Tales & Tidbits of the Tellez Family

Elia's Act of Kindness

2011-12-25T19:38:00.010-06:00

This year, Elia invited her friends to donate coloring books and crayons to the Dallas Children's Medical Center. We delivered dozens and dozens of them!

Then we celebrated with a trip to Neiman Marcus' Window Display!

There is nothing like the original Neiman's at Christmas.

Texas Sunsets

2011-11-10T22:39:00.002-06:00

I will let these speak for themselves...

And some people think there is no God.

Dream Come True

2011-11-10T21:39:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago, Isaac, Elia, and I went fossil hunting near Justin, Texas, with the Dallas Paleontological Society. This is something to mark off my list of things to do before I die!

It was the most awesome experience. You got to keep what you found...and we found tons!

These are Hemiaster texana, more affectionately known as "Sea Biscuits"!

They are like fat sand dollars. The instructor said a group of boyscouts first discovered them in the area, and called them "love stones" because they resemble a heart.

These Oxytropidoceras sp. ammonites are each larger than my steering wheel in my car! They are huge! I've seen some in museums this nice!

Ridiculously cool.

By far, my favorite. Did I mention the Cretaceous Period was 144-65 million years from the present? Yeah, let that settle in your mind. It blew mine away!

High concentrations of iron causes this awesome coloration.

Special thanks to the Dallas Paleontological Society, and especially to Mr. Roger Farish, for putting up with us "city slickers" and for allowing me to fulfill a dream I've had for years and years!

Making Memories!

2011-11-01T19:45:00.009-05:00

Meet Ariel!

Her Hero

His Heart.

Love the blue eye shadow!

My friend, Carli!

Evaluating our goods.

We then raced to Elia's school carnival

She takes this very seriously!

Why not take a ride on a tractor?

What's wrong with a snow cone at 8:00 at night?

Although exhausted, we all had a great time together.

Happy Fall Ya'll!

2011-10-30T20:22:00.010-05:00

I'm passing on the tradition of caramel apples this year. Our toppings included crushed pretzels, heath bits, mints chips, almonds, mixed nuts, and sprinkles. Needless to say, they were a hit. The Pioneer Woman gave a hint on her site shown here...add salt to the caramel....YUM-O!

No slow pokes here! You have to work quickly!
Toppings are ready, and so is my little helper!

Serious business, no slackers allowed.

Waiting is the hardest part!

Oh yeah. So worth waiting for! Happy Fall!

It's that time of year again!

2011-08-22T19:41:00.008-05:00

Elia didn't sleep a wink last night, and guess who else is sleep-deprived today??!! She was so excited to wear her uniform and her new Chuck's that she picked out herself!

She walked right into her new class without a tear, a wimper, or a frown. She kissed us goodbye, hung up her backpack, and found her seat.
We stood in the doorway, finding it hard to leave her!

Blowing a kiss to daddy!

I also made goody bags for my co-workers' children to wish them well on this first day back to school. Simple stuffers included pens, snack bags, capri suns, smarties, and of course a Number 2 to top things off!

Of course Miss Elia had one, too!

Brown lunch bags are inexpensive and easy to decorate!

Hope your first day back to school was a success!

Tracking the tracks!

2011-07-10T13:34:00.001-05:00

Celebrating Resurrection Day!

2011-04-25T00:05:00.001-05:00

My Forever Friend

2011-04-17T15:34:00.007-05:00

I'm so fortunate to have a forever friend. Do you have such a friendship? One that defies time or distance? On that sustains itself, despite the business of life? Jennifer and I were the best of friends for only one year. Then I moved to Texas in 1987. We went to college, married, & had families. But through it all, we maintained a closeness that is only understood by those who also have a forever friend.

Jennifer visited for the weekend & we had such a good time having her in our home. Elia ADORES Jen. She even has a stuffed turtle (gifted by Jen!) named in her honor.

We were exhausted the entire time it seemed, but here are a few pictures we managed to take!

I can't stress enough how tired we were when these were taken!!!

Isaac took sooo many pictures, it started to feel like a photo shoot. So I went with it!! Elia was running around laughing hysterically! Yeah. I know. We're hot. I think I was probably saying something like, "Are we really this juvenile?" This picture seriously cracks me up!

Bluebonnets!

2011-04-04T23:19:00.006-05:00

This time last year, I didn't even ATTEMPT to get my 2 year old in the field of Bluebonnets for an annual snapshot! She would have no part of this Texas Tradition.

This year, my now 3 year old understands the art of bribary and engaged in the forced fun with ease. The ole "If you, then mommy will" etc, etc was put into place. What talked her into the attending the photo shoot? A Slurpee from 7-11! 30 mile an hour wind gusts did not help our hair, but it was pretending we could fly!

Such innocence.

This is the "I AM looking at you" smile.

I shot a few of her dancing in the field. This is when I knew we were done!

Welcome, Mr. Yappy!

2011-03-28T21:30:00.011-05:00

Most of you know that last Thanksgiving, our sweet Big Dog passed away after 12 great years of life. After giving our family some time to heal, we all decided our home was too quiet and needed a puppy! We definitely decided on a rescue, and boy did we get one!

Mr. Yappy (this is what you get when you allow a 3 year old to name your dog!) was lost and wandering around in the ice storms we had in February.

