Oh Happy Day: Life with the Ogdens

What I've been up to . . .

2012-01-18T20:07:00.003-06:00

i love christmas

but

i also love fresh starts

i love goals, cleaning house, organizing and fun projects!

so because

we have a crazy busy winter/spring

and then we are going to have a new member added to our family

i have been focused with getting things in my house

orderly :)

i made a new wreath for the winter/spring

i love how it turned out and the colors

we also finally got all of our pictures in frames or shelves

(see below)

i was having a hard time figuring out how to display the kids pictures that we had done this summer

(yes summer, i got them in october - but still - i hadn't gotten them all up yet!)

i had tried different types of frames to have three pics of the kids all together

but because they are mounted on a board they wouldn't fit in most frames

so i finally ended up with this shelf

i think it works perfectly

i had to add a couple of bigger pics to make it look right on the wall

(so there is our engagement picture from (gasp) 10 years ago - we look young!)

anyway - so glad to finally have the pics in a place to be displayed!

today we made valentine's mailboxes for the kids

super easy and cheap

i saw it on a blog somewhere - and i am sure it was a lot cuter there,

but i am glad with how ours turned out

i thought it would be fun to put little treats in them during the week of valentines

and jayden is super into drawing pictures and putting them in envelopes

so now we have a place to put them :)

these mailboxes are from target in the dollar spot,

i just put them on top of candlesticks (i didn't glue them b/c i want to be able to reuse the candlesticks)

i had the white ones and bought the black candlesticks at target

i wanted to put wooden letters on them,

but could not find any the right size at michaels

so we ended up with black felt ones and i think they work just fine

i couldn't find another j in the bag - so jordans ended up with an "O"

he was fine with that :)

and my most proud accomplishment since christmas -

jordan and i went through every room, closet, drawer

in our entire house organizing and getting rid of things

we literally filled the back of jordans car with things to give away

plus filled up both trashcan and recycling can

it was a great feeling

this is just one example of a closet that was redone:

so that's what i have been up to in my free time . . .

it feels good to get some things done off my checklist!

happy wednesday night!

Molly's 1st Birthday

2012-01-12T15:48:00.005-06:00

on sunday we celebrated my sweet niece Molly

it was her first birthday

amy had a family party in their new, beautiful home

sweet hallie

molly's favorite song is "let it shine" and she holds her finger up

as a light anytime this song is sang

sweet thing! she is precious!

love this cupcake on the candle stand

jason & alex

don't they look alike?

we love you molly and are so thankful for your life!

you make life sweeter!

Family Fun Night: January

2012-01-11T21:41:00.000-06:00

on friday we had one of our family fun nights

it didn't start out too exciting according to jayden :)

but things changed quickly:)

we took the kids bikes up to SMU and let them ride their bikes around campus

i was super surprised and excited about how well duncan rode his bike!

i obviously wasn't aware of the work that jordan was doing with him

in riding his bike :)

b/c he did great!

this little miss just hung around and watched

(she had pink eye - so didn't feel her best)

love that they can ride their bikes together

campbell and i got in the car and drove down the block to pokey'os for a surprise dessert

jordan and the boys rode their bikes there :)

they were proud :)

(and yes i realize we don't have helmets on them - i forgot them!)

picking out their cookie

yummy ice cream

jayden picked out the flavor "crazy colors"

blue bell knew what they were doing when they made that flavor,

i am sure it taste just like plain vanilla - but to a kid -

it is the most amazing flavor ever -

and to a parent - the biggest mess

one happy camper :)

don't think the pink eye caused her to be left out from the yummy food :)

it was a great night!

it was super simple.

but that is okay.

jordan and i's vision for family fun nights is to have

regularly scheduled times where we do something out of the ordinary

together as a family.

it can be as simple as this night was or super extravagant as something else.

the idea is to have consistency in doing something out of the norm

together as a family.

our kids loved it

and so do we :)

making memories and being together.

its pretty special.

Duncan sleeping in a BIG BOY BED!

2012-01-10T21:17:00.000-06:00

we have transitioned duncan to jaydens room for sleeping at night.

yes we have done it - but if you think it was easy - you would be quite mistaken!

the room looks very different now, from these pictures that were taken the first night!

so the way it came down -

duncan basically forced us to move him to a big boy bed

he had kicked out one of his slabs to his crib (that my dad made by the way)

and we had glued it back - a couple of times - but he kept on kicking it out and

when one slab was kicked out - it was just enough room for him to escape from his bed.

when he would escape - a lot of times he would stay in his room,

but then crawl into his sisters bed -

who would be sleeping at times

and play with her for awhile.

we would take him out,

discipline him, and give him his instructions

but he kept on escaping

finally

jordan and i decided it was time to try the bed out.

he was very excited to sleep with his "brother" as he calls him (so sweet!)

and jayden was excited to have someone share his room with (at first)

but that first night -

getting duncan to stay in his bed when we put them to bed -

was quite the challenge.

he kept on getting out because he was scared.

thankfully the first night - jayden was super tired so he went to sleep without any problem.

finally we got duncan to fall asleep in his bed.

but it was on the top bunk with his brother.

once he fell asleep he was good.

then - the next morning jayden woke up around 5 am screaming -

i think he was scared because he didn't know where he was,

and he tried to talk to duncan and he was in a deep sleep and didn't talk back to him.

so we moved duncan back to his crib for the next couple of hours to sleep.

the next night -we had them sleep together in the bottom bunk.

things went better but still not smooth :)

duncan still got out several times at first because he was scared.

we finally got him to fall asleep -

and then around 3 am jayden had to go the bathroom - which woke duncan up -

so we put him in his crib at that time to go back to sleep.

we decided then to forgo the top bunk

and alice had a great idea - to get a trundle to put under jayden's bed and pull it out at night and have duncan sleep there and then put it under during the day.

i was worried about having the ladder up all the time anyway, because campbell had learned how to climb up to the top of the bunk - and i just didn't want to have to worry about her falling down all day.

plus - the boys had started climbing up the bunk - without a ladder, and then jumping off from the top (i am not quite ready for a broken arm yet)

so to end this story :)

we ended up taking down the top bunk, getting a trundle and having duncan sleep on that

and two nights ago - we had sitters here watching the boys

and they got duncan to bed without him getting out once -

and then the past two nights he has done the same thing!

