Christening!!

Well we're usually on time for these types of things - so in true fashion we bought bottles of champagne to Christen our boat but just hadn't done it yet.....

 

So after our FABULOUSLY amazing ride yesterday, we decided to Christen her!! 

 

We took care of some housekeeping items like emptying the holding tank and getting diesel - then we motored around for awhile.  It was an AMAZING day!  It was VERY windy out so we chose to motor around.

 

 

 

It was GREAT to be back out there again, this has seriously been the longest we've gone without boating....seriously in about 17 years...we've not gone this long before so it made it even more rewarding to be there!

 

 

Little miss was extremely happy!!!!

 

 

There was a sail boat that ran aground and was seriously stuck in the sand - we tried to help pull them out, thankfully a motor boat came along and being they have more power to pull them out of the muck they were able to get free.  They had a heck of a day, the sail was ripped, the boat got stuck and who knows what else happened to them during their three hour tour, but I'm pretty sure they kissed the ground when they finally got on it. They had chartered the boat for the day and it was a disaster (well that's what they said anyway).

 

 

Michael did an amazing job as usual being the captain.  We weren't able to dock at Kemah, they were full and actually the boats that were there, were spaced just far enough apart that we couldn't get in.  So we just went back to our marina and hung out and Christened the boat.

 

 

Now, to keep it real......

 

the first take on the Christening is below.....

Take One

 

and the 2nd.......

Take 2

 

So after it was all said and done (getting the boat name correct and the non popping cork - have to say we had a MAJOR laugh attack with that!!) (I'm still literally laughing out loud reliving that moment)....we just sipped champagne and hung out before heading home!!!

 

 

Cheers!!!!

 

Rodeo days!

What fun we had!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course we found the petting zoo!

 

 

 

Mikayla did cry for the calfs during the calf events...she looked at me and said "Mommy make them stop"  (I am sure my dad was having flashbacks from when I was little, they bothered me too)

 

Then Danielle Bradberry (she lives here and won The Voice) sang the anthum, I was star struck just from seeing her!  She was on TV...and is (in my world) a  huge star!!!

 

 

Here we are!!

 

 

 

We were anxiously waiting for Blake Shelton to come out.

 

 

 

There he is!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Then Miranda came out and sang with him too!!  It was awesome!!!!

 

 

 

We had a GREAT time!!  Next year we need more time there during the day because there is so much to see and do but it was still a great day/great outing!

Little Flower Retreat

We have such a great group of kiddos/moms this year, it's alwas been good it just seems more relaxed this year for some reason, which makes it more fun for us too!

 

We had some great crafts to do along with some great lesson sessions too!!  The neat part is next year, we'll be able to stay at school and do little flowers right there too because they're opening the school for the first time ever!  I/we can't wait!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a quick little St. Patty's day fun....skittles seperated by color :)

 

Middle of the week surprise

Last night when Mikayla and I got home from work/school I was deciding about what to cook for dinner.....she was looking out the kitchen window and said oh I wish we could go for a walk.  I said, well lets go!!!!

 

So we headed out.  The picture below is Katie's street!!!  Isn't that cool!  So I texted her and said we're out walking and I see your street!!!

 

 

Well technically I said we're down in the bayou, what are you up to?  she said "cooking, boo!" then asked if I could see her neighborhood and what on earth was I doing because didn't I have to cook dinner too.

 

I said yes, I have to cook but I'm avoiding it so we're going to the park first.

 

Then she said, we'll come see y'all in about 5 minutes....so M and I hung around on our side of the bayou for a little bit.

 

OHHHH there they are...do you see them coming?

 

 

WOO HOO!!  Our first trip to the bayou as neighbors...  so we were shouting over the bayou to each other!

 

 

So we both came down the cement embankments on our respective sides...the kids were FIRED UP!!!!

 

 

 

well look.... there is sort of a walk way.......

 

 

The cement is FAR apart...I really don't think I could walk it and be dry once I got to the other side!!

 

 

 

AND they made it to our side (mostly dry), all four of us plus doggie Abbie made it to the park, they played HARD...even Abbie got to run around in the dog park for awhile.  She loved it!!!  Even as skittish as she is...I think she thoroughly enjoyed herself.

 

Katie and Tyler going back after our park fun.

 

 

 

And then my poor mother in  law sent me the picture below this morning.......She got over 12 inches of heavy/wet snow.... ACK!

 

Another really big one.....

It has been SO hectic and tense and worrisome at my house.

 

We have so many things coming up... and the biggest one right now is the next First Communion test at school.

 

I think we both (Mikayla and I) felt resigned that it wasn't going to go well because we haven't been able to either mentally or realistically dedicate enough study time....

 

So the nerves were HIGH!

 

One day we were driving home from work/school, talking about how to get everything done that we needed/wanted to get done and not necessarily knowing how to fit it in.

 

Mikayla was working herself up into a frenzy about this darn oral test that she needed to do.  Huge.alligator.tears.  actually almost more like rivers of tears her whole entire eye wide versus just alligator tears. 

 

She's.so.nervous.scared.depressed.worried.avoiding.dreading this test.

 

But while we were driving...she looked out and saw the rainbow......

 

 

So that led us into the conversation about God's promise.

 

 

 

So we were both feeling a LOT better about things, we knew it would be OK..... not like we forget but this "sign" really brought it to the forefront of our minds and conversation.  So we got  home feeling a lot better about things. 

 

I was able to carve out some time for her to really really study.  We got home from Little Flowers a little after 9:00 Friday night and I told her if she can give me her all Saturday morning - we're going to pass that test!  So we both held tight to the hope that we'd be able to work it out.

 

Granted it was the same day as the test - it's the best I could do because really - by 8:00 pm after school she's spent and can't realistically do more/memorize more...it's unfair to expect more.  I myself don't want to do more.

 

So Saturday morning - we hit the books at 7:30 am.....
by 9:00 she knew all the answers for the test and we wrote and memorized two prayers....

by 9:30 we were ready to go......
and by 10:30 she'd PASSED her test!!!!!!

 

WOW!!!  (I did tear up a few times during the test but I think I did really good especially compared to what a mess I was last time!)

 

Motherhood really is amazing.  The winning, the defeats, the tears, the praise, the memories....

 

and do you know what she said to me as we left school.  She said "Thanks Mommy, thanks for helping me study so I could pass"...... and SHE teared up because it meant a lot to her.  She repeatedly thanked me!  Sooooo nice to hear thank you!!!!

 

Phew.... it was a big one.  It is a good one... It is an amazing one....

 

Little flower time :)

PHEW - seriously such a hectic time right now and I'm not entirely sure but it just seems that there's been a lot of homework

lot of studying

lot of running around

lot of whining

I mean a lot of happy times

just a lot.... ya know what I mean?

 

So when we got to Little Flowers, we both just breathed a sigh of relief!

 

 

Mikayla has really enjoyed this year - I have too.... A LOT!

 

 

 

It's a really great group, the kids are great, it's a more relaxed format so it doesn't add to the already frantic frantic.... so it's all good!!!