Thanks to Elizabeth (who just happens to own a great little shop in Southlake Town Square (plug!) that you should definitely visit by clicking HERE!), Yappy was taken in and kept safe until we could get him! Elizabeth is a true angel, and Mr. Yappy is forever grateful!

Needless to say, he looked and smelled aweful! Being on the street is not for the weak, or the clean! Our wonderful friend, and pet groomer, Kelly, saved the day. After a long day, she graciously let us race over to her shop and she worked on Mr. Yappy for hours. Thank God for good friends! Need a pet groomer you say? See Happy Tails information by clicking HERE (plug!)

So here are the BEFORE photos:

Can you believe it? What a mess! And here are the very shaved AFTER photos:

Kelly worked wonders getting that mess off of this tiny little fellow! Now it's been a few weeks, and his hair is beginning to grow out a bit.

Here's what the show dog version of Mr. Yappy might look like: But, I'm thinking we'll settle for a "do" like this: Mr. Yappy is sometimes called Mr. Grumpy Ole Man because he's still a bit timid, and wants to make you think he's a big, bad, beast! He's still getting used to the idea of trusting everyone, but he's coming around. He's learning "tricks" thanks to Elia and Daddy, and I think in time he'll learn to relax and know that we love him very much. Welcome Home, Mr. Yappy!

An outlet for all of that energy!

2011-03-06T22:14:00.004-06:00

Elia's "My first trampoline" is her new favorite thing in life. It's just like a large trampoline, only this is just for one (small) person. Jumping on her trampoline shakes the sillies out after a long day at school. She loves to be out there while Isaac is grilling dinner.

That smile is what it is ALL about.

(Yes, I know, staining our fence is on our list of things to do this Spring.)

( Don't worry, the winter clovers in the background got mowed. We're getting our Spring cleaning started slowly but surely!)

Yeeeee Haw!

2011-02-15T20:48:00.003-06:00

Elia recently had Western Week at school. She wore cowboy boots and a hat each day, although the bandana never made it past the front door. She was NOT excited about the forced-fun square dancing show they put on at the end of Western Week. I have the evidence in the photo's below...

Is this not the saddest Seniorita you've ever seen?

At this point, only sitting with her class because I am RIGHT behind her on the floor (and not sitting with the rest of the parents in chairs!!)
BEGGING me to rescue her from the forced-fun event. This is her crying out "mommyyyyyy". Breaks my heart!

Oh, being 3 is SO HARD! Notice she refuses to get in line, and just wants this miserable day to be over! No worries though, she had a great time with her friends as soon as they returned to their class. I'm with Elia, I'm not a fan of forced-fun either. Poor kid.

Cabin Fever!

2011-02-01T23:50:00.004-06:00

Overnight we received a blanket of ice covered in beautiful snow. It was terrible to try to drive on (speaking from experience), but made for another great day together as a family. What to do when cooped up all day? Cook, of course! I was going to make cupcakes, but didn't have my cake mix, so we made cookies from scratch! I've never made the Nestle Toll House recipe from the back of the morsels bag until today, and they were a hit!

Elia paced back and forth with her hands folded behind her back in anticipation of the timer going off.

Still waiting...

First batch done!

Elia asked to put cookies in the muffin pan, and may I just say they were delish!
With a wind chill below zero, we bundled her up for a VERY quick snow angel.

Our daughter is in there somewhere, I promise.

Ready to collect the snow for a little snow ice cream! (She wanted to put it directly in the Radio Flyer, but mommy insisted on the zip lock bag)

Paula Deen's recipe is the best I've ever had!

She approves!

Happy Birthday, Nana!

2011-01-17T18:07:00.004-06:00

Nana and Poppy came over to celebrate Nana's birthday with homemade pizza and "Better than you know what" cake! Nana received a Night of the Museum DVD from Elia (did she get that for hersel, or for Nana??!!) and The Pioneer Lady's cookbook. Happy Birthday, Nana!

Nana opening gifts
Laughing at mommy doing "tricks" to get her to look at the camera.
It's a party everyday in Elia's world!
Gifts!
Let's eat!
Although not her party, Elia is always willing to help blow out the candles.

First snow of 2011

2011-01-09T18:09:00.003-06:00

Huge snow flakes fell on this second weekend in January and we just had to pull out the sled and the (too small) snow suit! Elia just wanted to go down the driveway in her sled, and make a snow man with her daddy. Now, a fire and hot chocolate! Love that this happened on a weekend.

This was the successful slide. Most of the time she landed in the snow face first!

This is her snow man. See his tiny head? That was her contribution!
This is very serious work for daddy.

She was thrilled to finally be outside!

Just got hit by daddy's snow ball!

Happy snow day!

The Boys

2011-01-01T22:16:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve

Dinner on Christmas Eve-Eve!

Bluff Dweller's Cave

Christmas in Bella Vista

2011-01-01T21:11:00.010-06:00

To avoid the brain-numbing display of our children opening endless gifts, I'm going to try to capture the fun they all had during our time in Arkansas instead. Julian and Elia spent time with their cousins, Sarah and Ethan, on Christmas Eve during our family Christmas. This is what happens when too little girls sneak into the kitchen...a plate o'chips!
Why not have a party near the front door?
One word: Cupong.