we also added a sound machine because jayden doesn't like the noises duncan makes :)

jayden has still randomly had to get up to go to the bathroom, but it gets later each morning -

so hopefully this is going to work!

sorry for the long post - but i wanted to document our transition!

each child is different.

i am reminded of that daily.

christmas with the ogdens

2012-01-09T20:38:00.001-06:00

on christmas night we headed over to jordan's parents house to celebrate

christmas with them on monday

the kids loved getting stockings again :)

duncan got another monkey lovie

(but this one is not exactly like his other one so he said he doesn't like it :))

the tail is the most important part -

he needs it to rub under his nose

love this sweet picture of campbell looking at her sweet angel doll

jayden has wanted CORE boots -

like what the aggie band players wear -

ever since he went to the ATM football game this fall

alice had looked everywhere -

and she came across these great boots

that we are calling his "CORE" boots :)

precious on little brother too!

love this sweet picture too!

(and yes jordan is wearing the same thing he was wearing the day before)

duncan got this truck -

it has been a HUGE hit in the ogden household!

we went up to shipp belting later that day to let the kids ride around in the car there,

and use the cool remote control car that geoffrey got the boys

they all loved it!

the ogden men

(minus the one in my belly)

sweet lilly came to hang out with us

all the kids love her!

we ended our time in waco by sliding down the hill

with these cardboard boxes

a huge hit!

christmas was so fun and we are so thankful to have wonderful family to celebrate with

it was a sweet time with our kids - they are really at the ages where it is fun!

life is fun and full.

we are thankful.

christmas day!

2012-01-08T19:45:00.000-06:00

please be forewarned:

there are ALOT of pictures!

we started christmas morning with the adults waking up before the kids

(except for hallie maybe)

which was good, because it gave us some time to get breakfast ready before the kids

came in

here are all the girl cousins before seeing their stockings

i have started a tradition to put

mittens and hats in their stockings each year,

i like it because it is something fun to put in the stocking and they need them

they also got some candy to start the morning off with :)

after the kids looked at their stockings,

singing happy birthday to jesus with breakfast cake,

a yummy breakfast of breakfast cake, pigs in a blanket, sausage egg casserole, and monkey bread -

our stomachs were filled and we got started on opening the gifts!

we open gifts one at a time in our family

starting from youngest to oldest

i love this tradition because it helps you focus on the person opening the gifts

and really enjoy each gift!

it does make for a long morning of opening of gifts!

duncan loved this guitar he got from emery kate

campbell opening this fun/spunky purse from aunt B!

jayden wearing the mask and cape from aunt b

(it was actually duncan's gift, but jayden put it on!)

jayden gave my mom this cardinal he made at school

funny thing is that he was suppose to give it to me,

but he insisted on giving it to mimi instead

even though i was a little sad :) i let him!

i told her she could give it back to me someday :)

B & hanj opening a nativity set

(which B collects)

love this

mary beth gave my dad this picture she drew of my mom

the cool thing about the picture is that it is made of the word "faith"

no lines, nothing but the word "faith" -

it is AMAZING

and such a great statement of faith!

campbell opening her first baby doll from us

i got it at fao shwartz in nyc

thought it would be a fun gift for her!

(trying to help her have girl things to play with instead of just trucks :))

jayden, duncan, and emery kate all got laptops

all of the kids

hard at work :)

i got jordan a sweater vest

looks good on him!

after gifts

we got dressed and started working on the meal

jordan carved the turkey this year!

we had one long table

the kids table

our family

love this-

we tried :)

the marable girls

hallie jane

pretty thing

the sudans

love this pic!

i think they look alike in it!

after a long, fun wonderful day!

amy and i were exhausted but

loved being together with our family and celebrating christmas and all it means!

christmas eve (& the day before)

2012-01-07T19:07:00.000-06:00

we were in waco for christmas and had a wonderful time!

it was our holiday to be with my parents so it was a packed house

but we had a great time!

friday night we went to uncle dans -

the boys found these helmets fun to play with :)

christmas eve was so much fun

we had a relaxing morning

and then the festivities began!

we started off with our annual christmas cookie decorating contest

we usually do this earlier,

but because of the engagement (and our trip)

christmas eve worked out better!

amy & i had the kids nap

(except for jayden)

which made it a little easier to do on the front end

they woke up by the end to decorate and eat some cookies :)

jayden really enjoyed doing it this year!

the artist helped create wonderful color combinations for our icing

blake was very strategic and had not only his traditional santa,

but a whole scene that went with the santa

glad we were in my parents kitchen and not mine

(a lot more room to work with!)

this is alex and his sweet mom

blake's winning cookie scene!

pretty good if i don't say so myself!

some of the finished work

with the "love birds" by mary beth

lots of cookies were made! (and eaten)

after that we went to antioch's christmas eve service

it was such a sweet service

i went solo because jordan had to go back to dallas for

our antioch christmas eve service -

which went really well too! i was sad to miss it,

but thought it was a bit much to take the kids back and forth for it

is this a happy or mad face duncan?

could be both :)

sweet little thing!

after dinner we gave the kids baths and got them in pj's

and had our

annual christmas eve service with our family

this year was so sweet

my dad had us write down ahead of time any miracles that we have experienced in our lifetime

we all shared -

it was amazing to see the amount of miracles that have happened to each one of us in

our family,

ways that God has moved that couldn't be explained by

anything but

his sweet grace and mercy

it stirred us all up in the Lord

for if God has done this in the past,

why can't he/won't he do it now?

the kids enjoyed playing ring around the rosy

aren't they cute in their matching pj's?

my parents got them these - and they looked adorable!

More Christmas Fun & Family Fun Night: December

2011-12-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

another fun activity that is becoming a tradition

is our neighborhood cookie decorating party

one of our neighbors has hosted this the past couple of years

and of course the kids LOVE it and have a blast!

hard at work

sweet nate

nate's cookie looks pretty good!

that same night,

we had our family fun night for december

it just consisted of us watching a christmas movie in our bed

with popcorn

it was a fun time

(except the part where duncan put a popcorn kernel up his nose - thankfully i was able to get it out with some device mary beth had in her bathroom - little stinker!)

