Quick Trip :)

We went to stay with Granny Betty (Joshs grandma) at her time share on Canyon Lake in New Braunfels. On Monday we left the girls with Granny Betty and George and went to float the Guadalupe River. Apparently, it is much funner when the water is higher, so I was told. I was the only one who had not been tubing, unless you count the lazy river at Schlitterbaun. We had to paddle almost the whole way, but we still had a good time in the freezing cold water. The group of us that floated the river.

After we got back from the river the guys were a little tired...but Kenzie was ready to go. So Josh and I took Maddie and Kenzie to the pool.

This is Maddie at 11 oclock or so when she was talking in her sleep and she sat up for about 3 minutes before she finally laid back down. I was just laughing, because its cute to me. Josh felt sorry for her I guess, but its his fault because she got it from him, lol!

While we were there we checked out games and played putt putt for free, which was really cool. Then on our way home we went through Fredricksburg and did a little shopping. Josh bought me a really cool UT hat and Lacy bought Jaycee her first Christmas ornament at the Christmas store, which I LOVE! We also went into the handmade candle shop and watched her make some ghost candles, also very neat. I havnt been to Fredricksburg since we stopped there on our way to the state volleyball tournament my Freshman year. It has grown so much!! I could spend an entire weekend there looking through all the stores.

WOW!

The girls cruising in the back yard on Maddies gator. Watching the fireworks from the Pops Concert at the Rio Concho Manor parking lot with Granny Betty and George.
My festive 4th of July cake with homemade cream cheese icing!! yum!

With facebook as popular as it is now days, I feel like writing in a blog is sometimes repetitive, but I do still read everyone elses on a regular basis. So here is an update so I dont become a blog ghost!

Josh- got moved back to Central fire station when he got his promotion to driver so he has actually had some long nights at work here recently as opposed to working at the airport fire station where the runs were few and far between. We also went to Josh's 10 year reunion a few weeks ago and I met several more of his classmates and got to spend the day at Fort Chadbourne.

Marlayna- been spending the summer cleaning and somewhat packing stuff that I wont need in the next year. I will explain our moving status in a minute. I have also been babysitting my neice Jaycee when Josh is home to help. When Josh is at work, his mom watches Jaycee because frankly...she is pretty high maintance, lol. We went to the river with my best friend Mallory and had a nice relaxing couple of days just catching up and floating in the river. Today I had a staff development and the girls went with my friend Amy Richardson for the first time and they did really well. So it looks like she will be watching them on the days that Josh works this year. I planted some Target dollar bin tomatoe seeds several months ago as something fun to do with Maddie and now that has turned into 11 full grown tomatoe plants in my back yard. I am so excited!!!

Maddie- She is doing gymnastics this summer and absoultely loves it!! She is also finally swimming again with floaties (after YMCA swimming lessons, she lost all courage in the water). Lacy got an above ground pool and we have been over there quiet a bit and she is regaining her confidence more and more each time. She has also found a new foundness of Justin Beiber, and wants to hear Baby, Baby on repeat everywhere we go. This song among many others she can sing along with, which amazes me.

Kenzie- she is a ball of energy! She is also such a Happy Girl!! It is so hard to get on to her because she just smiles her supper cute smile and it takes everything I have to keep a straight and serious face! She has 4 teeth on top and bottom, but no canines, but 3 of her 4 molars have already broke through...In the past 6 months her weight hasnt changed and her hair hasnt grown much at all :/ She LOVES cows! We went to the ranch the other day and I have never laughed so hard...she kept whipping her head from side to side, pointing, and saying oooohhhh! and then shaking her hands with excitement!

As far as our moving plans go, you may think we are crazy, and until 2 weeks ago I would have agreed! We are going to buy a modular home (aka double wide) and put it in Bronte. We have been looking at houses in Bronte and although some have been acceptable, they have either been way over priced or just not big enough. So after Lacy and Dusty convinced us to go look in Abilene, I am now convinced that this is the way to go! They are built SOOOO much better than they used to be, and you can get so much more house for so much less! However, since Maddie wont start school for probobly 2 years, we are going to stay here for one more year while I am working in San Angelo and will buy a lot in Bronte and try to pay it off before next summer when it comes time to buy the house. This way I will not have to drive back and forth to work, and we can take our time packing and getting stuff fixed and updated before we sale this house.

There is so much more I could update on, but as usual this post is long enough...so until next time! Goodbye

The Answers!

Last week I posted the Q&A post, and here are the questions I was asked and the answers.

Chelsey asked: Where did you learn how to make such awesome cakes?!

My Aunt Robin (actually my mom's cousin, not really my Aunt...its a long story, but just know that I think of her as one of my Aunts and even lived with her for 6 months during my Freshman year). Well she made cakes for people in Wink and I was always facinated, so she told me how to make the icing and how to color it, and showed me the supplies I would need with a general explaination of how they work, and I have been making cakes since about 8th grade I think. So my basic knowledge came from my Aunt Robin and I have just taught myself the rest. And thank you for thinking they are Awesome!