I still crack up when I look at our "goofy" family picture! Classic.
Looking at this does not get old for me!!!
The girls!
Rapunzel, let down your hair!
These profile shots tug at my heart every time.

Are you getting an idea of this girl's personality now? That's her response when I said to say, "cheese"!!
This was the only photo that I was able to get with Elia sitting still!

On Christmas morning, just as the children were about to open their gifts, it began to snow! Elia ran to the window and said, "I wished it would snow, and I just knew it would"!

There are 95 more pictures just like the one above, but I will spare you! Let's just say it was chaotic, fun, and over way too fast!

It was a light dusting, but they were thrilled!
While Julian and his dad rocked out on the Wii's DJ Jam Party Thingy-magig, Elia just HAD to "play" in the snow...

Food at Christmas Time!

2011-01-01T20:48:00.006-06:00

Food is a major part of the holidays for most everyone, and our home is no exception! Here is just a sneak at all the baking and making that went on at the Tellez home!

This was Elia and her cousin, Alexa, making chocolate mint and almond candy.
When Isaac's mom was down for his graduation, she made our our "favorites"! This was the night of chile rellenos!

Christmas Bags

2011-01-01T20:26:00.005-06:00

Well, I have a little time on my hands (finally) so I'm catching up with all of our events over the past few weeks. One of the things Elia and I most enjoyed (but that I may NEVER do again as they were so time consuming!!!) were her bags for teachers and classmates.

I decided to go "green" this year & use good ole recycled brown paper bags (simply because I had an abundance and they were super cheap!)

Despite my obsessive tendencies, I wanted Elia to be creative and decorate each bag herself. Ok, I may have helped just a bit, but for the most part she was the artist! Then we filled them Christmas goodies!
We used card stock, a square dye cut punch, ribbon, stickers, and ornaments to embellish our finished product!
As if the 3 year olds wouldn't be satisfied with simply a bag full of candy and trinkets, I decided to make each child an ornament with their name and the school's name, along with the year, and Elia's name. I'm sure it will be passed down for generations (it better be after all that hard work, ha!!)
What I do hope & pray is that even if the children don't remember every "project" we do, they can look back on our pictures and know that I wanted to cherish each and every moment with them. I try to make even the smallest task a major "event" in our home so that we can create precious memories that the kids will take with them throughout their lives.

Spelunking

2010-12-30T21:56:00.006-06:00

Ok, not exactly, but it's a dream I've always had. Beth, the cave explorer! Just before Christmas, we took Julian to Bluff Dweller's cave in Missouri (the state of caves, fyi) just north of my parent's home in NW Arkansas. This is what we uncovered (ok, ok. Let a girl dream!):

These are views looking back from where we walked in, and a bit up so you can see just how big this place is!

This is a spring that I zoomed in on, and it goes back further than I would ever want to go!
Isn't God cool?

Celebrating Family

2010-12-14T00:02:00.004-06:00

It was Isaac's weekend to celebrate all of his accomplishments, but it was also time to celebrate family. We live far from Isaac's family, so we squeeze in a lot of special moments in our short time together.

After the graduation festivities, we headed to the Galleria on Saturday for a bit of ice skating and window shopping (because that's all the shopping this gal can do at the Galleria! No one was paying attention when Elia and I busted on the ice (hence no picture, ha!) but I did walk around the 4 story mall with my jeans soaking wet for the rest of the afternoon! We had a great time.

Elia is not sure about this.
You can imagine mom's back was SORE after this day!

This was Claudia's first try on the ice, and she did great!

A Day to Celebrate

2010-12-13T22:49:00.005-06:00

This past weekend, Isaac received his Associates Degree in Law Enforcement. His mom, sister, and neice came to celebrate with us! After walking the stage, our family met with beloved friends who have supported Isaac through this journey.

Isaac's neice, Alexa, and his sister, Claudia

Wendi and Richard

Coby and Kelly

Marla and Ross

My mom and dad

It doesn't stop here, and there are more hurdles to jump, but I could not be more proud of him. He's worked full-time, been a dad full-time, and a loving spouse full-time...all while juggling his course work. Congratulations, Isaac...I love you!

Let the festivities begin!

2010-12-06T20:29:00.009-06:00

This past weekend I went to an annual cookie swap. It's really a nice start to the month-long Christmas festivities! I was pooped this year, so opted for peppermint bark as my contribution.

But then at the last minute I discovered this incredible mint and toasted almond (crack) candy. WOW! I decided to make it as a hostess gift, but really I just wanted to keep eating it at her house! See, a gift that keeps on giving (to my belly!).

We had a really nice time, and brought home a few brilliant sweets to put under our pillow (I'm not sure what that means, but it was in Steel Magnolia's so I figure it's relevant).

Someone's little hand moved in for a steal just as I was taking this shot! Classic.

I conquered the roll!

2010-11-25T23:02:00.004-06:00

Well, I may never make one again, but this Thanksgiving I threw on the ole apron (not really) and made my first pumpkin roll! From scratch! No joke.

It's so yummy, I may have to through it out tomorrow to keep me from eating the entire thing.

No really, I've almost eaten the entire thing myself. I also made an apple dump cake! Couple that with a little Blue Bell, and suddenly you have heaven on earth. We sure had a nice Thanksgiving at my parent's house today.

I hope you had a wonderful day as well. Happy Thanksgiving!

Look at that swirl. Just like a pro.

