The Houston Home

Easter

2010-04-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

Cuties!

2010-04-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

Annaliese's Birthday

2010-04-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from our little family birthday party for Annaliese.

Ethan & Annaliese's Joint Birthday

2010-04-18T22:07:00.001-07:00

I decided to do a joint birthday party for Ethan's 5th and Annaliese's 2nd birthdays this year. Many of their friends have brothers or sisters the same age as their sibling, so instead of having two birthday parties with the same friends within a month of each other, why not have their birthday party together!

McDonald's is where we had it, and it was a blast! I do, however, experience the same thing at McDonald's as I do Chuck E Cheese.....so many kids, so much noise, help me, Jesus! Thankfully, Dad (a.k.a. Grandpa to the kids) was able to come and help me!

Annaliese, Grandpa & friend Savannah

Ethan

Annaliese

Wonderful friends

More wonderful friends......We kind of took over the restaurant!

Ethan Chuck E Cheese Birthday

2010-04-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have a BIG "5" Year Old!

Here's a few pics from our celebration at Chuck E Cheese. (Which, by the way, is a place that my kids love, but I literally have to pray before going into! Something about all the noise and all the kid chaos almost sends me over the edge! Thankfully, there was no nervous break-down, and Ethan had a wonderful time!)

Roy & Sandy

Ethan & the cake he helped me bake & decorate.

Pop & Gigi with Ethan

Ethan & Auntie Kimmy

Annaliese talking to Chuck E on the phone

Trip to the Country

2010-04-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

One of Bobby's colleagues has some property that he invites Bobby to hunt on at least once a year. He generously invited Bobby & Ethan to do some exploring together on a non-hunt excursion. They had a blast! Ethan still talks about going back to the country ALL. THE. TIME.!!!!

Ethan got to drive the golf cart around the property.

He got up close and personal with a deer in the neighboring land.

He was able to "pretend" drive the big John Deere.

And he helped Daddy drive the bulldozer.

Not exactly a great picture of Ethan, but a pretty picture of Texas!

It can really snow in Texas!

2010-04-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

This was by far the snowiest winter in Texas in my lifetime! What fun it was for the kids!

Annaliese riding her "four-wheeler" in the snow. Ethan is in the background plotting how to sled down the little hill.

We actually got 12" in one 24 hour period! That's a BIG deal, y'all!

Ethan & Bobby built an igloo in the backyard. Ethan gives it a "thumbs-up"!

Both kids can fit in! (This picture cracks me up because a. Annaliese looks like she isn't too sure about this thing and b. Ethan is wearing Bobby's gloves and his hands look HUGE!)

Igloo and snow were still around several days later.

Favorites from Christmas Season

2010-04-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

Fun pictures from all the Christmas festivities......

(Please pardon this busy momma during Christmas. I didn't get pictures of everyone or everything as I would have hoped!)

Annaliese dressed up in her fur vest and winter boots.

Handsome Ethan

Present time fun at Sandy's house.

(left to right) Annaliese, Holly (Bobby's sister), Bobby, Robert (Bobby's dad), Julie (Bobby's sister), Hunter (Julie's husband), Ethan

Heidi, Dad & Laura

Being silly

Checking out the presents!

Christmas morning! (Annaliese was happy, I promise!)

See.....happy girl!

Daddy & his girl

Gigi, Heidi & Annaliese

Pop, Ethan, Uncle Kyle

Ethan Lost a Tooth!

2010-04-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

One day early November, Ethan asked me how old he would be when he started loosing his teeth. I told him probably not until he was six or so. The next day while we were in the car, Ethan said he was wiggling his tooth. I couldn't feel it while I was driving obviously, and forgot to check it out later in the day. I really didn't think his tooth could possibly be loose....I'm mean he was still four! Well, the next day he told me again that his tooth was loose and I finally checked it. Sure enough, it was not only very loose, but the permanent tooth was already growing in behind it! We pulled it out that afternoon. He was soooooo proud! And about a week later, we pulled the one next to it! I nearly cried the first time I played "tooth fairy"! My sweet boy is growing up!

Captain America

2009-10-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Every year I buy Ethan a costume to wear to our church's Fall Festival and every year he gets there and doesn't want to wear it! I don't fight him on it at all.....it just cracks me up! He has had fun wearing his costume around the house though, so at least we're getting some use out of it!

Annaliese likes to try it on too!

Here's a couple pictures of Ethan having fun at the Fall Festival. It was just Bobby & Ethan this year. I had to stay at home with Annaliese who was sick.

HUGE inflatable slide!

Zip Line - Ethan LOVED it!

Annaliese has a costume too - a pink poodle. Only she thinks it is just a stuffed animal and she carries it around and sleeps with it! I'm not sure she would have worn it if she was able to go to the festival. I'll try to capture a picture of that for you! She's cute!

Circus

2009-10-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

My mom got us tickets to the Shrine Circus. At first I was hesitant to go because I have heard some pretty weird things about the Shriners. But I was assured that no matter how odd the Shriner's practices might be, their circus was completely normal (if "normal" and "circus" are two words that can actually go together)! Plus, a lot of the profits go to their charity hospitals.

So, off we went! It was a cute little circus. They had clowns, tigers, acrobats, the works! Ethan got a real kick out of it! And we got there early and he got to ride an elephant!

Annaliese, on the other hand, was scared out of her mind. This picture pretty much sums up her expression the entire time!

Oh well! One out of two ain't bad! :)

Go Cowboys!!!

2009-10-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

I had a fun father/daughter date last month at the home opener for the Cowboys! It was their very first game in their new stadium. What an amazing place it is! Dad got some party-pass tickets from work and asked me to go with him. The party-passes are for the standing room only areas located at the pavilions near the end zones. I knew we would have to stand the whole time and probably wouldn't even see the field, but I didn't care.....it was the home opener at the new stadium.....and I was there with my dad!

The Cowboys lost, but we still had a good time! I can't wait to go with Bobby in December for the Cowboys/Chargers game!