Christmas Playgroup Brunch

2011-12-28T14:07:00.000-06:00

i am still playing catch up on my blog posts -

so christmas will come soon :)

but for now,

i wanted to post about one of my favorite christmas activities :)

we started this last year,

(i think)

but our last playgroup of the year we have the kids come in their pj's

and have a brunch

it is SO fun!

i love seeing all the kids in their cute pj's

and of course eating the yummy brunch food :)

i made this sausage/cream cheese crescent roll dish

all you do is cook 1lb sausage then mix 1 carton cream cheese

and then spread out crescent rolls (i used two packages for the decorations)

and put the sausage/cheese mixture inside - put more rolls on the top

and bake at 350 for 20ish minutes!

so good and EASY!

the spread

the pregnant mamma's :)

apparently my kids don't know how to take pictures without having funny faces :)

all the sudan cousins had their matching pj's on -

my mom got them for them to all wear on christmas morning

you will see these pj's a lot in coming posts :)

amy & danny

working on a craft project

sweet and beautiful sparrow & eli

cutie pie georgia

little miss priss :)

sweetie pie hallie

our attempts at a picture of all the kids

the best one we could get :)

love this time each year!

christmas fun

2011-12-22T15:01:00.000-06:00

we have had fun celebrating christmas around here!

i have some random pictures from the past couple of weeks to capture what we have been doing

last week - jordan and i went to a christmas party for "time to revive"

it was a fun time to be together

(do you like the hands reaching up from the bottom of the picture?)

on thursday we had jayden's school christmas party

it was a sweet time

the kids made precious little placemats with ornaments of all the student's pictures on them

it was such a cute craft idea!

the kids also showed us some recitation and what a normal morning is like!

they are PRECIOUS!

yesterday we headed over to the carona's early

and had breakfast with them,

and then made some christmas crafts!

thanks for the great pic - j

the kids made peppermint play dough,

reindeer with their hands and feet, and an ornament

these kids have so much fun together!

duncan didn't want to do any of the crafts,

but we did finally get him to play with the play dough

silly little guy!

our finished projects!

what fun things have you been doing to prepare for christmas?

CHICAGO!

2011-12-21T15:16:00.001-06:00

a couple of weeks ago

my mom, sisters, sister in law, and I got the very special gift

of going on a girls trip to

CHICAGO!

it was a very sweet and generous gift from my dad -

and we LOVED IT!

dinner our first night at a local italian place

yummy!

it was so fun being together, just us girls with no kids

of course we all LOVE & ADORE our kiddos,

but we are hardly ever all together without kids -

so this was a gift - to connect, be together, enjoy one another,

SHOP, and eat - just us :)

on thursday we explored downtown chicago

we walked everywhere -

didn't even get a taxi once -

which i LOVE

i love to discover a new place on foot, i have decided!

don't you love mary beth's fur coat :)?

it was my grandmother's -

she cut it short and of course made it look stylish!

amy and i laugh b/c we would look so out of place in something like that - but for B it fits!

here we are at the bean

it is such a fun place to take pictures,

as you will be able to tell :)

we then stopped at intelligentsia for some yummy coffee!

love this!

one of my favorite little spots!

we of course had to get some chicago style -

deep dish pizza!

it was huge, and takes almost an hour to make after you order it!

i don't have any pics from friday - because we literally shopped the entire day!

it was so much fun!

but i didn't think you wanted pictures of us trying on clothes, getting christmas gifts, or window shopping - but trust me - we all LOVED it - and were SO exhausted afterwards!

we really did - shop till you drop :)

right outside of our hotel was an "ogden plaza"

thought i needed a pic by that :)

on saturday morning we walked to the navy pier

it was neat to be there, but i am sure in the summer it is a better time to explore -

because it is right on the water and it was FREEZING!

pretty pic of chicago

the famous ferris wheel

it was such a FUN trip!

we all loved it and loved being together!

i think it was really fun because it was before mary beth got engaged and

the craziness of planning a wedding had started,

it was a sweet time to enjoy one another

thank you Dad for the best gift ever!

we loved it!

Mary Beth & Hanj are Engaged!

2011-12-20T14:29:00.006-06:00

it's true:)

my baby sister is engaged!

to the most wonderful match for her-

and we couldn't be more THRILLED!

alex set it up perfectly and she was completely surprised!

my parents were in town b/c my dad preached at church on sunday

(which btw - he did an AMAZING job! -

he is such a good teacher - i was so proud of him :))

so b/c we "had things" that night -

we went with the family to an early dinner at

our favorite :) cafe express

(great time to go there btw b/c NO ONE is there and our incredibly long table and many kids doesn't bother anyone)

this girl had NO IDEA what was about to happen

sweet cousins

my little spunky thing!

so after dinner

mary beth met up with her friend before going to what she thought was a worship night

at alex's house

what she didn't know is that alex had invited her family and closest friends

to come to his house with a note and flower to give to her before he propsed

mary beth has the sweetest friends

they came from all over to be there for her on her special night!

the family group

(i had a sitter for my younger two)

alex had candles and roses everywhere

it was beautiful!

in addition to the actual engagement ring

he carved her a wooden ring

beautiful

here she is coming in,

completely shocked at who was in the room

alex (or hanj as mb calls him) met her at the door with a hug and a kiss :)

he sat her down in this chair

and then went into the other room and played music on his guitar

then each of her friends and family got up one by one

gave her a note with something special about her and what marriage will be like,

a rose or flower, and a kiss and walked out

we all left and headed to blake and amy's for an engagement party for afterwards

hanj was very romantic i'm sure and she said yes - of course!

the sibs

love this sweet pic of mom and dad

mary beth telling all her friends about how it happened :)

mary beth and hanj and both sets of parents

alex's parents came in from peru to be with them

mary beth had just officially met them the day before

they are the sweetest people ever and we see where alex get's his sweet spirit from :)

love this picture as well!

we ended by praying over them and blessing them in this season ahead!

what a sweet night to remember!

we are so excited for them both!

let the wedding planning begin!

it's been a long time :)

Turkey Bowl 2011

2011-12-07T12:59:00.000-06:00

the saturday before thanksgiving we had our church's annual

turkey bowl

it is such a fun tradition and there is always a great turnout!