Elia discovered her new love for powdered sugar!

Nana told her it was snow. And she believed her!

There's the apple dump cake on the right. Nana's pecan pie is there, too.
Can't say it's there now, though!
You can imagine Elia was zipping around the house after her time at the dessert table!

So Very Thankful For Days Like This

2010-11-23T21:30:00.008-06:00

This was by far one of the BEST spontaneous trips we've taken yet. Elia purchased Christmas coloring books and donated them to the Children's Medical Center.

She totally understands that some children will be in the hospital for the holidays and said this was going to "cheer them up". I sure hope so.

(Please don't submit the Sainthood application yet...my 3 year old wanted to make sure that we didn't donate her glitter that she'd just purchased along with the coloring books! I mean a girl has to draw the line somewhere!)

The hospital has an impressive two story train exhibit that you can tour for free!

This hospital is most impressive in both presentation and the care they provide.

There's even a waterfall!

Back in the car for more adventures in Dallas. We stumbled upon the BEST Mexican restaurant on Main Street and stopped for lunch.

This is 1/2 of my $8 lunch STEAL (Scarfed down half the grilled veggie wrap and tortilla soup before I remembered to take a picture!)!

Next stop, the original Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas for a look at their annual Christmas window display. It's a 'cosmic' Christmas at Neiman's this year! I'm not sure what this look is on Elia's face, but it looks oddly familiar (um, like a look I can give!!)!!

Is this not the picture of child-like innocence at Christmas?

Even I can get a bit overwhelmed at all there is to see here!

This year's Neiman Marcus Tree? A Rocket Ship, of course.

Oh yes we sure did buy one of the best cookies on the planet! The was seconds before I grabbed the sucker out of her hand in time for her to CRASH for the ride home. She was worn out.

What perfect day isn't complete without a trip to a new park in town?
What a fantastic, spontaneous, memorable day.
I'm truly thankful.

Elia's Thanksgiving Center Piece

2010-11-21T13:37:00.004-06:00

Well, the Christmas decor is forced upon us so early again this year in every store you enter. But Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favorite holidays. So we are waiting (although my restraint is difficult!) to put up our Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving.

Elia helped create our Thanksgiving center piece this year. She chose a few fall leaves (yes, 80% off at Hobby Lobby, thank you very much) and then put her glitter-painted oak leaves she (stole) found in Nana and Poppy's yard in Bella Vista. They are huge, and her glitter actually makes them even more festive!

The artist hard at work (obviously after a bath, and yes, we wear boy pj's. So what?!)

The finished piece of art. This leaf is as big as Elia's face!! They are huge!

This is an antique German dough bowl my mom and I found at a 6 county-wide antique/flea market sale one year!

We've always collected the twine and wooden decorative balls, so we just embellished what we already had. Does that mean we're "going green"???

The large oak leaves are the real ones that Elia painted. She had so much fun!

In Loving Memory of the Best Dog in the World

2010-11-16T22:55:00.003-06:00

Sweet Big

She was a member of our family!

Most of the time she just wanted to be left alone so she could sleep!

12 years of unconditional love. I love you, miss you, and want to hug you just one last time. You were by my side during the good, the bad, and the ugly. You were a constant in my life.

You were pure love.

You talked to us in the scruffy voice that I can almost hear now. You sprawled out on my clean carpet and rolled around to scratch your back. You slept with one paw straight up in the air! You tolerated change, but let me know you were displeased with your grunts and your moans. Oh to hear those just once more. You loved cheese, and snapping your teeth at the water from the water hose. You didn't like to get your feet wet...or dirty.

You just wanted to be near us, and be loved. And love in return.

You were wonderful and I love you so much.

Carving the Pumpkin

2010-10-28T21:24:00.006-05:00

Elia got to select the face for our pumkin. After convincing her that daddy was NOT going to carve the spider web (it would have taken HOURS), she chose a happy face.

It was hard at first to be patient while daddy began carving...

but literally 1 second later, she's laughing! Oh the life of a toddler.

This is very serious business.

Elia thought she needed to add scotch tape, for special effects!

We turned his frown, upside down and now he's a happy pumpkin!
And here's the collection of pumpkins in our home!

Happy Fall!

Trip to NW Arkansas!

2010-10-26T20:15:00.011-05:00

Girl's Weekend in Bella Vista

We didn't hit nearly the amount of shows we wanted to (next year, no 3 year olds allowed during Girls Weekend!), but had fun walking around Spanker Farms!

(Ironically, I almost had to "spank her" several times while at the Farm!!!) JK, LOL!

"E" for Elia, get it?

All of life is a stage for Elia. Is she jousting with that stick?

A bat, really? I'm not sure where that idea even came from!

Ethan sacked the quarterback! This was there first win of the season!

It seems every picture of these three always turn out just like this!!!

Elia was cheerleading in between her conversations with Sarah!

Sarah's always ready for her photo op! Elia...well she's pretty burned out at this point!

Ethan was all business after the game.

That's his "game face" he had on while listening to the coach!

Ye Ole Fall Festival

2010-10-18T20:48:00.013-05:00

We took Elia to the much anticipated Fall Festival that benefits Cumberland's Presbyterian Children's Home. She'd received a flyer in her backpack from school a few weeks ago and said we HAD to go. Although it was SO HOT we managed to have a swell time.

