100 Days Of School

 Tomorrow is the 100th day of school. In honor of the 100 day celebration Ty and Daddy built a lego airplane with 100 pieces. Of course our lego lover would find a way to incorporate his favorite thing in to the 100 days of school. I'm so proud of my creative boys. 

Wordless Wednesday

What you can't see in the frame is Landry. Georgia Kate loves carrying this frame around and hugging the picture of her big brother, Landry. What a lucky girl to have two big brothers.

Basketball

Tyler had his 4th basketball game last night, Thanks for correction Ryan. :) It felt like his first since it was my first game to watch him play in. They had team pictures last night and Tyler also had some very special guests. Nana and Papa and Ghee and Poppy. Georgia Kate had a great time before the game running around but when it came time to watch the game, not so much. I wish I would have gotten more pictures, but I guess I will try again next week. Yes, I get to attend that one well.
Tyler did well and had so much fun, to me that is all that matters. All of that practicing that he has been doing on our goal at home is really paying off. Practice makes perfect.

Game Plan

It is always important to have a game plan in place. Ryan and his girl make a great team. 

Sunday

I have come to love Sunday afternoons, especially when the weather was like yesterday. I feel it is the one day that we are all home together and we really just focus on family fun activities. Well, yesterday morning started out a little different, I got a call at 5:45 am from our next door neighbor and good friend telling me she was in labor and if I could come watch their little boy Hiatt. Sure enough at 11:05 am we welcomed a sweet baby boy to our street, Bennett Marshall Miller. So fun to add kids to our street. I stayed with Big Brother, Hiatt until around 10:30 and Ryan took the kids to church. I love being able to help the Miller's out because they have done so much for our family over the years. We can't wait to meet our new neighbor this afternoon.
 I love our neighborhood and the close knit neighbors that we have across and next door to us. I adore that the boys that live across and our neighbors Grandson spent the day playing basketball at our house. Tyler adores having 'friends" over. The moms came over to visit for a little bit, and we all know that our kids are in good hands. So thankful for our street and all the memories that it is proving our kids with. Georgia Kate loves all the action and wants to be apart of it all. We did clean up Ty's red wagon and took Gk for her first wagon ride, she loved it and loved waving bye bye to everyone... I think she thought she was part of a parade. :)
Such a fun a special Sunday. A new week has begun and it is full, but thankfully no meetings or JL events this week. That means I get to attend Ty's first basketball game tomorrow!! Ty is so excited, his reaction was priceless. I can't wait to see our biggest in action, I think I am excited as he is.
    

Donuts For Dads

On Friday morning Ty's school hosted Donuts for Dads. Ty loves this day because Daddy finally gets to take him to school. Ryan is usually gone before Ty leaves for school in the Morning, so days when Daddy can drive Ty to school are so special.
Ty had a great Morning showing his daddy off and having a special breakfast in his classroom with him. Ryan asked Ty after he had been there for a little bit if he was ready for him to leave and go to work and Ty said, yes. :) I guess that is always a good sign that he loves school and he is ok when we leave... that was not always the case with Tyler.
 Georgia Kate and I did our typical Friday Morning routine... heading to the gym. I love my gym and I am so thankful for the excellent child care they have and I love that GK loves going. Sometimes I have to tear her away from the toys when I am done with my work out.
It is hard to believe February is a few days away. The school year is flying by. That also means we are getting closer to Kindergarten... sniff, sniff. 

Basketball

Oh my, these two are so precious together. Ryan and Georgia Kate have really created a special relationship with one another the past couple of months. I laugh when I think of Ryan's reaction and response when we found out we were having a girl, because GK has Ryan's heart.
Thursday night, we ventured to Westphalia for some basketball. I have not been taken them since I knew it would be kind of tricky with GK. I lost count of how many times I had to run on the court.... during a game to grab Georgia Kate, that girl is fast. I am sure we were entertaining everyone is the stands. Good thing she is cute. :) I finally had to take he to the playground so she would not be tempted to ruin too much of the games. Ty lived outside the whole time we were there, as well. We did not stay for all 4 games... I knew no one wanted to see me run on the court anymore so we left in the middle of the second game. It was a fun evening, but I think that will be our last game.
Hopefully, the season is almost over!! We are ready for Daddy to be home in the evenings, well I guess it may be a while before that happens because March 8 is the deadline to finish his Dissertation in order to graduate in May. It is crunch time but I know he can do it! We are so proud of all he has done so far and all the time away will be so worth it. As I have said, crazy and busy is just apart of a Season we are in. However, I think we are having the time of our lives. We love you Dr. Steele! Just some motivation, Ryan.