Painted Toenails

2009-10-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

Annaliese showed interest in my painted toenails and it made me wonder if she was old enough for me to paint hers too? So, I sat Annaliese down and asked her if she wanted me to paint her toes. She smiled and nodded her head. How could I say no? So, I began to paint her little toenails. She was very still and took it all in. She then helped me blow on her nails to help them dry. All week long she would point to her nails to whomever was around and say, "pretty". Now when they start to wear off she grabs my hand and walks me into the bathroom and she points to the cabinet where I keep the polish. Apparently this is something she will be doing for the rest of her life!

Pretty Day, Pretty Dress, Pretty Square

2009-10-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty September day and Annaliese was in a pretty dress, so we thought we'd stop at the pretty square and take some pretty pictures!

And Ethan looked great too, but he was soooo tired! He could barely keep his eyes open!

Brother & Sister Love

2009-10-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Annaliese LOVES her doll

2009-10-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

When Bobby & I got away for our anniversary night away from the kids, Sandy brought Annaliese a new baby doll. Annaliese fell in love with her! From that point forward she has been attached to that thing!

She eats with her......

and sleeps with her....

It's her little friend!

Eleven Years!

2009-10-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where does time go? In August, Bobby & I celebrated eleven years of marriage! That is unbelievable to me. Sometimes it feels just like yesterday that we got married, and other times it feels like we've always been together!

I can't imagine my life without Bobby! He is so supportive and encouraging. He works hard to allow me to stay at home with our sweetie-pies. He is funny in his own quiet way. He loves the Lord with all his heart and he's handsome to boot! I am a very blessed woman!

For our anniversary we actually got away for a full 24-hours! Mom & Dale kept Ethan and Sandy & Roy stayed at our house with Annaliese. We spent the night at the Four Seasons (where Kimmy works). It was our first time to get away, just the two of us, in over five years! We had dinner at their lovely 5-star restaurant and enjoyed breakfast on our private patio! Hopefully it won't be another five years before we get away again!

All about Ethan

2009-10-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

I just love this boy! He is such a delight! His smile lights up a room and melts my heart!

Annaliese was taking her nap and Ethan told me to take some pictures of him "acting crazy". What a ham!

Jewelry Princess

2009-08-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

I think Annaliese might have a future on the Home Shopping Network. The girl has a THING for BLING!

It all started when Gigi bought Annaliese a play jewelry set.....

......complete with a tiara!

Gigi is sweet enough to have the set with her anytime we get together. Annaliese knows to look for it when Gigi's around!

And now she loves to wear my bracelets and my earrings that hook over her ears.....

Annaliese's Messianic Dance

2009-08-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Once a month there are Messianic services that take place at our church for the Messianic Jews in our congregation. It is so neat to see the Hebrew traditions incorporated into a spirit-filled worship service. And there is something so powerful when His "chosen people" have accepted Yeshua as their Lord and Savior!

A couple months ago I was on the worship team for the Messianic service. It's not a service I usually sing at so I was unfamiliar with the songs and had to learn them. I would say 75% of them are in Hebrew - not my second language! So for a couple of days I was listening to these songs non-stop to learn them. Every time this one song, "Baruch Adonai", came on Annaliese stopped what she was doing and had to dance!

You'll notice she also has a toothbrush in her hand, which was a phase she went through. She was teething her molars a couple months ago so I gave her some toothbrushes to gnaw on. She would carry those things around with her everywhere - to bed, in the car, in the bath....you get the idea.

And I also apologize for the mismatched bow in her hair. At this time, a couple months ago, she made a game of putting in and taking off her bows. Apparently yellow was the color she grabbed at that time!

Enjoy her little dance!

Back to Blogging

2009-08-27T21:28:00.001-07:00

Hello! Remember me? It's been so long I'm not sure you remember me or if I even remember how to do this blogging thing! You can blame it on Facebook! So many of my friends update on FB now that it's become my one-stop shop for staying in the loop. But I know not everyone, including a lot of my wonderful family members, has FB. Besides, I really do enjoy looking back at our little blog and seeing how the kids have grown and reliving the stories of our life!

So, I'm going to try to get this thing caught up and then update it regularly. Thanks for being patient with me!

Roadtrip to Mimi & Papa's

2009-06-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip to my Mimi & Papa's house in Arizona. We decided to drive rather than fly so we could take our time and stop when we needed to stop. I thought it would be less stressful than flying with the kids, and boy was I.......RIGHT! :) The kids did amazing both on the way there and the way back! This trip confirmed that I love road trips!

Here's Ethan trying out the neck pillow in our rented Minivan.

This was right after bath time in the hotel in Albuquerque. Ethan was a little excited to be there! It's the first hotel stay that he remembers.....

(Notice how Annaliese just watches while Ethan is going crazy!)

At Papa & Mimi's house. Ethan was so excited to have a special little bed to sleep in!

Johnnie is my cousin, Ethan's 2nd cousin. They were instantly best friends and had a blast with each other all week.

This is at my Aunt Sherrie's and Uncle Dave's house for Mimi's 70th birthday party.

(Front L-R: Ethan, Megan, Papaw, Heidi, Annaliese, Mimi. Back L-R: Cara, Aunt Sherrie, Aunt Lora, Papa, Johnnie and Uncle David)

I love this picture of Ethan watching Mimi open her presents!

Mimi with her grandkids and great-grandkids.

(L-R: Johnnie, Ethan, Mimi, Annaliese, Megan, Cara & Heidi)

Mimi telling the story of Jack & The Beanstalk to Ethan.

Papa & Annaliese

Bobby, Johnnie and Ethan at a pretty park.

Papa swinging the boys. Notice how both boys have their mouths wide open.....I'm not sure what they were doing! :)

We had such a fun time catching up with Mimi & Papa and all the aunts, uncles and cousins. I wish we lived closer!