there is a girls game first and then a guys game

(flag football)

i didn't play this year

and it was kind of sad just sitting on the sidelines :(

loving the neon colored shirts :)

the kids had a great time hanging out with everyone

typical campbell with food on her face,

and a scratch on her nose

the ice cream truck came by and the kids were happy about that :)

sweet molly slept in caroline's arms most of the game

36 hour NYC trip (part 2)

2011-12-06T20:07:00.000-06:00

Friday night we headed to a nice dinner

(again i don't remember the name of the place - but Mario Botelli owned it)

it was fun getting all dressed up

and enjoying a nice, long relaxing, delicious dinner

we had wonderful conversation

zach led us with 3 questions:

1. what was your favorite date (or most memorable)

2. what is the most important aspect of friendship to you

3. what is a funny story that we might not know about you

it was a really special time

it was then almost midnight -

but we had to make it to serendipity for frozen hot chocolate

so we took the subway to get there

however we sill had to walk quite a way -

you had to get on the list by midnight -

so we cut it really close

but we made it!

and of course, still had to wait -

even though it was midnight

but it was worth the wait!

the next day we headed to the MET

but then when we realized it was more than we wanted to spend for the amount of time we had,

we decided to just visit the gift shop

and then walk in central park

it was such a beautiful day

so many runners out

wish i had my running shoes - because i would have loved to go for a run there

it was wonderful!

we then headed to little italy for some lunch

and then headed back!

it was so very fun

and we were so thankful that our dear friends invited us

to journey with them and celebrate with them!

what a gift!

thank you joey and dana!

we loved it and love you!

look forward to the next 30 (++) years!

36 Hour NYC trip (part one)

2011-12-05T20:36:00.005-06:00

on friday we had the fun opportunity to go with our friends

to NYC for a quick trip to celebrate joey's 30th!

it was SO FUN!!!!!

there were just 3 couples

and between the 6 of us we have 8 kids - and one on the way :)

so to take a trip as just adults, was such a treat

and great to have adult conversation and fun for 36 hours straight!

we got into to nyc around 2 on friday and headed straight to a deli (can't remember the name)

for lunch

(after a short detour where i got sick on the side of the road - yes i threw up right there on the street in nyc for everyone and their dog to see - but i felt much better afterwards!)

waiting for our table at lunch

these were the best onion rings i have EVER had

oh.my.goodness

(i didn't even order them - but i made sure i got my fair dose of them)

after lunch we headed to the hotel to put our bags up

and then headed out to walk the streets of NYC

the guys in FAO schwartz

i love that store

i got c her first baby doll here

i thought that would be a fun gift for christmas and hold a special memory to it

jordan got his fair share of candy here as well!

(in fact he has the extras stashed in a secret place in our closet - still!)

we then went to see the christmas tree

we missed the lighting by 2 days!

it was so beautiful!

this was a really neat display they put on the side of a building

Family Fun Night: November

2011-11-30T14:06:00.000-06:00

for our november family fun night,

we decided to stay in.

we had been gone a lot this past month -

and so it was nice to have something at home.

jordan came up with this activity and it was great.

but first i wanted to show you our thankfulness tree that

we filled out throughout the month

each morning - i would have the kids tell me what they were thankful for,

and i would write it down on a leaf

we then found some sticks to make our "tree"

and would hang the leaves on the tree

it was a great project and activity and

a great way to start our days in thankfulness

so onto our fun night

we decided to try to teach the kids what thanksgiving was about

from a historical viewpoint

so we acted out the mayflower coming to america

duncan in his "ship" looking at the seas

the bad storms that caused the ship to go back and forth

the boys on the bigger ship looking out to find "land"

once we got to "america' we had to hike around and find a place to build our house

we found the perfect spot in jaydens room :)

that is all the pictures that i have,

and sorry that they aren't that good -

but it was really fun and a great way to teach them how the pilgrims got to america

and how the indians and the pilgrims worked together!

hope this made sense!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-29T13:27:00.003-06:00

we had a wonderful, relaxing thanksgiving!

we were at the ogdens for the whole time and we enjoyed

being with them, relaxing and having fun!

i didn't take that many pictures - sadly

but i will show you what i have :)

trying to get a family picture is just plain difficult. but the above is the best we got :)

campbell & i

geoffrey & leeann

(it was so fun having leeann with us! we love it!)

don't you love this headband?

so cute - i wish i had one in every color

alice & greg

our gracious hosts who put up with the ogden gang

greg, alice, & uncle charlie

the beautiful table

we have so much to be thankful for and i am so glad that there is a season that really helps us stop and think about what it is to be thankful for!

happy tuesday!

hopefully i will be getting back into the blogging world!

Campbell: 1 year Portraits

2011-11-16T14:30:00.000-06:00

my sweet little girl!

she is a loud, fiesty, precious little bundle of joy

she is able to hold her own with her brothers -

don't you worry :)

love how she is pulling at her bubble and it shows her precious little thighs

and this one you can see her little teeth

a spontaneous game of peek-a-boo!

this is such a beautiful capture of who she is!

we call her beautiful woman of God

we love you miss!

so thankful for all the joy and spunk that you add to our lives!

thanks for being who you are!

Duncan: 2 year old portraits & All Kids

2011-11-15T14:18:00.000-06:00

doesn't my sweet 2 year old look like a SMU student?

i mean - goodness :)

love these pics of duncan

and how they really bring out his beautiful blue eyes

i love his feet in this one

so sweet and innocent

my sweet duncan -

we love you and are so proud of the mighty man of God that you are too!

we love that you will be a world changer just like your brother & sister!

we ended up getting just these two of all of them

campbell looks like such a chunk in this one i think :)

i just happen to have all of their clothes and i love how perfectly they matched together

love these three!

excited to add another one to the bunch :)

Jayden: 4 year old portraits

2011-11-14T14:03:00.002-06:00

we just got the kids 4,2,&1 year old portraits in the mail!

i wanted to show them to you.

i love how they turned out!

this was the big piece we got:

i debated getting it as the big piece b/c his head is down,

but i love it!

i love his legs crossed, his sweet face looking down, the freckles on his nose :)

i am so glad i decided on it!

sweet boy

i can't believe how much they change in a year

you don't realize it until you look at the pictures and realize

wow!

there is a big difference!

we love you jayden and are so proud of you.

