Grateful for opportunites!!

Today at Paige's school they had an awesome assembly! They had a fantastic guest speaker!! Gold Medalist Figure Skater, Evan Lysacek came to speak with the kids. (If you watch Dancing With the Stars, you would have seen him there also.)Paige loved the assembly and what he had to say. Evan shared his success story and the commitment, dedication and discipline he needed to reach his dream of becoming an Olympic Champion. He stressed the "importance of having a dream and telling everyone about that dream so they can encourage and help you reach it."

What a neat opportunity for the kids at Dowell to hear personally from an Olympic athlete. Paige was so impressed with him and thought it was pretty cool he was wearing his actual, "real" gold medal!!

I'm so grateful the kids have opportunities like this and encouragement to reach for whatever their own dreams may be!

Could We Possibly Have Fall in Texas????

One hundred degrees PLUS has been our weather for the past few weeks. Three days ago was our first day out of the hundreds and it felt SO good!!!! Is it sad that when it is 94 degrees outside we think of that as a great weather day???? Yesterday I woke up to take the dog out and to my surprise it was actually a little chilly. (Now that is just me...chilly to me is not chilly to others!) Anyway, it was so awesome! It actually felt better outside than in the house. I met some ladies for lunch yesterday and as I was driving to our cute downtown area red leaves were actually falling on my car. I had to stop and think for a minute!!! Am I in Texas??? While it was only 2 leaves, for a brief moment it felt great to have a sense that fall is coming!! We actually sat outside for lunch...(it did start to warm up a bit, but it was pleasant.) This morning I rode bikes with the kids and it felt FABULOUS outside. Unfortunately I won't be saying that this afternoon when it is time to pick them up....BUT, the morning was so great, I opened my windows for some fresh air!!!! I love fall!!! While living in Texas you may or may not have fall....the past few mornings have sure been GREAT!!!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Every year when summer is over we are all very sad. No more staying up late, sleeping in, doing whatever we want, vacationing, and living in the pool. Once school starts the crazy life begins....homework, sports, activities, and well...just plain busyness!!!! This year is a little different than any other....I have kids in High School, Middle School, and Elementary School.
Jordan started the day off first....Her school is from 7:30 to 2:30 (a lot earlier than last year). I had to make her promise she would sleep until at least 5:45....she was so anxious and eager to get to school, she could hardly wait!!! (Mainly to see all her friends she had been missing) Jordan is in 10th grade this year. This is so crazy for me, because I remember my 10th grade year like it was yesterday. (I keep telling myself it really wasn't that long ago). This is a significant year for Jordan....yes, she will be turning 16 in a few short months...which means driving and dating. The two "D" words I have dreaded!!! We have already started driving...we won't mention how that is going...actually - she is getting better :) Most of all I am realizing in 3 short years she will be off to college. WOW!!! I am looking forward to this year and very excited for Jordan. She will have so much fun...I can't wait to see all she accomplishes this year. Have fun this year Jordan!!!! (But not too much fun!)
My little Paige is in 6th grade this year, which means middle school. She is turning into such a beautiful young lady!!! She was a little nervous for 6th grade, but I have no doubts that she will do absolutely GREAT!!!! She already LOVES her art class and is super excited for all the things she will get to do. I can't wait for Paige to meet new people and try new things.....she has such a great adventure ahead of her! My advice to you Paige is, have fun and don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. You will be amazed at what is out there!!
Chase is in 4th grade this year. Wait, wasn't he just entering Kindergarten??? Again, where does the time go???Chase talked me into keeping his hair long this year....it's driving me crazy, but I'm trying to give him a little independence. I have also been told...."its cool to have your hair a little long." Chase is a great kid and I'm excited to see him soar this year in school.
Cody is in 2nd grade....I still look at him as my baby! I'm pretty sure I will look at him that way forever!!!He has been such a fun kid. He is so funny and keeps us all laughing. He did so great last year in his reading, I can't wait to see him take off in other areas this year! Luckily Chase is still with him in elementary school, so he knows his big brother will be there if he needs him. The first day was great for everyone!!! The morning was a little crazy, but we got everyone where they needed to be. (barely) My day started at 6:00...got up to get kids ready....took Jordan to school just after 7:00. Got home just in time to send Chase off to meet his buddy on their bikes. Loaded Cody up in the car and headed to school, so I could walk him to class. Came home, curled Paige's hair and barely got her to school in time. When it was all said and done, it was 9:00. Wow, it took 3 hours to get all the kids off to school. The rest of the day was full of catch ups...so my great intentions of cleaning, organizing, and getting myself put back together from the summer - did not happen. Well, there is always tomorrow right??? The day went by so fast, before I knew it, it was time to make the rounds to pick everyone up!!! The day was a little crazy, but it was fun to hear the kids talk about their day! Well, we are off and running, whether we are ready or not....
This will be a great year!!

Fun Before School Starts

Well, if you got through my previous post...(the longest post EVER) - you know what we did this summer....BUT before school started we wanted to fit in a few last FUN things! Last year we went to Turner Falls in Oklahoma. We had such a great time, so when we got back from our vacation me and a few other moms planned a day to make the trek to Oklahoma! We were smart this year and went during the week....no crowds and plenty of room for the kids to play! We had such a great time!!!!I didn't count how many kids we had there, but we had a lot. The great thing is that no matter the age, they all played together and got along so great!!! The older ones watched out for the younger ones and everyone was included! What a great group of kids. Chase had a great time with his buddies finding minnows and skipping rocks.Paige and Jordan loved hanging with the girls!The best part of the day was at the end when ALL the kids were playing with the football. Boys against girls. From the oldest to the youngest, they were all playing....all the mommies were in awe at how great they were!! We will definitely be back next year!

We also decided to head to Hawaiian Falls before the summer ended! Rick and Jordan were at the lake with the youth from the church, so the younger kids and I met my Uncle and cousins for a fun day in the sun!I love that place....there is something for everyone! All the kids tried a new ride they had never been on! We had such a great time spending the day with family! It was a little crowded that day, but that didn't stop us from having fun! There was a DJ there that day. He was doing all kinds of contests with the kids...when I heard him say Hula Hoop Contest...I ran and grabbed Paige....she is a Hula Hoop Pro!!There were a ton of kids. Paige made it to the final round. He had them hula hooping in a circle, on one foot, on their knees....AND GUESS WHAT????? SHE WON!!! The best part was that she won a large snocone!!! YUM...we all benefited from that!!!

I would say we all had a great summer! It feels like it flew by. Looking back over all of our adventures, I feel so lucky that we were able to experience so many neat things with the kids this summer. Most of all, I feel the kids bonded and grew closer to one another. (how could they not, spending all that time in the car together :) At least my hope is that they made life lasting memories!!!