Easter Egg Fun

2009-04-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

So, Brother, that's what you do with your basket?

Let me try......

On the hunt

I found some!!!!

Thanks for the lift, Grandpa!

Good Friday

2009-04-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

We decided to go to one of our church's Good Friday services to avoid the "Easter Rush" the rest of the weekend. Church was great! After, we stopped for Mexican food on the the way home. I think we will make it our Good Friday tradition - Yum! :-)

I know most of us remember daily the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made for us and we are so thankful. But I don't think we always walk in the gravity of what Jesus did for us and the overwhelming joy that comes from accepting Him as our Risen Lord. I'm thankful for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday as times to really reflect and be grateful for the work of the cross. Because Christ bore my shame, sorrow and sin on the cross, I live and have life more abundantly. Thank you, Jesus!

Here are the kids in their Easter outfits. I could NOT get Annaliese to stand still, so these are the kids in action!

Annaliese's 1st Birthday!

2009-04-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

Our little sweetie-pie turned one year old! Say it ain't so! This year has really flown by!

Annaliese is 17 lbs. 11 oz. and 31 inches long.....still tall and skinny!

She is walking all over the place,

waves bye-bye,

shakes head no,

bounces up and down to music,

says "mamma", "dadda", "bubba",

favorite foods are cheese, broccoli and strawberries,

has 9 teeth and counting,

and melts all our hearts every day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNALIESE!

We had the special pleasure of having Grandpa & Grandma Sondeno and Uncle Dudley & Aunt Cynthia in town for Eric's wedding. They were able to help us celebrate Annaliese's first birthday. This was the first time Annaliese met her great-grandparents and great aunt!

(L to R) Annaliese, Ethan, Bobby, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Dudley, Aunt Cynthia, Dale, Mom, Kimmy

Yum! She liked her cake!

Fun opening presents!

Blowing kisses with Auntie Cynthie

Daddy capturing the fun on the video cam.

Eric's Wedding

2009-04-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

My step-brother, Eric got married last weekend to a sweetie named Stephanie. My grandparents and uncle & aunt came down for the wedding. It was such a sweet ceremony and we say a big CONGRATULATIONS to the happy couple!

Ethan got to be the ring-bearer and he looked so handsome in his tux! He's getting this ring-bearer thing down and did a great job walking down the aisle and standing on his spot at the front of the chapel. After the prayer, Ethan and the other ring-bearer and flower girl sat down. Shortly thereafter, Ethan had to go potty, so we tried to make a discreet exit. The sole of Ethan's rented tux shoe decided to come slowly off while we were walking to the back of the tile-floored chapel.....it sounded something like this: clap....CLAP....clap......CLAP.....clap.....CLAP CLAP.....clap.....CLAP CLAP! Oh well, what can you do? By the time we made it to the back, the entire sole fell off!

Ethan was oh-so serious when we first put his tux on. He probably took half an hour before he would smile! (Bobby's kind of the same way when he has to get dressed up...haha!)

Special picture with Grandma & Grandpa Sondeno

Ethan's 4th Birthday

2009-03-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind in my postings....okay, a LOT behind.....things are busy around here, what can I say? :-)

Ethan turned 4 a couple weeks ago and we celebrated his birthday at a fun bounce house warehouse. There was lots of crawling, climbing, sliding and jumping.

Ethan going up with friend Landon

Sliding down!

Cute Chloe, Ethan's friend from church

Even Pop got in on the action!

Annaliese crawled all over

Lighting McQueen car cake

Ethan blowing at cake with party favor

Annaliese trying a piece of pizza crust

Opening presents!

I can't believe my baby is such a big boy now! (Cue the sappy violin music....) It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital, and now he is independent in many ways. He can strap himself into his booster car seat, he can open a banana by himself, he turns on and plays his computer games without my assistance and he can brush his teeth and wash himself alone (with my supervision, of course), to name a few. Our primary concern as parents has shifted from physical well-being and safety being our number one concern to Godly character and education being top priority. We are so proud of Ethan and are excited about what this year has in store!

She's Walking!

2009-02-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

This is another sideways video. I'm sorry about this.....I keep forgetting to not turn my camera long-ways when I'm doing a video. Just tilt your head and enjoy! :-)

Bath Time!

2009-02-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Annaliese is now big enough to take baths outside her little baby bathtub and in the "big" bathtub. So, we thought it would be fun, and a great photo opportunity to give the kiddos a bath together.

Bobby was the one that tried this a couple weeks ago while I was singing at church and he was home taking care of the kids. Apparently, he did not check Annaliese's diaper before placing her in the tub, because he placed Annaliese and her poopy in the bath with Ethan. Ethan freaked out about the poopy and started crying. Then Annaliese started crying because Ethan was crying. And I'm sure Bobby wanted to then start crying because both kids were crying and now he had to start the cleaning process over. Whew! Poor Bobby!

Well, we decided to try again.....this time with both parents helping to wrangle two slippery kids. SUCCESS! Both kids had a blast and we got our pictures! Yay!

This might be the last double kid bath though.....it was fun, but a LOT of work! :-)

Country Clubbin'

2009-02-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went country clubbin'. Yeah, that's how we roll! Just kidding! :o)

We did however, enjoy a Sunday brunch and golf cart tour of the grounds of a local country club, thanks to a Colleyville Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificate we were given. We are having just PERFECT weather the last few days, and Sunday was no exception. Of course, the golf course and grounds were just beautiful and lush and green.....it made me soooo ready for Spring!

Ethan was so excited to help Daddy "drive" a golf cart!

Both kids behaved so well while we were there. They were really on their best "country club behavior"! Ha!

Annaliese at the Wedding

2009-02-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

Annaliese also looked great for the wedding! Here she is checking herself out in the mirror.

Ringbearer Ethan

2009-02-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

Bobby's sister, Julie, got married a couple weeks ago and they asked Ethan to be the ringbearer.

Ethan looked so handsome!