you are a man of God and we love watching you and helping you

develop into the man of God he created you to be!

other kids pics coming next :)

hats

2011-11-09T16:25:00.000-06:00

jayden made this hat the other day

i was proud of him,

he cut out the paper, taped it, colored it and painted it

strong work J!

campbell also got an adorable hat on the same day

i am in love

it's fun that we are now in weather that we have to wear this kind of thing

homecoming 2011

2011-11-08T13:01:00.002-06:00

every year we have a tradition to go to waco for baylor homecoming

we have been going to homecoming ever since i was little

the forresters (who were my dad's friends from high school) come and stay with my parents

and we do the same tradition every year

i think they have done this for almost 30 years

unfortunately, this year - jordan and i were only able to participate in

our friday night "fiesta night" and then we had

to head back to dallas for a memorial service for a special friend, ruth loring

we were sad to miss the saturday festivities, but our kids were able to go so that was fun for them,

and i was really glad i was able to attend the memorial service on saturday morning

my dad has some pictures on his blog here

and apparently mary beth got some good pics - so i will try to upload hers to my blog

sometime this week

the kids (and jordan :)) ate outside

everyone waiting in line for dinner

thanks jason for this :)

dad & mb

molly, mom, & andrew

emily & alex

eating our traditional fiesta meal

jordan & alex (or hanj as mb calls him)

the whole forrester clan

we love you forresters and are so glad we get to do this tradition with you each year,

sad we missed the bulk of it on saturday -

next year :)

halloween

2011-11-03T15:09:00.006-05:00

so i am not a big proponent of halloween,

and i/we have still not decided how we want to do it,

but this year -

all my kids were given costumes,

and jayden was super excited about doing it

so we did it

i know,

not a good way to do something if you aren't sure about it

but we did it

judge me that is fine :)

campbell was given a flower costume by our neighbor (so cute), jayden & duncan buzz & woody from toy story (even though duncan is actually wearing pj's - he had a buzz costume like jayden but didn't wear it b/c it was kind of big)

we joined our friends for their neighborhood halloween parade

it is a great way to do it because people just line a certain street and all the kids walk down and get candy and show off their costumes

a lot of our friends joined us there too!

so that was fun.

and the lighting was just perfect for pictures - so that made me happy :)

jon, robin, & monkey (jack)

jayden, charlie, and felice

norah

the mario brothers & their princess

amy, moose (norah), and dan

tom

christina & eden

the cutest little flower you have ever seen :)

doggy (riley)

curious george (georgia) & his trainer (luke)

and their mommy & daddy

here are all the kids and any any on the way

christina & erin (with jasper who is just a week old)

another family pic minus jayden

it was fun and i love how cute all the kids are in their costumes!

precious little darlings!

the weekend

2011-11-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

this past weekend it was so fun because my parents were in town,

so it meant we had a lot of family time

(which i love)

we attempted to go to a park friday night and eat dinner out there

but my option of the park was too windy

and cold

so we weren't able to eat there

look how cute molly is in this hat?

love to watch them swing

and jayden pushing duncan

molly's arms were hilarious

my dad with all the girls

we ended up getting tony's and eating it at the church

we had something there that night,

so it was just easier to eat it there

saturday was a relaxing day

we ended the night with everyone eating at our house

the kids at their table

the adult table

on sunday

our niece molly got dedicated at church

it was such a sweet baby dedication for all of the little ones

i love that we walk in a community where people

desire to train and speak life over their children

where the parents are intentional of putting identity on their kids from an early age

so sweet

amy & blake had everyone over to their house to eat afterwards

it was a beautiful day

couldn't get a family pic

but us with the baby

sweet molly and amy

how was your weekend?

family fun night: october

2011-10-31T21:29:00.000-05:00

for our family fun night in october

we decided to stay in

(because we have been super busy this month and that sounded better than getting out!)

and we carved pumpkins with the kids

it was a fun activity

campbell and jayden really enjoyed it

duncan was off doing his own thing

we took the seeds and washed them and then roasted them

they were SO GOOD

we had the kids draw the pictures on the pumpkins

and then jordan and i carved the pumpkins

it was a fun family night!

glad to make memories with our kiddos ;)

caught :)

2011-10-31T09:22:00.000-05:00

this little thing things she is just as big as her brothers

i found her on the stool the other night

reaching for some left over chocolate chips

little stinker - she got mad when i moved them away :)

jasper inigo

2011-10-30T21:14:00.000-05:00

last tuesday (early am)

our dear friends casey & erin welcomed their

second little boy into this world!

jasper inigo

precious little thing!

we brought the whole clan up to the hospital

beautiful mom and sweet boy

we love you guys and are so excited he is finally here!

can't wait to watch him grow and see how

he walks into the things that God has for him!

blessings!

quiroz visit

2011-10-29T21:06:00.000-05:00

this past weekend the quiroz's came to town

they had promised sara they would take her to the state fair,

so it was a good excuse for them to come back after moving to sa :(

anyway - i didn't get any pictures of the weekend

except sunday night

when we had pizza at our house

and then cookies that jayden had picked out from target

i usually make our desserts form scratch,

but when jayden saw these at target - he

HAD to have them

so i thought it would be fun to cook them while sara was here

they were a huge hit

(although you can't tell from jayden's face:))

we loved our time together with the quiroz fam

and hope it isn't too long, until we see them again!

Sudan Fall Party

2011-10-29T08:57:00.000-05:00

last weekend

jason & alex had a fun fall party at their new house

it was a great time

eating fun fall treats (and watching the rangers - even though it was a horrible game)

sweet hallie

the hostess

mary beth and alex (or hanj as she refers to him)

aren't they cute together :)

skylar & staci

who we love

and it is so fun because they bought a house right by jason & alex

so they are friends and neighbors - so fun!

amy & her girls

love ek's face here

(we didn't bring our kids)

sweet ek

sweet dad

ek & blake

with the amazing dora pumpkin that they made

thanks jason and alex for a fun party and a great time being with people!

love you guys!

does she look like a boy in this outfit?

2011-10-28T08:52:00.000-05:00

we were at starbucks the other day

and several people called campbell a "HE"

(granted she didn't have the brown sweater on, but she did have the headband on)

how could you think this sweet face was a boy's :)

just wanted to know what yall thought :)

GO RANGERS!!!!

