Months

Yes, its been MONTHS since I last updated this blog.  I'm just so busy. I attended a baby shower for one of my best friends that I have known since we were little girls last month, and she told me that she loved my blog and wished I updated it more.  I felt bad.  Blogging is one way family and friends who live far can check in on my family and see what we have been up to.  I'm sure I have said this before, but I mean it this time...I'm going to stop slacking and write more often.  I can't promise a new post everyday or even every other day, but at least once a week.  So, let me get started.   This is going to have a ton of pictures, and I will try to make it short and sweet! A lot has happened since last time I updated.  The girls finished their first semester of school (not sure if its called "semester" in elementary school, but it sounds good)  and they absolutely LOVE school this year.  Delilah joined the fine arts club, and has really enjoyed it.  She also played softball this fall, and their team did so awesome! Trinity was less thrilled about her game and snoozed on the equipment bag.

Delilah is no longer competing in gymnastics.  She has moved on to All Star Cheerleading.  Something I've been avoiding since she was 3.  She is "trying" it out and finishing out the competition season which means she has a lot of choreography to learn in a short amount of time before Nationals (which from what I hear is a big deal). 

Celeste is awesome like aways! We made a trip to the eye doctor not too long ago, and she was in need of glasses.  Astigmatism in both eyes and her vision in each eye is different.  Thanks to my husband who noticed she couldn't see well, Celeste looks cuter than ever with her new glasses.

Trinity is such a big girl.  She no longer looks like a baby.  She reminds everyone that she will be 4 soon.  I can't believe 4!  She had a little accident before Thanksgiving.  Delilah and Trinity were playing on the sofa and she fell off the arm of the sofa and landed right on her elbow.  After a trip to the doctor and a few x-rays it was confirmed that she broke her elbow.  She handled it well, and picked out a hot pink cast! 

Thanksgiving was great.  We spent the day with family and ate some great food.  The weather was warm so the kids played all day with cousins.

After Thanksgiving we packed our bags boarded a plane and headed to...

Breckenridge Colorado!  Oh my I can't even tell you how COLD it was there.  You have to remember where we live in Texas it stays in the 70s during the winter.  So, in the mountains where we stayed it was 2 degrees.  Major change! 

We had so much fun the week we were there.  Some of the things we did were a gondola ride up the mountain.

 A roller coaster ride on the mountain through trees

 We saw the play "A Christmas Story" at a little theater in town.

 We went tubing down a big hill

 We took a long drive, and visited the cutest little towns on the edge of mountains.

 Took ski classes and then tried it on our own

Went dog sledding

 Had a visitor at our balcony every morning

 and just enjoyed time to relax

Colorado was fun, but I sure was glad to be back in warm Texas!!  Christmas came way to fast. 

We enjoyed a nice quiet Christmas Eve at my Mom's.  The girls had fun opening gifts.

                                                 

                                                  

and we all had fun playing games!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and great start to the New Year! 

Catching Up

Saying it's been a while since I last wrote is kind of an understatement.  It has been way to long. There is no real important reason just the fact that we have been beyond busy.  We have literally been non stop for 2 months.  Barely time to breathe not much time to sit and write.  School and sports are finally coming to an end for this season.  I can't wait for summer to officially begin.  It certainly feels like summer here in south Texas.  It's been in the upper 90s for about a month now. 

After Al passed I helped my mom for about a month.  She sold her house without it ever being on the market.  A friend of a friend was looking in the area for a home her size and looked at it one day, and bought it the next.  A huge blessing.  I bet I know who was doing the negotiating up in heaven!  She didn't plan on selling right away, but just couldn't pass on the offer.  She moved to her "second home" which is a beautiful condo on the ocean.  She is adjusting and trying to fit all of her "stuff" into 3,000 sq ft of LESS space than she had before.  With the help of my hubby she now has some beautiful built-ins that will accommodate all the important things like shoes and handbags.  You can read about her journey here. 

Delilah just finished up her softball season, and did great. We had such a great season!  She also received an award from the local Water and Soil Conservation District for winning 1st place for their poster contest. 

She was so excited, and even more excited about her cash prize she received.  Lilah is still in gymnastics and is training to compete in level 4 this year!  She is almost finished with 2nd grade and almost 8! I just don't know where time goes. 