Lion King

Last Sunday, Ty had a very special outing with his Ghee in Austin to see a Broadway Show. Ty saw the Lion King and this was also his first Broadway Show. Tyler was so excited about this special one on one time with his, Ghee. My Mom said Ty was mesmerized by everything when he walked in, and you can tell by the pictures that he looked a little unsure of it all, but my Mom said... don't let the face fool he he is having a great time.
I saw the Lion King the last time it came to Austin, and I was actually pregnant with Tyler. I love everything about Broadway and the shoes so I am tickled that Ty had his first taste of a Broadway show. He loved the first half, especially the elephant. He was done after intermission so they left a little early. ;) Plays take some getting used to. My parents offered to keep Ty over night, since he did not have school last Monday. My parents try really hard to have some one on one time with Ty, because he really needs it and he loves it.... plus, he loves being able to spend the night at their house. So thankful for sweet memories that Ty gets to create with his Ghee and Poppy. Such a special and fun outing, and Ty and GK have shirts, Simba, and Nala to remind them of Ty's first Broadway Play.       

Project S.M.I.L.E.

On Tuesday night JLBC hosted our monthly Project S.M.I.L.E. event. The theme for this month was Popcorn and PJ's. We were so thankful to a local Movie Theater in town, Grand Avenue Theater for sponsoring our event and bringing some of their amazing employees, plus tubs of candy and bags galore of popcorn. A very yummy night, I must say. Build A Bear Workshops also donated Teddy Bears complete with shirts and bows for the kids to pick and choose between and decorate and keep a very special bear. What better way to eat popcorn than with a movie. We decided the movie UP was perfect for the theme of our year. It really was a great evening and we truly had a full house of patients and their precious families. I say it every time, but this truly is a wonderful project and I am thankful to be apart of it. I actually got a email from the Volunteer Coordinator that works with us, and she is amazing. She told me that this was the best event, so far and families and staff members are still talking about it. Well, that makes you feel good.
I have been reflecting a lot on my year the past couple of days and how it is almost over, and I am kind of sad in a way... that feeling may pass tomorrow, or in a minute... ;) Most importantly, I am thankful for this year and the memories I am creating. I am proud of what we have done and all the amazing Spring Projects still to come. Busy Spring, that's for sure.

15 Months

 I tried to take her goldfish away and she screamed LOUD, so she pretty much carried her snack cup with her everywhere at the park yesterday. I think our girl is turning in to a little drama queen. :)

 GK got her first little goose egg at the park yesterday. She cried for maybe a minute... she is a tough girl. You can kind of see it in the following 2 pictures. It looks so much better today. You have to watch her every move. ;)

Georgia Kate turned 15 months on Tuesday. My how time flies when you are having oh, so much fun. She truly is a absolute joy and we are so blessed that God blessed us with such a precious, daughter and sister. Every day is a adventure with GK because you never know what she will be up to or in to. She has so many names around our house: Georgia Kate, GK, Georgia, Beezus, Taz, Girl (Ty calls her this all the time), and Bee. We all adore everything about her, she is just plain CUTE and I think she knows it. :) Georgia Kate has brought so much hope and joy to our lives the past 15 months and we are so thankful for every single moment we have. I simply can't imagine not having her as apart of our family. We love you, Georgia Kate. You are amazing and a precious gift from God. I can't wait to watch you grow and grow.   

Popsicle

Today was a great day for watching Tyler play basketball and enjoy a nice cool Popsicle (sugar free, of course). I am not sure when Georgia Kate got to be so grown up.... 15 months! What?!?!

 

3 blog entries in one night. Trying my best to play catch up. I will get there, one day.

Blessings

We are having beautiful weather here so we have been taking advantage of it and playing outside a lot. Today we decided to go to Whistlestop and what did I see when I fist walked in? Georgia Kate's name added to the picket fence. Our sweet neighbors and friends did this in honor of their birthday's and I believe it is one of my favorite gifts. This is such a beautiful tribute to Landry and to me seeing all 3 of their names together brings so much joy to my heart. I love, love, this so much and I am so thankful for the kindness of others. I am so proud to be the mother of these 3 precious and amazing kids.

Friends

I know it has been week, but on Friday I Friday I felt like I was starting to sick, and sure enough Saturday I had a hard time getting out of bed and just felt awful. Ryan had a basketball Tournament in the morning so I laid in Tyler bed while the kids played together. Once Ryan came home he took over and I went to bed and slept. I ended up getting some sort of Tummy bug. I felt ok, Sunday but not great. Monday was a little better and yesterday and today were 10 times better. It is hard being Mom and getting sick. Thank goodness it happened over the weekend when I would have help.
With Tyler being out 3 days last week with a sinus infection and then me I really hope we are on the mend for a while... even. GK felt a little puny on Monday. I have never been more ready for Spring and Summer.
Monday was a School Holiday, so yesterday it felt great to get back in our weekly groove. I have been back to the gym... finally. Of course, I am behind on Laundry, Dishes, cleaning, and everything else but I am sure it will all get done and I feel caught up. Hmm.. not sure I ever feel completely caught up this year. There is always something to do.
But, I look at these precious kids and the absolute LOVE they have for one another and all else fades and does not seem important. Making memories and building a friendship is what is is all about.  