2011-10-27T10:40:00.000-05:00

as most of you know,

the Rangers are in the world series!

we have had so much fun

watching the games and rooting them on to victory!

we all got ranger shirts this weekend

to show our ranger love :)

love how the boys are wearing different team's hats

(good thing the detroit series is over)

we didn't get ranger hats

we didn't actually get campbell a shirt

but put one on her saturday to see how it looked :)

she's a pretty cute fan :-)

go Rangers!

we hope you win tonight!

the zoo

2011-10-26T20:19:00.005-05:00

i am SO behind on blogging

i have been super tired these days,

so blogging is the thing that is first to go

but i have high hopes of getting caught up -

so here we go . . .

the zoo

last monday

my mom was in town,

so amy and i decided to venture to the zoo for the morning with mimi

it really was fun

and the kids loved it

i love how these three just can't get enough of one another

i love how in the giants of the savannah exhibit

they have all different animals roaming around together

it really does make you feel like you are in africa

(kind of i guess :))

we ended with a carousel ride

and then a trip to cafe express for lunch

our favorite ;)

what a fun way to spend a monday morning!

flying

2011-10-18T12:55:00.000-05:00

my mother-in-law got the boys

buzz lightyear costumes

complete with wings

she hit the jack.pot

duncan and ek put them on the other day

and started flying around the yard

i don't think you could capture the

innocence of a child any better

we all thought we could fly when we were young

and a lot of times

we still wish we could

i love that about kids

there are no limits

anything is possible

keep on flying kids

we need to be inspired by your perspective on life!

outdoor band

2011-10-17T14:21:00.003-05:00

last week nate & jayden decided to have a concert outdoors

it was pretty weather

and a great way to spend the afternoon

little miss

decided to join the fun

i just had to capture this walk,

it is so funny :)

the best fan ever

good times.

saturday

2011-10-16T21:29:00.003-05:00

we had a great saturday!

as jordan put it -

it was relaxed, yet had purposeful things mixed in it -

so it made for our kind of day :)

we started the day with a run to church

(with a stop at einstein's for bagels)

the run was about 4 1/2 miles - but you go east on mockingbird -

up a big hill -

so it was quite the workout

pushing our kiddos in the strollers

we went up to church for our first elevate outreach

of the semester!

it was great and i loved having our kids as part of it.

we went out in the neighborhood around our building telling people

about our church and praying for those who wanted it

i love having our kids being apart of sharing with others

and i am excited that this will be apart of their lives forever -

as long as we are doing it :)

after the outreach

we went to the marables for the

Baylor/ATM game

sadly bu didn't win

campbell was the only one i could get dressed in baylor gear

the boys insisted on their ATM gear

they have been fully indoctrinated (tear)

the following picture

my sisters thought was appropriate

b/c campbell and i were eating chips and queso together

she loves it as much as i do :)

glad to have a girl to share things like this with

(i see many girl dates for shopping and chips and queso in our future :))

i attempted a picture of the kids in their gear

but as you can see

this is what i got.

it's torture mom, really it's torture

little miss was okay taking a pic with aunt b

after the game

we went home for naps

and then did some organizing

and then my parents stopped by because they were in town seeing my grandparents

it was fun to see them and hang out for awhile

we then prayed with our friends karis and kenten

with my parents (b/c my sister was diagnosed in-utero with hydrocephalus and was healed and so we thought it would be powerful for them to pray with them about something that they had already gone through)

it was a sweet time of prayer

we then wen't back over to the marables

to watch the rangers

and eat burgers

go rangers!

excited about the world series!

what a sweet wonderful saturday!

so thankful for family and community to walk through life with,

whether it is enjoying a game, sharing the love of Jesus with others,

or praying for one another at their time of desperation -

community is the way to go.

thank you Lord for your body and the way that you use it!

i am so glad to be apart of it!

happy monday!

A Mommy/Duncan Date :)

2011-10-12T11:06:00.001-05:00

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Apples

2011-10-07T14:34:00.001-05:00

This little girl loves them!

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How we . . . Get a Haircut

2011-10-06T16:40:00.001-05:00

How we . . . Get a Haircut (or two)

my kids hair grows really fast

(except for campbell) so we have to get haircuts somewhat frequently

i thought i would do a short post on how we do it with some random tips that help me get through the haircut by myself

1. If you can do it on a day your husband has off - do it then :)

2. If number 1 works out for you - then you don't need any of this advice :)

3. If #1 doesn't apply - then follow these simple steps

4. Go first thing in the morning

(i must advise you though - the place we go doesn't open until 10,

i have tried to go at 9:30 and much to my dismay wasn't able to

accomplish the haircut because the place was closed)

5. Going first thing allows the kids to be in happy spirits

and hopefully means you won't have to wait

which is KEY when having two kids getting a hair cut

and a toddler sister

6. Hype it up and talk about what you are going to do after the haircut

(we were going to play baseball at the park -

so this was a fun reward after the haircut!)

7. Be specific with what you want in the haircut

(saves time on having to come back later if they do it wrong :))

8. Encourage your 2 year old that he is SUCH a BIG BOY

that he can sit on the chair - ALL BY HIMSELF :)

(helps him feel important and allows you to watch baby sister)

9. We like going to Sport's Clips because they have tv's they can

watch sports on while they get the haircut

(it is less expensive than the "kid specific" places but does a fine job

and has something to distract the kids while getting their hair cut)

10. Tell them how handsome they look afterwards

11. Treat everyone with lolly pops

And that's . . . How we . . . get a haircut!

Oscar "Nacho" Libre's 2nd Birthday

2011-10-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

we celebrated sweet oscar's 2nd birthday on saturday

with an awesome "nacho libre" themed party

it was so cute,

all of the food was from the party

and they had a "wrestling ring" for the kids to play in

which was a big hit

i didn't get any pictures of the decor

and only a few of my kids

i was too busy

talking, eating, and keeping up with the kids

so this is what i have:

typical picture of campbell with food running down her dress

and this girl loves to eat - she loved the popsicles

and had three i think :)

sweet brothers

love that ;)

here is campbell with another food item in her mouth :)

i'm all done mom - can i have another?

we love you oscar and are thankful for your sweet, sensitive

fun personality!

so glad to know you and watch you grow!