Elia appears to be holding on for dear life but was destined to get a picture with that

Scare Crow!

Old McElia had a farm, EIEIO!

First Pony Ride Ever!

You must have a tractor-pulled-hay-ride to take you to just the right pumpkin!

Elia found her perfect pumpkin all on her own.

Face painting is a must. This time, she wanted to be a cat!

Look at my cupcake-covered face along with my fake smile

so mom will leave me alone already!

I decorated a beautiful pumpkin to take home

And I LOVED the obstacle course!
We took one good nap after this long day but it was well worth it!

Fall is the greatest season of all!

2010-10-05T22:05:00.009-05:00

Nana and I took Elia to the local nursery this past Saturday for a little Fall celebration. Elia painted a pumpkin (it has a face only a mother could love as you will see below), planted Chi Chi Chi Chia Grass in a one-of-a-kind planter, and of course what day would be complete without a bouncy house! She was not really "feeling" the posed picture on this day, but I managed to get a few shots worthy of the blog!

This is the best I shot I could get of my 3 year old in the pumpkins! She was more interested in that cup o' popcorn she's showing off in the photo!

This is the beloved planter that we worked very hard on together! (Who's old hands are those?!)

We worked very hard on this little guy. Of course Elia ran off to the bouncy house just as we wanted a group photo to show off our little man.

By the way, Elia does have a mommy, and now we have the picture to prove it. She's just normally on the other side of the lense.

These are the forced fun shots I tried to get Elia to sit through toward the end of our adventure. She so didn't want to do this, but as all good mothers do, I made her take the pictures!

This is classic Elia. I said, "Honey, look at mommy" and she repied, "I AM!" as she looked as far away as she possibly could! This girl just won't do! Oh how I love her so.

Hot Air Balloon Festival

2010-10-05T21:56:00.004-05:00

This is becoming a tradition, only we tend to be festival "hoppers"! This year we went to the one in Plano. Elia is fascinated with hot air balloons, but who isn't!!?? Of course we ate like fools what with the kettle corn, pizza, and cotton candy. But we walked it off on the way to and from the car!

The crowd would count down and all of a sudden the night lit up with a rainbow of colors!

Elia was in awe each time, as if she were seeing the balloons light up for the very first time.
There is no greater joy in my life than time with my family.

Poppy and the Park!

2010-10-02T23:46:00.002-05:00

Elia loves Poppy, and Elia loves the Park! On this day, we played on the slide, the swings, and fed the ducks! Ok, ok. Elia chased the ducks, scared the ducks, and caused the ducks to swim clear across the other side of the pond! Oh well, we just moved on to throwing rocks at the minnows. I love my little tom boy.

The Transition to Full-Day Preschool

2010-09-05T22:40:00.006-05:00

And what a transition it has been. After being with Nanna during the day for the past 3 years, this change has been challenging to say the least! But we keep praying that Elia will continue to feel safe and secure with her new friends and teachers! It's a little tough when mommy drops her off, but the report from her teachers is that she's having fun and is very active with her new friends. She sure is ready for 5:00 to come around...and I have to admit, I am, too!!!

First day of school...one of FIVE different uniforms she wears during the week! But I'm not bitter...

I told her if she would eat her breakfast, there would be a "first day of school suprise" waiting for her in the car. She loves the movie, Ice Age right now. These are the characters on each Pez dispenser. She loves Pez. In fact she says our last name is Pez. Tellez, Pez...pretty close actually!

Elia warming up to her new friends and her new classroom. She drew me a picture to take to work. It's the sun with a few stars in the sky. I shall cherish it always...

Girl's Day Out at Frank Buck Zoo

2010-09-04T21:39:00.004-05:00

While Daddy was visiting Julian this weekend, Elia and I decided to head north to the Frank Buck Zoo. What a great little hidden treasure in North Texas! This zoo is small, very well maitained, and absolutely beautiful. Elia actually fed a giraffe by hand! She also fed the baby goats! Afterwards we had a picnic in the park and played on the playground. Perfect weather, perfect day.

2010-09-04T21:39:00.001-05:00

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Happy Birthday, Julian!

2010-08-06T23:40:00.004-05:00

Julian turned 11 this summer! We celebrated with a birthday breakfast in Arkansas, and then opened gifts when we returned home from the long 4th of July weekend.

Slip n' Slide!

2010-08-06T23:34:00.002-05:00

My brother and I had a slip n' slide when we were young, and it was great to see Elia and Julian having a great time on their own slip n' slide while at my parent's home in Bella Vista. They were cracking themselves up as the slid down the hill into the pool! Sorry Nana, I think I know now how the pool got the hole!!!

Fun fishin'

2010-08-06T23:21:00.004-05:00

Chris took us out on the boat over the 4th of July weekend. Only a couple of little fish were tempted by our bait, but we enjoyed just being out on the water!

Bath Time!

2010-08-06T23:17:00.002-05:00

I had to do it! Everyone has the same pictures of their siblings or cousins in the tub together, so I took the opportunity to continue the tradition! These two girls are hams!!!

The big 4-0!

2010-08-06T23:13:00.001-05:00

We celebrated by brother, Chris' 40th birthday while in Bella Vista for the 4th of July.

4th of July Dinner!