When it was time, he walked slowly down the aisle smiling and holding his pillow "like a pizza box". He stood up at the front of the chapel on the exact spot that I showed him to stand. He stood there perfectly still and quiet.....for about ten minutes. He decided that was long enough so he decided to come sit down with Bobby, Annaliese & me. He really did great!

Then it was on to the reception for dancing!!! It took him a few minutes to convince the flower girl to dance with him, but he finally wore her down and they danced the night away!

Ethan & Annaliese Giggle

2009-02-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

There is nothing sweeter to me than the sound of my kids laughter! I am so thankful that Ethan & Annaliese are entertained by each other!

Christmas Light Tangle

2009-02-02T22:52:00.000-08:00

I just thought this was a cute moment.....
When we were taking down our Christmas decorations on New Year's Day, Annaliese tried to assist, but got tangled up in the lights. She was not happy with her efforts!

Bad, Bad Blogger!

2009-02-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

I am sooo sorry for being a bad, bad blogger during the month of January! I think the holidays wiped me out (in a good way), and I needed a little break! I am now refreshed and ready to blog again, so be looking for several blog posts this week to catch everyone up!

Christmas with Bobby's Dad

2008-12-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

Our final Christmas celebration was yesterday afternoon. We had Bobby's dad, grandma, aunt and sisters over. Here are a couple pictures from our day:

We have four generations in this picture!

Best Gift of All

2008-12-29T19:34:00.001-08:00

All month long we have been talking with Ethan about the true meaning of Christmas - how God loved the world so much that he decided to send His son, Jesus, to earth as a baby, so that everyone who receives Jesus into their hearts will have everlasting life. And that the reason we give gifts to each other is because Jesus was God's gift to us. We have also had numerous conversations over time about how we are all sinners and we need a Savior - that Jesus is that Savior if we ask Him to come into our hearts.
So, the day before Christmas Eve, I was running errands with Ethan & Annaliese and Ethan & I were discussing this on our drive. He asked me if I have Jesus in my heart. I told him yes, I did. He then said, "Pray it again." So, I indulged him and prayed the prayer of salvation for myself. Then he said, "Pray it for me." I told him that I can't ask Jesus into his heart for him, but that if he wanted to make that decision for himself, I would help him pray the prayer. Ethan told me that he did want to ask Jesus into his heart. So I lead him in the prayer with him repeating every line: "Dear Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. And you came to give me everlasting life. Please forgive me of my sin. Please come into my heart. Help me to be like you. I love you, Jesus. Amen."
I know Ethan is young, but I am not about to discount the fact that the Holy Spirit resonates in the tiny spirits of children. The bible says that, "From the mouths of babes and infants, you have ordained praise." I know the angels rejoiced with me & Bobby over his decision!
Thank you, Jesus, for giving Ethan a heart after you. Help him to be more like you and have an ever-increasing desire to know you. Give him a heart for righteousness. Help him to be a leader, standing strong in his faith. Protect him and keep him healthy. Praise you, Lord!

Christmas at Pop & Gigi's

2008-12-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

After a leisurely morning at home with the kids, we headed over to Pop & Gigi's house for more Christmas merriment that afternoon. We had a fun time with Pop, Gigi & Kyle. There was a Scrabble game that I demand a redo of!

Ethan, Bobby, Heidi & Annaliese

Ethan, Pop, Gigi & Annaliese

Kimmy, Mom & Heidi

Ethan, Gigi & Aunt Kimmy

Gigi with Annaliese

Christmas Morning

2008-12-29T18:14:00.000-08:00

For the first time as our little family, we celebrated Christmas together on Christmas morning. It was the most fun I have had at Christmas since I was kid! I have always heard how Christmas is for the kids, and for the first time I totally got that. I was so happy to see Ethan & Annaliese with their wonder and excitement, that wondering what I received for Christmas was not even a thought this year. I will really treasure the memories we made!

Here are some pictures from our fun-filled morning:

Here's the kids with their stockings

Ethan playing with his new kaleidoscope, Bobby checking out Ethan's pop-up bug book and Annaliese on the move

Sweet Annaliese taking it all in!

Annaliese playing with new toy

Handsome Ethan on his new bike!

Christmas with Dad, Laura & Kimmy

2008-12-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we had Dad, Laura & Kimmy over for Christmas dinner & more presents! We had a GREAT time!

Ethan waiting to open presents!

Laura, Dad & Annaliese (with Ethan's arm - sorry!)

Laura, Ethan & Dad

Bobby & Ethan

Ethan with his new bike!

Christmas with Bobby's Mom

2008-12-29T14:58:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve Eve, we had Bobby's mom, step-dad & sister over for a Christmas dinner and presents. Here are some pictures from our time together:

Annaliese & her new Waterbaby

Ethan on his new scooter!

Ethan with Aunt Holly

Roy, Annaliese, Sandy, Ethan, Bobby & Holly

Santa Picture

2008-12-26T11:12:00.000-08:00

We almost didn't get a Santa picture this year, but we managed to sneak away for a little bit on Christmas Eve morning to go get a picture. Boy am I glad we did! Check out the picture:

Ethan was excited to see Santa and asked for toys (nothing specific, just a general wish). Annaliese on the other hand was not so happy.....Oh well, she'll get a kick one day of looking at this picture!

Silly Little Elves

2008-12-14T22:03:00.001-08:00

A couple of my blogging friends posted similar videos and I just had to copy their idea....I knew Ethan would get a kick out of it!

So, enjoy our silly little elf video!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Pudding Face

2008-12-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

I just thought this was funny.....

Ethan was eating chocolate pudding and when he was finished, his face looked like this:

It looks like he has a moustache & goatee! He looked in the mirror and laughed and said he looked like a pirate!