(sad i didn't get any pics of the birthday boy at his party)

pumpkins & a goodbye

2011-10-03T14:24:00.006-05:00

our playgroup from church went to the

arboretum on friday

it was a BEAUTIFUL day!

thank goodness (the day before the high was 99!)

i tried to get a pic of all three of my kids

apparently

they decided that wasn't a good idea

i know

i am the mom

but when it has to do with pumpkins and pictures -

i decided my best bet was to come again with some back up help :)

oh - and my dad asked from my last post,

and i have been meaning to say -

duncan will only wear his ATM shirt and this texas ranger shirt

he has started to become opinionated on his wardrobe - nice

so it is not because i am such the aggie fan that i put him in it every day-

he just insists on it

and i have decided - it doesn't matter that much if he wears the same

shirts most days :)

sweet sparrow and eli

were better for their mom in taking pictures

love the hand on the hip in this picture

cuttie pie!

i attempted a pic and just these two -

and just these two

but obviously it didn't work ;)

i even thought it might be better if i was holding the youngest two -
no such luck

this little guy is wearing me out!

he is so cute but so full of energy

i guess if we can't get the kids to take a good picture,

at least some of the mom's can :)

they are so cute together

riding in the cinderella's carriage

magen, sara, and wilson came at the end to say good-bye to everyone

they were leaving for san antonio that afternoon

i could tell jayden knew something was going on,

because he was real clingy to sara which he normally is not

they were so cute playing "ring around the rosy"

saying goodbye to our sweet, precious friend

they love eachother

magen and i were both trying not to totally break down

at this moment

love them

campbell had had enough and this was how we found her after our goodbyes!

happy monday

quiroz going away party :(

2011-10-02T20:37:00.000-05:00

yes - i purposefully put a frowning face for

my dear friends going away party

because that is how i feel

i am super excited for them and the new adventure that awaits them

but

sad

that

they

are

not

here

anymore.

we had a fun potluck dinner at flagpole hill park

it was a great way to celebrate them

in a low-key,

kid friendly way

as you can see,

they were well loved

with so many people there to love on them

and say their good-bye's

i am so thankful for my friend magen

and the amazing friendship that we have developed these past

4 years.

it has been such a blessing to do life with her

and raise our kids together.

we went through a lot of "firsts" together

with jayden & sara

she was a specific answer to a prayer of mine

and for that i am forever thankful.

we will always be close -

i just wish we would always live close :)

i love you magen.

thanks for everything.

your the best!

2011-10-01T19:57:00.002-05:00

jayden had his 3rd soccer game last week

it was fun to watch because it is finally starting to "click" for him

he was aggressive with trying to get the ball

and had a couple of break-aways :)

i think this was his motivation :)

2 of his aunts were there to cheer him on :)

duncan & ek really enjoyed the game too

campbell in a typical pose ;)

sweet girl

busy boy

it was so fun!

i am excited to see what game #4 is like on monday!

stay tuned ;)

Hats :)

2011-09-28T16:39:00.001-05:00

Duncan wanted to put on a hat yesterday.

And then this little miss wanted to as well.

I guess that is what happens when you have two older brothers :)

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The kids

2011-09-27T14:10:00.001-05:00

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Felice's Teddy Bear Picnic 3rd Birthday

2011-09-25T22:45:00.000-05:00

sweet felice had a teddy bear picnic birthday party

on friday

dana, of course, made everything precious

(and probably did everything at the 11th hour - but you would never know that by the way it all looks!)

sweet fam with the birthday girl

my kids loved the chocolate cupcakes :)

such a typical duncan face

sweet boy

happy monday!

Happy First Day of Fall :)

2011-09-23T16:40:00.001-05:00

I got us ready with some fall plants and a fall wreath

(now it is just time for some more cool weather)

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Soccer Game #2

2011-09-21T14:09:00.003-05:00

jayden had his second soccer game on monday night

i missed the first one because i had to work

(so no pics from that night - jordan had all three by himself at the game - quite the challenge!)

i love how cute they look in their uniforms!

this year is an improvement from last year

but still there is a LONG way to go!

i asked some of the mom's in jayden's class

when do the kids actually "get" soccer,

they said not until first or second grade

jayden did kick the ball more this time

so that was good!

btw -

I LOVED having my zoom lens for the game

such a great addition for sports!

duncan was very fixated on having his soccer ball

sweet boy

the best part of the game -

these cool sports drink bottles

that the boys got after the game

SCORE!

The Kids First Movie

2011-09-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

last weekend

the marables invited us to

go see winnie the pooh

at the dollar theater

it was the kids first movie

jayden LOVED it

duncan sat through 1/2 of it

campbell really enjoyed the popcorn :-)

it was a fun experience

and a great way to do it

when it was only $10 (with popcorn)

these cousins are so cute together

it is kind of hard these days

getting a pic of the three of them looking in the correct direction

molly and campbell are a little easier :)

little miss

when we got home

thanks marables for inviting us

it was a fun experience

and a great way to do it!

we love yall!

Mary Beth is Back!!!

2011-09-19T14:58:00.005-05:00

yea!!!

mary beth and macy

came back yesterday from

uganda

their flight was delayed from chicago

so we went to cafe express for

a quick dinner before getting her . . .

we have quite a long table with the growing sudan family :)

sadly -

we were a few minutes late in getting there

so poor mb

had to get to the baggage claim

with none of us there

nice.

we all felt horrible.

i guess her plane got in a few minutes early

but

we reunited

and that is all that mattered :)

here she is meeting hallie for the first time

sweet alex and b

(I love how sweet and tender he was with mary beth - so sweet!)

the kids found these random light things to play with

we all made signs-

i guess it would have made a better statement

if we were on time

mary beth and macy's friends who were at the airport

after we left the airport

we headed to our house

for a sudan style

party

chips.and.dips

and

desserts

we are easy to please :)

campbell thought she was as big as the older kids

we are so glad you are back B!

we have missed you so much.

can't wait for you to move back in with us!!!!

thank you for giving your life for the least of these in africa!

great is your reward.

When we were suppose to be at world mandate . . .