2010-08-06T23:08:00.003-05:00

Ok, this meal was insane! There were ribs, fish, shrimp, veggies, fried grean tomotoes, beans, hot dogs, you name it!!! It was worth the wait, and the cooks did an amazing job!

Cousins!

2010-08-06T22:56:00.004-05:00

Julian and Elia met up with their cousins, Ethan and Sarah, for the 4th of July weekend. They played football, played Uno, chased lightening bugs, threw horse shoes, took walks together, and shucked corn with Poppy!

Farm House Museum

2010-08-06T22:43:00.004-05:00

There is a farm house in Plano that has been turned into a museum and educational center for children. You are able to experience what life was like on the farm before ipods, play stations, or the internet. They both had a great time, which just proves it pays to turn the t.v. off and get them out of the house to explore history and nature!

The kids were able to grind corn into feed for the chickens and feed the mules. We also took a covered wagon ride before touring the house. Julian took pictures with his camera in hopes of finding paranormal activity! He thinks anything older than 2003 is ancient and therefore must be haunted!

Splish Splash!

2010-08-06T22:35:00.004-05:00

The kids had a blast at our friend, Coby's birthday party! Elia believes she is one of the big kids and is fearless when it comes to jumping off the diving board! She nearly gave her mom a heart attack!

We found the cap!

2010-08-06T22:30:00.003-05:00

For Father's Day, Julian and Elia and I searched high and low for a Laker's Championship Cap for Isaac. After searching the entire metroplex, we found it, we bought it, and we got it home just in time for the big day! He was quite happy. Although I think we let the cat out of the bag with all of our secret planning and plotting!

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks!!

2010-08-06T22:19:00.003-05:00

Our precious friends gave us tickets to the Rough Riders Game the day Julian arrived for the summer. There was no "rough" part about this night! We enjoyed all the free food and drinks we could handle from several eateries in the park. My favorite part was being out of the heat!!!

Great Wolf Lodge Birthday Tradition!

2010-08-06T22:12:00.004-05:00

The Great Wolf Lodge is a birthday week tradition!

Our Summer Adventures!

2010-08-06T21:55:00.005-05:00

Julian and Elia had a great time together this summer. We went on several adventures to include the Fort Worth Children's Museum.

Summer Fun!

2010-06-17T21:35:00.001-05:00

At the park with Nana

2010-05-15T22:14:00.002-05:00

Elia's Non-Birthday Birthday Party!

2010-05-11T20:16:00.003-05:00

Nana really wanted Elia to have a party at school since her birthday falls during the summer. So she ordered special flower-shaped cookies and served them with fruit and goldfish crackers. Elia decided hats were a MUST! Mommy and Daddy came for the great event! All of her classmates were excited, because they thought each cookie had their own name on it (although Elia quickly corrected them!!). She loved her special day.

Easter Egg Hunt Round Two...

2010-04-05T23:36:00.004-05:00

Poppy and mommy took me to ANOTHER Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. Although I dropped my basket and lost most of my eggs (to greedy mothers who were grabbing eggs as fast as they could for their toddlers I might add), I had a great time! My favorite part was the petting zoo. Poppy sure looked proud as I chased and chased the chicken until she finally gave in and I caught her! I wasn't fond of the Easter Bunny until the very end. It took a few seconds, but I eventually warmed up to him. He's not that bad after all!

Easter Egg Hunt Round One...

2010-03-28T00:10:00.001-05:00

Beautiful Flowers from my dad on Valentine's

2010-02-27T11:19:00.002-06:00

Our record snow

2010-02-21T21:45:00.004-06:00

I had so much fun driving around our neighborhood taking a few shots as I drove to work the morning after our record snowfall. 12.5 inches for North Dallas in 24 hours! We had so much fun. More pictures of Elia and Daddy's snow adventures to come!

Snow Day

2010-02-11T22:18:00.004-06:00

Unbelievable! We're heading toward 24 hours of non-stop snowing in Denton today! They anticipate nearly 10 inches after it's all said and done. What a treat! Elia was thrilled to get into her pink snow suit, green snow boots, and head out! She and daddy made Mrs. Snowman (AKA Frosty) in the front yard. We went for a "green" theme this year...as Mrs. Snowman was purely organic. 100% snow, blue berries for accessories, and a stick for a nose!

Our travels through Texas history!

2010-01-11T20:19:00.001-06:00

Winter Barns in NW Arkansas

2009-12-29T22:36:00.001-06:00

2009 White Christmas in Arkansas

2009-12-27T19:50:00.005-06:00

On Christmas Eve we set out on what turned into an icy, slippery, tense drive through Texas, Oklahoma, into NW Arkansas to be with my parents, brother, and his family. Thanks to Isaac's spectacular driving skills on ice, we made it safe and sound! On Christmas morning we woke to a winter wonderland! Enjoy!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2009-12-13T22:59:00.006-06:00

We are loving this time of the year as a family. Hope you and your family have a very blessed Christmas Season!

Visiting the Neiman Marcus Interactive Christmas Window Display!

Bubba and Sister

2009-12-08T00:22:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T23:56:00.004-06:00

Isaac and I both feel so grateful this year. Our children are growing and maturing, Isaac's pressing through his classes, and we understand how blessed we are to have a happy and healthy family. In a world that sometimes feels uncertain, it feels so good to know that we have each other. It's a simple statement, but very true.