Sick of being Sick

Germs invaded our house again this week. It  all started Monday Morning when I got lots of extra snuggles from Georgia Kate. Moments like those you realize that what ever you have to do or need to do can wait. By Monday evening Tyler became the next victim, but his has seemed to last a little longer. Yesterday, Tyler finally started his throat was hurting. I gave him Motrin and he seemed like a new person, but today he was still off and early evening he got really sick, again. I finally decided to take him in case it was something a little more. Well, Sinus Infection is the outcome. I have had those and there are miserable. He was tested for the flu, but it came back negative...... Thank goodness. That scares me. I tried to get GK to wear a mask while we were there, but it did not last. ;) I will say I held her the whole time. I just don't like when my babies are sick. Ty will get on antibiotics tomorrow, we tried to fill it these evening but they were already closed. I am ready and he is ready to be back to normal. He has missed school and his basketball game last night. He was not a happy camper when I told him he could not play.
Some weeks don't turn out as planned and home is just where you need to be for a few days. I will say I am ready for this season to end. It feels like Ty has been out of school for a really long time. Last week was the first week back, and then missing half this week. I love that he cried when the Dr told him he needed to wait one more day to go back... Sweet boy just wants to play with his friends Sawyer, Jarod, and Jaydon. :) Hopefully, next week will be a fresh new start for us. 

Wordless Wednesday

Favorite Thing

Ty is the STAR of his class this month. One of the questions for the STAR board was: What is your favorite thing to do: Basketball.
I am sure it will change next month when he starts Soccer and T-ball, but I love when he starts something new he just dives right in and it becomes his favorite thing.
Ryan was able to get one picture on Tuesday at Ty's first game. Coaching and taking pictures... impressive. They play again on Tuesday, and of course I will miss that one as well. :(
Georgia Kate loves basketball, too. I am sure it is her favorite thing right now, as well. What ever big brother likes. Although I am surprised they getting any practicing done when Georgia Kate is sitting right in the middle of the court... she loves all the attention. There is no practice tomorrow, so I know Ty and Georgia are going to be so disappointed that we don't have to go to Westphalia tomorrow afternoon.
So fun trying new things. I just hope we can keep up with all these different sports this year... it is going to be one busy spring.

She Strikes, Again

 Yesterday afternoon during lunch I walked back in to the kitchen to get drinks for Tyler and Georgia Kate and with in minutes I hear Tyler laughing and shouting "oh no". I walk around the corner to see our sweet, GK sitting on top of the table. Let me reassure you that she was strapped in to a booster seat when I walked out of the room. That girl is fast. :) I am guessing her peanut butter sandwich was not working for her so she thought she would try Ty's and also get some pretzels, as well.
So, It looks like we have a climber on our hands. Oh, our little mess.
Thank goodness for the weekend. I totally jinxed myself with my last post. Thursday and Friday mornings we were lucky that Ty made it to school, and on time.... barely. I guess getting back in to a routine takes a little getting used to. We have not had too much going on this weekend, and for that I am thankful. Ryan had a basketball tournament yesterday, but it was only two games and he was able to come home in between. Ty went with him to the last game. The cold weather is back so we are bundling up, once again.
Well, we have a busy week once again. That is why I am grateful for weekend like this so we can relax before the craziness of it all starts over.    

Mid Week

We have made it to Wedneday and I think we are getting back in to our normal daily routine. I may jinx myself by saying this but our mornings have been running smooth and we are all ready earlier than we need to leave, so that is always a plus. Ty has been so excited about going every morning and he is having a great week. Georgia Kate has gone to the gym with me twice this week and even sat through a eye appointment with me, yesterday. I am still amazed at how good she was.
I had two evening commitments on Monday and Tuesday, and we are with out our home computer so I have to blog from my phone and I pad. Personally, I like blogging on our home computer, it is just easier for me. But, tonight there was no excuse not to blog, and Ryan always hates it when I go with posting something.
Tyler had basketball practice on Monday and his first game last night. Yes, last night. The night of JLBC's first board meeting of the year, a meeting I am in charge of. Horrible mother quilt. I still can't believe I had to miss Ty's ever first basketball game. Ryan is the Coach, so thankfully he was there and Ghee and Poppy were there so Ty was thrilled to have them. The worst part is all of his games are on Tuesday nights. I have to miss next week, as well. This is the hard part when it comes to JLBC this year. Ty had a blast last night, and I am so proud of him.
Well, that is a sneak in to our week. I hope the next couple of days are smooth.