2011-09-17T12:11:00.001-05:00

Me and the younger two ended up at mayborn :-)

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Magen's Bday

2011-09-14T14:14:00.005-05:00

my sweet, dear, (so sad she is moving i can't even talk about it), wonderful friend

magen

had her birthday

on saturday

so we celebrated

her

we went to eno's (i think that is how you spell it) for dinner

with friends

bob & amy

stacy & tina

goodens & zach

kenten & karis

me & (how many pictures do i have to take at each event) jordan

dana & i

after dinner we surprised magen

with desserts at our house

it was so fun

we got to love and encourage her

which was so good

everyone loves magen

and i know she

felt the

love

amy, marci, & karis

joey, zach, & jordan

daniel's & ogden's

magen & i

magen, dana, and i

sweet quiroz fam

we were attempting to pose correctly for this picture

apparently there are certain ways you are to stand to make

yourselves look thinner in a picture :)

i like jordan's neck out - i think it does him well :)

ogden's & quiroz's

quiroz's & carona's

magen & dana

we love you magen

and are so thankful for your life

you are a blessing to

all who know you.

Family Fun Night: September

2011-09-13T13:33:00.005-05:00

another one of our goals from our marriage retreat

was to have a family fun night once a month.

it doesn't have to be anything big (or expensive!)

but something we could do together

as a family that is different

than our normal routine of life

so friday night we

headed downtown

to a new park on main street

it was a great place to go!

we got dinner and ate it out by the fountains

the kids loved playing in the water

it was nice because it wasn't deep at all

perfect to splash around in :)

jordan was trying to teach the boys how to play

a game

there is also a really modern playground

in this area

i love this pic of duncan with the downtown buildings behind him

don't you love campbell's outfit?

so so cute!

we had a great time

i am enjoying trying to be intentional and making memories with my sweet family!

Change of Season: Fall

2011-09-08T16:58:00.004-05:00

one of the goals jordan and i made on our vision retreat -

was to celebrate the seasons and the changing of seasons.

we wanted to teach our kids that there are different

season's in life for different things.

for example - summer - it is a time of more play,

less work, later bedtimes, etc

but now we are transitioning to fall.

(i know it is not actually fall - but the "season" is fall, back to school time)

so we decided to have some activities that represented the season and teach

our kids what the fall season looks like for us

(more structure, earlier bedtime, school, hard work, fuller schedule, etc)

our theme for the fall/change of season was APPLES

we chose a couple of activities that had to do with apples

to teach them about the transition

yes, we did apple bobbing ;-)

(jordan's idea)

the kids LOVED it

however - we discovered - this is alot harder than we thought

so we threw some clementines into the mix

(and jordan was the only successful "bobber")

the kids LOVED having a special night

and I was so glad to see how easy it was for us

yet meant a lot to the kids

we made a baked apple recipe

(super easy and just cooked in the microwave)

while we made an apple art craft

for this i just cut an apple in two

and had the kids paint with it

how much easier could it be?

i am not that crafty of a mom,

so i know all of you school teachers and crafty moms are thinking -

come on christy - really - this is stuff we do everyday with our kids :)

i don't - so that is what made this special :)

all in all -

i would say it was a really successful

change of season night!

i am excited about doing it again during the winter!

if you have good ideas for me then - let me know!

soccer

2011-09-07T15:23:00.003-05:00

jayden has his first soccer practice tomorrow

we were outside this morning practicing

of course mr. duncan had to join us

he does whatever big brother does

and little miss thinks she can play soccer too

jordan thinks she could be good at it, considering she has two older brothers

she might be one tough little cookie - which would help her in the game :-)

after practicing for awhile

ek, molly, and amy came over

popsicles were consummed

and all was well

happy wednesday

Baylor game

2011-09-06T13:22:00.000-05:00

as most of you know,

Baylor had its first game on friday night.

sic 'em bears :)

we beat TCU in an amazing game!

even though i was deep asleep when the actual game was over, i had to work the next day and get kids in bed :-)

we headed over to blake & amy's to watch the game

it was fun because the whole gang was there

we sported everyone in their baylor gear so that is always fun too!

i got to hold sweet hallie

the kids have so much energy together

(and uncle jason helps stir up any energy they have to the next level)

i mean, how cute is she?

watching the game

this little miss is officially a walker

sic 'em bears!

i am excited about a fun football season!

(Guest Post) Retired: Lessons Learned from a Decade of Socks

2011-09-05T12:57:00.002-05:00

Retired: Lessons learned from a decade of socks

Though the original owner of these socks is debatable, the longevity and consistency of said socks is unquestionable. Whenever they were called on for duty, they were a faithful pair.

And there are lessons we can learn from this faithful pair.

1a.. That they were a pair and remained a pair. In a day and age where it is becoming increasingly acceptable to part ways with one's covenant mate, they resisted the spirit of the age and went against the grain. Though they did most of their activities together, there were times when they were separated due to certain washing conditions or various and sundry kid-nabbings. When they caught sight of younger, less worn socks - they remained faithful to one another to the end.

1b. Community commitment. They did not isolate themselves when one was turned inside out. They did not grumble and complain when one was given the right foot of fellowship. They were in it for the team - and understood that though neither was indispensable, it took both of them playing their role for organizational success.

2. At the same time, they never 'paired off' from the rest of the community. While it is true that there were stretches of life where they camped in the gym bag away from the others, that was during times of training. They could re-assimilate themselves with the best of them. They treated the single socks the same as the paired socks - showing no favoritism to either stage of life.

3. Persevering under trials. They did not let disappointment deter their resolve. Though certain training runs and races were unable to be completed because of user error, they always got back on the horse the next go round.

4. Ready in season and out. Evening, morning or noon. Winter, summer, spring, fall. Short run, long run, sprint work, cross train. They were a sock (pl) for all seasons.

5. Through thick and thin. They stuck with me through the thick and thin. Though their fabric is thinner in their older age, they never wore out in the traditional running sock spot: the achilles. They were in no way the traditional achilles heel.

6. Mortality. Though it appeared that these socks might challenge the known limits of sock-life, they too faced what all socks will face - the realization that they too will wear out and face the reality of their own liminality.

7. Identity. They may become part of a quilt, a bean bag or may play the part of a puppet - but that is not their identity. They knew who they were and why they were created - therefore they were able to serve their purpose in their generation.

As they are laid to rest today, I can safely say: well done, good and faithful socks.