On Thanksgiving, Isaac and Julian were fortunate enough to see their favorite team, the Raiders, against the Cowboys in the new Cowboys Stadium. It was an experience neither will soon forget. Elia and I went to my parents for lunch and then relaxed with them, our bellies full, until we went home and slept for three hours!

We are so thankful for our family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

Elia with her friends at the Gaylord

2009-11-16T18:24:00.002-06:00

The Cutest Snow White in the World!

2009-11-01T23:18:00.003-06:00

Of course she wanted to be Snow White! It's the perfect costume for our curly black haired little princess. Elia had so much fun on Halloween, but preferred to pass out candy, rather than go trick or treating herself. She greeted each child with a "Happy Halloween"! We later had our neighbors and other friends over for a costume party. Elia preferred her PJ's by this point, but remained in hight gear! Her favorite candy for the evening? "Mosqitoes" AKA Skittles!!!

2nd Annual Trip to Aubrey's Pumpkin Patch with Nana & Poppy

2009-10-25T00:20:00.002-05:00

First Bunkin' Party

2009-10-24T23:19:00.005-05:00

Elia had her first official sleepover tonight! Her friend, Cassie, spent the night so her parents could attend her dad's high school reunion. Elia didn't care the reason, she just knew how exciting it was! We spent the evening decorating pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies, painting Halloween ornaments, and ending the night with bathtime and a few good books. Elia was still talking to Cassie long after Cassie had crawled into her bed after "lights out"! I don't think she wanted to surrender to her exhaustion, but they are both snoring away as I type! We had to take plenty of photos to chronicle this major milestone in Elia's little life!

Elia's first wedding attendance!

2009-10-24T23:13:00.001-05:00

Well, not a suprise to anyone, Elia stole the show at my friend's wedding last weekend as she danced the night away!

Pumpkin Patch with Poppy

2009-10-18T21:54:00.001-05:00

Jeanette comes to town!

2009-10-15T22:19:00.003-05:00

Our precious niece came to Denton for a Dance Seminar at TWU. We only had a short time with her, but we loved showing her around town. We ended the evening up on the square at Beth Marie's homemade ice cream shop of course!

Isaac meets Los Lonely Boys

2009-09-28T21:29:00.003-05:00

A sweet friend gave us backstage passes so Isaac could meet one of his favorite bands, Los Lonely Boys. After the meet and greet, we were able to sit in the festival's sponsor's booth where we enjoyed free food and drinks. Elia cooled off by dipping her toes in the water fountains. Isaac was on cloud nine all night. We had a really fun night out.

Date Night!

2009-09-23T20:55:00.003-05:00

Well, I rarely blog about just the two of us, because it's rarely JUST the two of us anymore! Elia had a special bunkin' party at Nana's (thank you, Nana!!) so that we could have a worry-free evening. We had a special night out to see Creed and Staind in concert down in Dallas. We had such a good time with good friends, great music, perfect cool weather, and time together. When date nights are few and far between, you CHERISH them! We sure did.

Our Sweet Niece, Bianca

2009-09-11T20:46:00.000-05:00

Our little dancer

2009-09-06T23:35:00.003-05:00

Elia's personality really comes alive during her Ballet Class. She's not afraid to go against the flow, do the opposite of what the teacher is asking of the group, or stand center stage encouraging her audience to applaud her efforts. Her famous move is the superman slide on the floor, performed weekly I might add. You know you may have to explore other avenues when the teacher announces, "Well, soccer might be another option" as she watches your daughter sprint across the floor! All in all, it's been a joy to see her in her precious tutu laughing and throwing that leg up in the air. Soon enough she'll be choosing her own sport. Please Lord, let it be an indoors one!

School Days

2009-09-06T22:21:00.001-05:00

Elia returned to The Children's Place this year to a new classroom and new teachers! Miss Sue and Miss Natalie are wonderful, and Elia jumped right in as if she'd never left for summer break.

Quick Photo Op at the Gaylord Texan

2009-08-28T00:29:00.004-05:00

The absolute greatest place to take photos is at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine. We try to go each summer to walk the resort and take a few pictures. These are a few...

Hot Air Balloon Festival

2009-08-28T00:09:00.003-05:00

We took Elia to the Hot Air Balloon Festival this month and invited Nanna and Poppy to come along for the fun. Not knowing if Elia would be scared or not, we prepared her for how big the balloons were and how loud they may be. For the record, Elia never ceases to amaze any of us. She loved them, and loved to be close to them. She was never afraid, and was so excited to see them both on the ground and in the air. She completely understands the concept of the fire producing hot air, which causes the balloon to rise. Hot air balloons are now one of her most favorite things, of course!

Elia's Ballet Class

2009-08-15T21:09:00.002-05:00

What a funny morning we had. Elia had her first ballet class...which she called her "hair clasp"! Sounds alike, I get that!! When we pulled up to the community recreation center, Elia proclaimed, "I see baseball! I want to do that!" I parked the car, thinking my dreams of my daughter in a tutu may be short-lived!

We got to the class, and Elia was NOT in the mood. So the teacher suggested that mommy get out there and dance with all the two year olds. Are you getting a visual? Soon Elia was comfortable to twirl on her own, and I quickly hid in a corner behind the camera. Daddy was smiling from ear to ear, watching his baby girl in her first grand performance.