On the Move

2008-12-12T10:40:00.001-08:00

I thought that my little Annaliese would be a late-bloomer with crawling & walking because of her size. For the last couple months she's been perfectly content to sit in one place and play with whatever toy Ethan would bring her. Well, someone must have sent her the memo that she turned eight months old because she decided to do just about everything this past week! She is scooting, crawling, pulling up, cruising along furniture, and standing for a couple seconds at a time. She can get from one end of the room to the other and has even pulled off a couple Christmas ornaments!

That will be the last time I underestimate my little girl! She is small, but MIGHTY!

I caught a few pictures of her in action.....

Hmmm, something over there looks interesting. I think I'll check it out!

Oh wow! It's a neat bar stool!

It is just the perfect place for pulling up and standing!

Big brother had to see what all the fuss was about!

Peek-A-Boo!

Mommy realizes her world just got a lot more busy!

Christmas Fun

2008-12-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

Gigi took the kids & I for a trip to the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine to view all their beautiful Christmas decorations. They have a huge train display which Ethan LOVED, life-size gingerbread house, huge tree and decorations galore! It was a fun little "field trip". Thanks Gigi!

!

Two More Short Videos

2008-12-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

Here are two more short videos:

Sorry....this one is sideways, but cute!

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And this one is dark, but sweet!

Video of Ethan & Annaliese

2008-12-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

I finally have a videos of Ethan & Annaliese to share with you! Here's the first one. It's from a couple of months ago, but it is really cute! You can see the typical interaction between Ethan & Annaliese. Watch til the end if you are a Pogue or Sondeno great-grandparent for a special message from Ethan!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

I'm Thankful For.....

2008-11-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

1. The free gift of salvation
2. My wonderful hubby
3. My sweet, sweet kids
4. All of our family...parents, sister, grandparents, great-grandparents
5. Our home
6. Our awesome church
7. All of our fun friends
8. All of our other friends who aren't fun (ha ha, just kidding)
9. Thanksgiving Leftovers
11. Gas at about $1.60/gal
12. Christmas music and decorations
13. Mi Cocina, La Hacienda and Los Molcajetes
14. Singing on the worship team
15. Stein Mart
16. Texas
17. Disposable diapers
18. The Food Network
19. that Bobby keeps our cars in working order
20. that Bobby loves to play with the kids
21. that Bobby is so handy
22. Ethan's sticky kisses
23. Ethan's infectious laughs
23. Annaliese's sweet smile
24. Annaliese's cuddles
25. online shopping
26. Southlake Town Square
27. our sweet nursery workers
28. Spinach Cheese Dip in a Sourdough bread bowl
29. my digital camera
30. my Chi hair iron

Ashley's 30th Birthday

2008-11-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends, Ashley Hicks, turned thirty this past week. (Man, do I feel old! But she still has a couple years on me! Ha!) To celebrate we had a girl's weekend at the Gaylord Texan hotel in Grapevine. We got pedicures, had dinner, put on a play-pageant and spent the night together in a beautiful suite. It was soooo much fun! We were a bunch of silly girls all weekend, but it was a blast! It was my first night away from Annaliese, but Bobby & the kids did great and had a great time together!

Getting Pedicures Together

(Alyse, Ashley, me, Dana)

Group Shot from Dinner

Me & Ash

Pageant Contestants

Me trying to steal the crown away from the winner!

Cutest Kids in the Whole Wide World!

2008-11-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

I have decided that I have the cutest kids in the whole wide world! I know I'm going to have friends that disagree with that statement, and that's okay! To me, no one is cuter!

(Daddy's pretty cute too!)

Very silly Ethan!

Playing Dress Up

2008-11-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

Because Annaliese is on the small side for her age, we had a couple warm-weather outfits that were too big for her until now. This little dress & hat is one of my favorites. Even though it is too chilly to wear the outfit now, that didn't stop Mommy from having a little dress-up photo shoot with Annaliese!

Fall Fest

2008-11-10T11:34:00.001-08:00

As an alternative to Halloween, our incredible church hosts a Fall Festival at Dragon Stadium every year. They have bounce houses, petting zoo, rides, food vendors and lots of games and candy. We bundled up and met all the grandparents for a fun night!

Ethan had a Buzz Lightyear costume to wear, but when it was time to get ready to go he told me, "I don't want to be Buzz. I'll just be Ethan.". I told him that was just fine and a very good thing to be. We brought the costume with us, just in case he changed his mind, but he was happy being Ethan all night! He reminded me of myself. I remember several years growing up where I just wanted to be me too!

Pop, Gigi & Annaliese

Grandpa and Ethan eating pizza. (With his hood & sunglasses on, it kind of looks like we dressed him up as a rapper! That was not intended!)

Pop helping Ethan with the golf game

Grandpa with Annaliese

Ma with Ethan playing a game

Mommy with Annaliese (where is she under that fur hood?)

Happy Boy!

Little Bonnet Baby

2008-11-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

One of the outfits I received at my shower for Annaliese included a cute little bonnet. I was a little bonnet baby growing up - my mom dressed me in them often. I guess that is what they did with little girls before the elastic headbands and stick-on bows! So, when I dressed Annaliese in this outfit I felt a bit nostalgic!

Such a pretty girl!

I love those eyes & lashes! And I love the drool dripping off her lip! :-)

Ethan's 1st Camping Trip

2008-11-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

The highlight of Bobby & Ethan's month last month was Ethan's first camping trip. Our lifegroup guys went to Possum Kingdom Lake for a weekend campout. Boy oh boy, did they have fun!

First of all, let me say that it was a test of faith for me as a mom! I did a lot of praying that weekend for Ethan's safety! God is faithful and kept His hand on everyone, and Bobby did a great job of keeping watch of Ethan. He's such a good dad!

They did all the traditional camping stuff....slept in a tent with sleeping bags, cooked over a fire, made s'mores, pee-peed on trees, went exploring and fished. Ethan loved every minute of it! We gave Ethan a whistle to wear as a safety precaution and he never took it off all weekend!

I'm ready to go fishin'!

Off we go!

Hmmm.....see any fish? (Ethan is with his friend Landon who also went camping.)