Lindsey asked 2 questions :) 1)How did you and Josh meet?

Josh and I met in a Kinesiology class in college. Which I always say was meant to be for several reasons. 1st, he wasnt even a kinesilogy major, he just took the class as an elective because he knew people taking the class. 2nd, the first day the teacher told everyone to come to the front and assigned us seats so we didnt sit with people we knew, which in turn put him in my group. 3rd, there were 2 other people in our group...1 dropped out, and the other lived out of town and couldnt make it to our group project meetings, so that left Josh and I by ourselves. 4th, I found out his real name from my Uncle that was his coach in Bronte (everyone in college called him Kaleb because technically thats his first name, but all his friends and family called him by his middle name which is obviously Josh) So then we started talking about all the people we knew from Bronte and we were amazed how we had never met before. I always say that everything happens for a reason and I especially believed that after all the things that lined up for Josh and I meet each other.

2)If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I am torn between 3 places, but the 3 I would choose from would be Ireland, Germany, or Hawaii. Ireland because of its pure beauty and castles. Germany because Josh is very much German and I would like to go there to see if we could find anything out about his family heritage. Hawaii because I think it is absoultely beautiful as well, and I want to go to Pearl Harbor.

So there ya go! Thank you 2 for asking me questions!

Q&A's

I guess I am at a blogging slump lately and have just resorted to coping other bloggers ideas, lol. My friend Chelsea did this and I thought it turned out cute.So here it goes-
I feel like my blog has been boring lately, so I thought I would have a little Q & A session out there for all you fellow bloggers that would like to know me better! Feel free to ask any questions that you like and I'll do my best to answer them! Now, don't leave me hanging here! Ask whatever questions your little heart desires..serious, funny, embarrassing..I'll take them all! Can't wait to hear what you have to ask! :)

Like mother, like daughter?

After seeing Amy's post, I decided to post pictures to see how we compare...however, the youngest picture I have of Josh is when is was probobly 4 or 5. So this is the best I can do with him and Maddie for right now.

However, I do have a picture of me when I was 1 year old and a picture of Kenzie on her 1st birthday....a much better comparision, lol.

My Memaw made me this dress :)

Here is Maddie when she was 1. It's funny that my girls look very much alike, but that I see much more resemblance between Kenzie and I, than Maddie and I, when we were the same age. I will try to get a picture of Josh at the same age next time I am in Bronte.

Kenzie's 1 year post...

So she turned 1 on Feb. 17 which was 2 weeks ago and I am just now getting a chance to blog about it...sorry, the spring is pure craziness for any teacher. So here are her measurments

weight- 19 lbs 5 oz- 20%
height- 28.75"- 37%
head-17.5"


Her birthday party went really well. It was a tad bit windy, but we mananged. Her cake was the same style that I used for Maddie's 1st birthday. She had no interest in opening gifts, she just wanted to play with them. Maddie quickly took over the toys she found more appropriate for herself. (Such as a rolling backpack bag, from my always dependable bag lady, yes Shyanne, thats you! and her Jack in the box). It took several days for me to explain to Maddie that for now Kenzie doesnt mind sharing, but she needs to remember that those are KENZIES things, so that when Kenzie decides to take them back she doesnt get upset.

As far as her eating her first piece of cake...it went about the same way it did with Maddie...she touched the icing and tasted it and wasnt sure what to do, so it took her a long time to get going. Even though she didnt seem to be hungry, she squeeled when I tried to take her out of her high chair, so I guess she liked it, lol.

Kenzie waking up as a 1 year old.

"I just cant believe I'm 1!!"

Cake table

Sitting in her high chair waiting to get her first taste of cake.
After I finally took it away (30 minutes) This is what she had accomplished, lol.

Kenzie Layne is 1!

My darling baby girl turned 1 yesterday (bittersweet of course). Here birthday party is tomorrow and her 1 year checkup is next week as well. So I will update on that stuff on a later post.

• Kenzie has been walking like a champ for a month now...right after 11 months.
• She drinks about 4 6 oz. bottles a day and 3-4 jars of #3 foods. On top of that she thinks shes ready to eat everything that we do and wants a bite no matter what it is. If she doesn't get it, she throws a fit!
• She is a busy body- she loves to dance and climb on things.
• She gives kisses, waves bye-bye, gives high fives, and claps
• Lately the only thing she has been saying is "da da", but she says it for everything not necessarily referring to her Daddy. She occsionally says momma, but not very often.
• She is so facinated with Maddie, it is hilarious to me.
• She is also very demanding and will scream bloody murder if she doesnt get what she wants and can cry the biggest crocodile tears at the drop of a hat. (As sad as she looks, she will soon learn that it wont change my mind, lol)
• She has a very lively personality and will keep things interesting in our house for many years to come!

Happy Birthday Kenzie Layne, we love you so very much!