You know how in a class, where all the children are doing just as they are instructed, but there's always that ONE child on the fringes of the circle, sort of doing her own thing? Yes, that is my beautiful child. The one doing the superman on the floor of the dance studio, when all the other girls are standing quietly in first position! We were so proud though. What's not to love about a girl in a pink tutu doing the superman stretch on the dirty community center floor?!?!?

As we were leaving, she spotted several people playing what she called "tuna" which translates into tennis. I guess my hopes of an indoor hobby are quickly fading.

Children

2009-08-01T22:44:00.002-05:00

As we age and mature, so does our life focus. My focus over the past few years has been on developing, molding, and pouring out unconditional love for my children. There is no greater task, nor joy on this Earth. It is not an easy task at times, but one that makes me proud to be called a mom.

Birthday Week!

2009-07-26T01:24:00.004-05:00

Julian and Elia's birthdays are 3 days apart. This makes for a very busy, but fun-filled week! This year we had two parties, with two cakes, and two very different themes! Julian wanted all things chocolate, with made to order chocolate covered strawberries. Elia loves "diggers", so we made a pink cake with a bull dozer and a concrete mixer...just what she loves!!!

Nothing more important in life than this...

2009-07-24T23:27:00.003-05:00

Our little ballerina

2009-07-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

Brother and Sister!

2009-07-24T21:49:00.002-05:00

4th of July!

2009-07-14T19:50:00.002-05:00

Each year our friends come over for a BBQ on the 4th. It was so hot, I'm suprised we didn't melt!

Great Wolf Lodge Vacation

2009-07-14T19:49:00.001-05:00

This is now officially an annual trip during the kids' birthday week in July! Located in Grapevine, this resort is over the top and loaded with fun...We dared the thrill rides and floated in the indoor river. There are slides outside, and a great social pool to soak up the sun. The kids played with their wizard wands all through the resort when not in the water, scoring points and gathering "gold"!

Father's Day!

2009-06-26T20:33:00.002-05:00

Marketing Photos

2009-06-25T20:04:00.000-05:00

Photos of families

2009-06-25T20:03:00.003-05:00

Photos of kiddos!

2009-06-25T20:01:00.000-05:00

Latest photos

2009-06-24T22:56:00.001-05:00

A few of my favorite things

2009-06-24T22:54:00.001-05:00

Fun at Nana and Poppy's

2009-05-29T21:50:00.004-05:00

Elia stays with Nana and Poppy during the day while mommy and daddy work. She goes non-stop all day! Her favorite things to do are swim, take her baby in the stroller around the house, slide down her very cool slide, and put on her hat and dance to "Step in Time" from Mary Poppins!

2009-05-05T22:59:00.001-05:00

More Fiesta 2009 Photos!

2009-04-29T21:26:00.010-05:00

Arden's House: This is where "the" party takes place every year! We end the weekend at Taco Haven for one great brunch before hitting the road to head back to Dallas.

Viva Fiesta 2009!

2009-04-28T21:07:00.010-05:00

We made our annual journey back "home" to San Antonio for Fiesta. This is a time to re-connect with old friends, eat great food, and yes, eat more great food!
Elia attended her second King William Fair and parade. She stole the show while dancing in the street as the floats went by. She caught beads, jumped to the beat of the marching bands, and waved to all the horses and dogs!

We were able to have lunch and visit with Meredith and Christi before settling into the bed and breakfast. We toured Mere's new home, and Elia and Adrian REALLY bonded!

Arden hosts the best Fiesta party in San Antonio! Her sister, Lori, sells fabulous jewelry at the fair. We love reuniting with Sydney and Paul, Aniceto, Dorothy, Lori, and always our dear Arden.

The Beloved Blue Bonnet Photos

2009-04-11T22:51:00.004-05:00

Anyone in Texas will tell you they have taken their picture in a field of blue bonnets at least once in their life! You wouldn't be Texan if you didn't! Elia was a charm for her fist blue bonnet photo experience with mommy and Nana. From our family to yours, have a very blessed Easter and we hope you are able to take some quiet time to reflect on the very special reason we celebrate this day.

Special Days with Julian

2009-04-09T20:58:00.003-05:00

Julian and I take at least one day to ourselves during Spring Break. This year, we went to the Dallas Museum of Art to see the King Tut exhibit and to the Denton Court House Museum. He's been taking photos with me since he was four, and really loves comparing our "techniques". Julian loves to visit Dallas and Fort Worth's museums and kid-friendly places. He takes a photo album back to El Paso with him after each visit so he can reflect on all the fun things we do as a family.

Toe Fuzz

2009-04-03T22:32:00.004-05:00

Yes, my beautiful, lovely, precious little girl, is obsessed with toe fuzz. You read correctly. She loves to put on socks, just so she can take them off and search between each toe looking for the beloved toe fuzz. When found, she proclaims, "there it is"!!! We had to capture this by photo only to be able to bring it out one day to show her first date (if Daddy will let her have one)!! Love being a parent!

Spring Break Part I: The Fort Worth Zoo

2009-03-29T10:39:00.006-05:00

Julian came to Dallas for two weeks over his Spring Break and we were fortunate to be able to do many great things with the kiddos. Because we did so much, I'll post our adventures in sections! This poting is our trip to the Ft. Worth Zoo...Elia's first time to any zoo! We had a really good time together as a family.