This is how it's done, son.

Ethan's telling Tim (photographer, friend & lifegroup leader) how to do it!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-08T21:07:00.001-08:00

While Bobby was out of town last month on business, Pop & Gigi took the kids & I to the cute little pumpkin patch in Colleyville. It was so much fun!

Pop helping Ethan ride the little tractor. (Those things are HARD to get going! You would think they would grease the wheels!)

Ethan on the big tractor

Eating yummy kettle corn

What a cutie!

Peek-a-boo!

Mommy and her punkins!

Goin' on a hayride!

Feeding the cows some bread. Kinda gross and slimy, but oh so fun!

Mamma Mia!

2008-11-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

Kimmy & I took my mom to Mamma Mia at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth for her birthday last month. Dale and Kimmy's boyfriend, Jared, joined us, while Bobby stayed at home with the kids (he's soooo not into musicals!). It was such a FUN show! And, I forgot how beautiful the Bass Hall is! I hadn't been downtown in a couple of years (yes, really) and the whole experience made me remember how much I love Fort Worth!

Bass Hall Atrium

Jared, Kimmy, Mom & Dale on outdoor terrace at Bass Hall

And a picture of Ethan & Annaliese from that day for good measure! I mean, we can't have a post without them, can we? :-)

Annaliese At Play

2008-11-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few cute pictures of little Annaliese playing on her gym.

Up and Running Again!

2008-11-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

After what felt like YEARS, I am up and running again with a brand new computer! Woohoo! Thanks to Santa (Bobby), Christmas came early this year and we got to replace our old, slow computer.

I am now able to resume my blog posts! Yay! I feel like so much has happened with the kids in the last couple of months! It's amazing how quickly they grow up! So, I'll be playing catch-up over the next few days with lots of pictures, stories & quotes - check back often!

Thanks everyone for your patience! I know you grandparents and great-grandparents have been especially anxious to see some updates!

Quick Update

2008-10-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

We're still having technical difficulties, but I thought I could probably do a quick post before my computer crashes on me! :-)

Annaliese is now six months old! Can you believe it? Where does the time go?
She is 27" long (90th percentile for height) and 13 lbs. 12 oz (10th percentile for weight). So basically, she's still very tall and skinny! She is sitting up and rolling over and is grabbing everything she can! She has two teeth and two more will be coming through any day now. She loves eating her baby food.

Ethan and Annaliese still love each other to pieces and are already best friends!

Bobby's going to be bringing his laptop home and letting me use it on the weekends and some weeknights, so I hope to post pictures and longer, more frequent posts really soon!

Technical Difficulties

2008-09-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

I know it's been too long since my last post! I have a lot of cute pictures and stories to share, and I will eventually post them! Our computer is on its last leg and I'm having a terrible time getting it to cooperate with me! I've put in an early Christmas gift request with Santa (a.k.a. Bobby) for a new computer, so we'll see if I've been on the naughty or nice list this year!

Pool Fun!

2008-09-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Brad & Leah Ball, invited us over on Sunday for hot dogs & swimming. We had such a fun time! Brad is one of my nearly life-long friends. Brad & Leah bought Brad's childhood home and have totally remodeled and updated it. I have so many fond memories from that house and it was fun to go back and make some new memories with all of our kids!

Brad & Leah have one-year old twins - Tori & Tanner. They are just precious! Ethan & Tanner had the same swim trunks and Ethan thought that was really cool!

Ethan is a water lover, has had a couple years of swim lessons, and is almost able to swim independently from us. But, this day we had him wear his arm floaties so we wouldn't have to worry about him. He told us in the car on the way home that, "Those arm things kept me up in that deep water, but they got in the way of my really good swimming!"

Here's all the kids.....Annaliese, Tori, Tanner & Ethan (L to R)
It was hard to get all the kids to look at the camera at the same time!

I love this picture of Annaliese with her sunhat on! She didn't care for the water....too cold!

Here's Leah with Tanner & Tori in their "Baby Boats"

We didn't get any pictures of Brad & Bobby.....but they were there, I promise!

Picture Catch-Up

2008-09-08T13:52:00.001-07:00

Brother & Sister

Annaliese with Aunt Holly

Ethan with Aunt Holly

Ethan driving a Jeep made of big blocks

Annaliese with Aunt Julie

Ethan as Buzz Lightyear

To Infinity and Beyond!

Daddy & Annaliese

Sarah Palin for President 2012!

2008-09-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

If you will indulge me, I am going to do a political post tonight and I'll post a family update later.....

Prior to last Friday I was planning on voting for McCain, but it would not have been an enthusiastic vote. It would be more of a vote against Obama and a half-hearted vote of support. McCain by himself, while a hero and someone to admired, is not as conservative as I would like.

But then, last Friday, he introduced Sarah Palin as his running mate. Whoa Baby! I had actually seen Sarah Palin on Glenn Beck a few months ago and heard a few people toss out her name as a possible VP pick, but I didn't think she had a chance. When I heard her speech last Friday introducing herself to America, I cried. I cried because she is not only someone who holds the same values as I, but she is someone I thought, "that could be me in a few years". Growing up I always said I wanted to be the first woman President of the United States. As an adult, I have had no desire to be in politics, but if I were I think I would want to be like Sarah. She is a wife and mom, strongly pro-choice, a member of the NRA, conservative in her beliefs of the role of government, smart, well spoken and an Assemblies of God Christian! Sure, her family is not perfect, but I would like to meet someone whose family is!

I also have to say that I love that she is a strong woman, but still is feminine. So often, women in positions of power, whether a CEO or a civic leader, have a hard edge to them. It seems power and physical attractiveness/softness are mutually exclusive of each other. Well, that is a mold Sarah Palin has broken! I love that she is fashionable and pretty.....I mean she's been in Vogue!

I can't wait to learn more about her. I hope that she lives up to my hopes for her. McCain/Palin now has my heart-felt vote and I hope they triumph come November! And come four years from now, I'll be on the Palin for President 2012 bandwagon!