Celeste turned the big 5!  We had her party at the gym where they go to gymnastics.  All this kids had such a great time, and I loved it because I didn't have to keep the kids entertained!

Celeste is almost finished with her first year of t-ball.  She just loved playing and at this age, its so fun to watch the kids play! 

Celeste is also still in gymnastics and she will be competing in level 3 this season!  She is almost finished with pre-k and she is beyond excited about Kindergarten in the fall.  I know she will do great and have so much fun! 

Trinity also had a birthday.  She is now 3!  We were in Houston visiting family on her birthday, so my aunt made her a cake which she just loved!

She looks like such a big girl now!  I'm not sure what happened to her baby face.  Trinity is almost finished with ballet, and will have her recital next weekend.  She has informed me that she does NOT want to do ballet again!  I thought she liked it, but I guess not.  Her favorite thing to do is play with her baby dolls.  All 25 of them! 

While in Houston we went to the Astros/Padres game.  We have a friend who is a pitcher for the Padres and we got to watch him pitch.  The girls also loved it because of all the treats they get at a baseball game!

We also took the girls to the Children's Museum which was so much fun!

 Easter was also great.  We had a wonderful church service, and a delicious lunch at church.  My husband took this picture of me and the girls before church.  I think its now my new favorite!

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Our New (old) Home

Since the spring of 2009 I have had my eye on this beautiful home for sale on the main street of the town we live in.  I LOVE old homes, and have always wanted to buy one to restore or remodel.  It sits on 3 lots and has large oak trees in the front lining the street and a HUGE one in the backyard.  We had been in the market for a home for a while.  I called my mom, who happens to be our real estate agent, and set up an appointment to see the house.  We looked at MANY other houses during this time, and nothing seemed to be a fit for our family.  The moment we walked into this house we all looked at each other and  just knew this was it!  We didn't even see the rest of the house before we started talking about how this was our house we had been looking for.  The house needs MAJOR remodeling, but we knew what we could do with it IF we bought it at the right price. 

We made an offer, they didn't accept it.  I was crushed.  We made another offer...they turned it down also.  My mom called me told me to wait a few months and see what happens.  She said, "I bet you will get it super cheap if it goes into foreclosure."   I told her "yeah sure" sarcastically.    I prayed about the situation, and just said, "Lord if this house is meant to be ours I know you will make a way."    A few months passed and every time I drove by the house I was happy there was still a "for sale"  sign out front.  Eventually the house went into foreclosure, like my mom said, and we looked at it again.  We made another offer...they turned down it again!  By this time I have to say I gave up.  We started looking for land to build on. 

This past November we noticed that they lowered the price of the house again.  We offered again...didn't accept, but we kept counter offering until we finally got close.  The bank said they would respond to our final offer after Thanksgiving.  That Monday morning we got a call that they accepted our offer!  What?  I was shocked!  I will tell you why...we offered less than half of the original price.  We bought this house for $22 a square foot!  That is cheap!  The Lord has his hand on the situation the whole time.  We totally feel blessed and a bit shocked at the outcome of  the house. We are now starting to remodel the entire house, and it will take a couple of months to finish. 

The house was built in the 40s and is about 4,000 sq. ft. and 2 story.   Everything is original inside and out.  We plan to change the outside of the house. 

The entry.  All wood walls will get sheetrock.  To the right is a half bath and behind the door is a coat closet.

The view of the living room from the entryway. 

Living room again from the other side of the room.  You can see the entry to the right of the wall in front. 

Dining room.  The wall to the left will be opened up to the kitchen. 

We call this room the library.  It won't be used as a "library".  I just like the name.

The library has another fireplace.

Sun room opening up from the library looking out to the backyard.  This room will be our home office.

Stairs.  Celeste and Trinity will have their room and playroom upstairs.  I didn't take any pictures yet of the rooms up there, but the girl's room is very large, and has a "secret door" in the room that leads to another room.  That "secret room" will be their playroom.  There is one bathroom, a walk in closet, and my sewing room upstairs.

The kitchen.  Is soooo ugly.  We are going to extend the wall with the vintage vent hood out and make the kitchen bigger.  Everything will be ripped out. 

I will not bore you with pictures of all the other bedrooms and bathrooms.  I plan to update on the progress of this house.  Now you can see why we needed to buy it right.  It needs sooo much work, but will be beautiful when we are finished.