So Hard To Say Good-bye

Farewell Christmas Break. We have thoroughly enjoyed you and in a way I hate to see you go. But, all good things must come to a end. Tomorrow we get back in to our School and Work week routine. We also get back in to our normal weekly "activity" schedule. Basketball Practice, Basketball Game, JLBC Board Meeting, and evening work commitments for Ryan. It is actually a busy week and the  next two mornings for me are full with conference calls and appointments
. Ready or not the craziness of our schedules is up and running starting to tomorrow. But as always I am excited to see what the rest of this winter and spring will hold for us. I already have lots of fun events planned and on the calendar that I am looking forward to this year. I also think it is going to be a very busy sports filled Spring for us as well. I love that Tyler is so excited and anxious to try anything. The best part right now is Ty is ready to go back to school and see his friends. Georgia Kate on the other hand is probably going to miss her brother tomorrow. GK still adores everything about Tyler/Bubba. I can usually find him in her crib in the morning when she wakes up.
Well, I better make sure everything is in order, because I have a feeling getting us out of the house before 7:45 am is going to be a challenge. We have had fairly lazy mornings the past 2 weeks, so this means I actually have to get out of my PJ's before 10 am. ;)     

Full House

                                                            Skater Faces and Regular Faces.

We have had a full house since Wednesday. Two of Tyler and Georgia Kate's cousins have been here and it has been non stop fun. Well, of course we have had the occasional yelling, whining, and tears.... but, I guess that is what happens when you are having fun. The 3 boys are full of energy and go non stop all day, and their day has been starting at 5:30 or 6:00 AM. I guess it is hard to sleep when there our others around and fun and playing to be had. Thank goodness, GK has not adopted there morning schedule, yet. The weather has been really cold but that does not stop the boys from being outside. Yesterday Morning, Ryan took them to the skate park (Ryan got Ty a skateboard for Christmas). The skate park has become Ty's favorite place and he wants to go all the time. I am still not on board with the whole skateboard thing. Makes me a little too nervous.
Yesterday afternoon we went to on of our indoor pools for some swimming and last night it was movies and Smore's. This morning we did Just Dance on the Wii and now Ryan has them at the movies. I decided to stay home so Georgia Kate can nap, and maybe enjoy a peaceful house... :)  Georgia Kate has really loved all the extra attention and want to be right in the middle of all the action. Last night she kept giving all 3 boys multiple good night kisses.
We have enjoyed our last week off and it is back to the grind on Monday. The boys head back home tomorrow, and then it is a Birthday Party and rest. We need to have some down time so we can recuperate from our full house and get ready for our back to school and work week.

Christmas Blessings

I guess you can tell what my favorite part of Christmas Morning was, or my favorite gift. I finally got a Mr. Coffee by Keurig, and it is red. :)  I am the only coffee drinker in our house and I always hated to make a pot for just me because it would always go to waste. I have been in coffee Heaven the past week! Christmas morning is always filled with so much excitement and both Tyler and Georgia were just loving everything about our morning. Ghee and Poppy came over for breakfast and gifts. I believe Santa got just what Ty and Georgia Kate were wanting, well at least Ty. Ty asked for the Lego City Police Station, and Santa had it all put together for him. GK got a pink Pottery Barn chair to match her Brothers red one. I loved seeing this chair put together for her next to the tree, because I had been dreaming of the matching chair for a while, of course Landry's would have been blue, but I loved being able to put another one together.
What a beautiful Christmas, and of course Landry got some special gifts/donations. It makes my heart happy that Landry is included in our Christmas. What a gift.
So thankful for Christmas and the true meaning behind the day. Christmas Day we headed to Ghee and Poppy's house with Amma to celebrate Christmas with part of my dad's family. There were presents, great food, and a lot of laughter.
Well, Christmas is a wrap and I can now move on to the new year! Whew....
 

Presents

On Christmas Eve we celebrated Christmas with all of Ryan's family. There were presents everywhere. I was anxious to see what Georgia Kate thought of all it, since she was only 2 months old last Christmas. Thankfully, she was one the mend from a small bacterial virus.... she was more herself that day than she had been in a while. It did take GK a while to realize that she could not open all the presents that were there, the girl loved ripping paper. Of course, by the end our drama queen (I really think she is becoming rather dramatic these days) had enough... no she was not sleeping. Throwing herself on the floor is her new thing when she is just throwing a fit or sometimes just for the attention. Nice effect I must say. I do love her, sassy and all.
After brunch and presents it was time to hit the road so we could get home for Santa. Such wonderful memories of Christmas this year.