long I want doing whatever I want. My goal is to just slow down and spend some time with myself and God. My excuse has always been that I don't have time to do a daily devotional/quiet time because I'm too busy with work, kids, and the list goes on. I want to stop giving excuses and actually do something I have wanted to do for years. There is no time like the present! Carpe Diem!

The Cutting Horse Show

We met Nathan's parents in Fort Worth to watch the cutting horse show. Nathan's dad and business partner had a horse showing, so it was really fun to watch. Taylor loved getting to watch the horses work the cows and Zoey just loved being held all day!

Nana, Zoey, Taylor and Poppy

Ashleys wedding

I took the girls to Houston last Wednesday after work for the beginning of the wedding festivities. Thursday we just hung out and made sure we had everything for Ashley's wedding. Ashley and I have been friends since we were 5 years old. She was one of the first people I met when we moved to Kingwood from Scotland. We have stayed friends all these years and she is the closest thing I have to a sister. Friday we had a spa day at the Houstonian - which was absolutely fabulous! I got my first ever manicure and first ever pedicure and I have to say that I totally loved both! Nathan flew in right before rehearsal and then we had the rehearsal dinner at Ousies (super yummy food!) Saturday morning we had a bridal luncheon down in River Oaks. I got there a little early so I drove around the neighborhoods and have deemed River Oaks the most gorgeous neighborhood in the world! We then headed to the Houston Country Club to get our hair and make up done. Taylor and one of Ashley's cousins were the flower girls (absolutely adorable) and one of the other bridesmaids sons was the ring bearer. The wedding was perfect and the reception was absolutely gorgeous! Taylor had fun dancing at the reception and so did we. It was the most beautiful reception I've ever been too.

Ashley at the Trellis Spa

Ashley getting a manicure

Erin and Jenny getting pedicures

Lunch at the spa on the terrace

Ashley and me outside the spa

Taylor trying on her flower girl dress

Grandma and Grandpa with Zoey at the wedding

The Houston Country Club ballroom (while they were setting up for the wedding reception)

Taylor and me at the reception

Nathan, Taylor and me at the reception

Taylor with Ashley and Brookes at the reception

The bridesmaids with Ashley and Mrs. Sheila (Ashleys mom)