Happy Life!

2008-08-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

We have so much to be thankful for! I was overwhelmed today at church just how very blessed we are! God is so good and so gracious to us. Thank you, Jesus, for saving us and for giving so freely to us your goodness. Our hearts are so full!

Our house is always hopping with two kids now! (We wouldn't have it any other way!) Ethan & Annaliese entertain each other and are crazy about each other!

Look at those skinny legs! :-)

Annaliese's first baby food - rice cereal....she liked it!

Bathtime is over.....peek-a-boo!

I LOVE this picture!

Check out those shoes! :-)

Happy girl!

Ten Years!!!

2008-08-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Bobby & I celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary! Can you believe it? So, on Saturday, Dad & Laura came over to babysit Annaliese and we took Ethan over to Pop & Gigi's, and Bobby took me to dinner to a restaurant I have wanted to go to for years. It is called the Tasting Room at Lola. The eleven (yes.....ELEVEN) courses were so amazing and it was the perfect anniversary spot! It was the closest I'll ever be to being an "Iron Chef America" judge, so I thought I'd write my own review.....

Heidi & Bobby on our 10 year date night! I don't think we look ten years older, do you?

The Tasting Room at Lola
Upon entering the 1930's house that has been converted to a restaurant in Uptown Dallas, you are warmly greeted by the restaurant's owner, Van Roberts, who escorts you to your table. Unlike its presumed pretentious address, the restaurant is elegantly understated and the servers are down-to-earth. The white linen tablecloths and tan walls are the perfect backdrop to showcase both the original artwork on the walls painted by the owner, and the culinary works of art prepared by Chef David Uygur and Sous Chef Michael Marusak. It was evident that the restaurant, from the owner to the staff to the patrons, were all people that just really love good food.

Maine oyster with mignonette and fines herbes
Before we ate this first course, Bobby & I thought this might be our least favorite of the evening since we are not "oyster people". To our surprise, we loved it and this was one of our favorites. The mignonette sauce was incredible and the shallots and chives made it very fresh tasting. We are now oyster people assuming they can be prepared like this!

Pecos cantaloupe and crab salad with pickled onions
(I accidentally took a couple bites before taking this picture.) This salad was so light and refreshing. I might try to recreate this myself whenever I host a shower or brunch. The cantaloupe and crab go splendidly together. There was a cantaloupe infused sea salt that they finished the dish with that was out of this world! And the mint chiffonade added another incredible layer of flavor.

Chilled cucumber soup with creme fraiche, salmon belly and dill
(Again, I accidentally took a couple bites before taking the picture.) The chilled cucumber soup by itself tasted, well, like cucumber. But, when you marry the soup with the creme fraiche, the salmon tar tare and the brioche croutons....WOW!

Sockeye salmon with piquillos, brandade and olives
This was Bobby & my favorite dish of the night. The crispy skinned salmon was seasoned perfectly and was served over a salad of arugula and a piquillos pepper stuffed with a cod brandade. It was just delightful! The pepper had no heat to speak of and was more sweet than anything. The saltiness of the kalamata olives added another nice dimension to the dish.

Blackberry acid float
This was our "palette cleanser". This was a yummy, playful dish. It was rather simple, just blackberry juice mixed with club soda over a homemade vanilla ice cream.

Risotto with fennel and house-cured ham
I love a good risotto, and this dish did not disappoint. I loved how the licorice flavor from the fennel infused throughout the rice. In fact, if it is possible, I tasted more "fennel taste" in the rice than the actual roasted fennel piece on top (perhaps the roasting mellowed out the flavor a bit). The shaved aged Parmesan cheese on top was delicious, as was the house cured ham.

Texas quail and peaches with salsa verde and couscous
(I took a few bites before realizing I had not yet taken a picture.) This was probably the most mellow-flavored dish of the night and my least favorite. Although that is not to say I didn't like it - it was very good. I was hoping to get a little bit of heat from the salsa verde, but it was more sweet that hot. The peaches were a nice addition to the dish.

Lamb loin with succotash
This lamb was amazing! The seasoned crust was oh so good! It was tender, flavorful and cooked perfectly. The succotash and it's sauce gave the dish a "comfort food" feel that was most welcome. I told Bobby over this dish that I could substitute this dish for a good steak and he agreed. That is a huge compliment coming from two Texans who love a good steak!

Assortment of cheeses with crackers and onion/pistachio chutney
I love cheese, as most of you know, so this was a highlight of the evening for me. We had a blue cow's cheese from England, a brie-like goat's milk cheese from Sonoma County, CA, and a cheddar-like sheep's milk cheese from Oregon (sorry, I can't remember the exact cheese names). As amazing as the cheeses were, my favorite part of the dish was the onion/pistachio chutney. The onions were candy-like in a marmalade and then it was infused with hot mustard seeds. I finally had the heat I was hoping for at some point of the evening!

Lemon crema frita with almond crust and roasted plums
We were really running out of room at this point, but there is always room for dessert right? This was good, but I could have done without the fried crema frita at this point - it was just too heavy. The roasted plums with the lemon infused whipped cream and raw almonds would have been just right, so that is what I ate!

House-made shortbread cookies, candied orange peel and chocolates

The bite of homemade chocolate at the end of the meal was perfection. It was dark and velvety. The candied orange peel was divine and it made me inspired to try to make some at Christmas-time.

All in all, I highly recommend the tasting room at Lola. It was truly a night to remember!

Mommy & Me Brunch

2008-08-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Many of our friends have had babies in the last year.....there have been close to a dozen! It has been so fun to share in the excitement with everyone and to have friends going through the same "life stages" as us!

My friend, Christy, had the great idea to do a "Mommy & Me" brunch this past Saturday so we can get all the babies together and to celebrate this special time in all of our lives. Only about half of our friends with babies were able to make it, but it was such a fun time to visit with the mommies and have a photo opportunity with all the babies.

Crista with Graham, LaShai with Jada, Christy with Matthew and Kim with Hudson

All the babies.....(L to R) Jada, Graham, Hudson, Matthew & Annaliese

Four Months Old

2008-08-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

Sweet Annaliese is Four Months Old already! Where has the time gone? I took her for her 4-month check up and vaccinations last Wednesday and here are her updated measurements:

25" Long (75th percentile)

16 1/2" Head Circumference (75th percentile)

11 lbs. 7 oz. (10-25th percentile)

She is long and skinny! Doctor says everything looks great. She is getting very strong and using her legs to "stand" and is sitting with the assistance of pillows. Also, her two bottom teeth have just started to break through! We also have the "okay" from the doctor to start giving her baby food, so I'm sure we'll have some fun pictures of that to post in the next couple of weeks!

Big News of the Week

2008-07-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we bought Bobby a new cowboy hat as a belated birthday present (Bobby is a true Texan!). He makes a good-lookin' cowboy!

And now Ethan is a cowboy in the making......He'll make a good-lookin' cowboy too!

Ethan loves to hold his sister! He is very protective of her already! This past weekend Bobby's sister Holly came over and said, "Oh she is just too cute! I'm going to eat her up!" To which Ethan replied, "NO! Don't eat her! Be gentle with her!"

Daddy and his kids.... (Look at the way Ethan looks at his daddy! He just adores him!)

Mommy and her kids......

The BIG news of the last couple of weeks is that Ethan is now potty-trained!!! Yay! He's doing so good with it. We are very proud! He loves his big boy underpants....we have all sorts - Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder and Elmo!

We went over to Gigi's house yesterday for a visit and lunch. Annaliese was "talking" up a storm!

Mommy & Annaliese

Our precious sweetie!

Happy Birthday Bobby!

2008-07-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Bobby is a wonderful husband, father, son & friend! We were so happy to celebrate him last weekend on his birthday! You're looking better with every year, Baby!

It seems that birthdays last on average ten days around our house, and Bobby's is no exception. He had celebrations with his dad & grandma last Friday night, Chocolate Chip cookies made with love by Ethan on Saturday, lunch with Mom, Dale & Kyle on Sunday, homemade spaghetti & meatball dinner by yours truly with his Mom, step-dad & Julie on Sunday night and B-B-Q with Dad on Wednesday night. Whew! I'm all partied out!

Overdue Post

2008-07-15T21:33:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how behind I am in my posting! So sorry to keep you waiting! :-) I'm warning you now....this will be a long one so we can get caught up!

I finally received my camera in the mail. It was very frustrating waiting for it. I could track it through UPS and they said it was held up in Dallas for three days due to "inclement weather". Let me tell you, Dallas is not far from here and all it was during that time was sunny & hot! So, unless heat is "inclement weather" there should have been no delay! Oh well! At least it is here and so far I'm happy with it. I'm still figuring out a few of the settings, so bear with me.....you'll see some of my "action" shots were not on the right setting.

Last weekend we went to Claire's 4th birthday party. For those of you that don't know, this is THE Claire that Ethan is crazy about (the one he pretends he is playing with at our house all the time, the one he prays for every day and the one said was his best friend until Annaliese came along)! She had her party at one of those bounce house playrooms and Ethan had a blast!

Birthday girl Claire with Ethan hiding behind the big pole. He suddenly became shy!

Ethan made it down the big slide! Weeee!

What fun!!! What a kid!!!

All of the kids

Allison & Ethan (Look how sweaty Ethan is! He played HARD!)

I'm singing on our worship team again after my "maternity leave". It is so good to be back! I'm going to be singing every other weekend. If you ever are at home and want to watch our church services live, you can go to: gatewaypeople.tv Our service times are Saturdays at 4:30, 5:45 and 7:30 and Sundays at 9:00, 10:45 and 12:30 (all times CST).

Now, here are some pics of our blue-eyed beauty:

I love that smile!

Sweetie

Hi!

Lastly, here is a short video of Annaliese "talking".....

More Quotes

2008-07-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Since I am cameraless and have no pictures to share, I thought another posting with Ethan's recent quotes might be fun! (I have ordered a new camera and it should arrive tomorrow- Yay!)

Ethan was doing somersaults and I told him that he was doing really good somersaults. He said, "Thanks! Now, I'm going to do somerpeppers!".

In the car this week I asked Ethan what he wanted to get Daddy for his birthday. He thought about it for a minute and then he said, "I want to give Daddy some new worms. Some of Daddy's worms died and he needs new ones." (Bobby has an organic garden in the backyard and uses worms apparently.) Oh how a three-year-old mind works! I thought it was pretty funny!

Bobby went in to Ethan's room and found Ethan knocking the books off his bookshelf. Bobby asked him what on earth he was doing and Ethan told him, "Come on in, it's a party!".

Ethan's favorite movie right now is Toy Story, so he's been saying a lot of lines from the movie. One of the lines he says that cracks us up is, "My name is Ethan. I come in peace."

And now a couple quotes that aren't funny, but warm our hearts and make us feel like we're doing some of this parenting thing right......
"I have a boo-boo. Let's pray, Jesus will heal me."
"Oh Mommy, this is good spinach! You are a good cooker!"

Annaliese Dedication

2008-06-27T12:12:00.001-07:00

We dedicated sweet Annaliese at church this past Saturday. "Children are a heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward," Psalms 127:3. "Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father," James 1:17. Thank you Lord, for your precious gifts!

Here are some more pictures from the event.

Without a Camera....Ugh!

2008-06-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Wow....I had no idea I was so addicted to my camera! I am now realizing that I use my camera more than my cell phone or microwave!
We had Annaliese dedicated at church this past Saturday night and pulled out the camera to take pictures of the event and the hard drive or something died. Annaliese looked so cute too! Thankfully, my stepdad had his camera and was gracious enough to take lots of pics for us. I should have those pictures by the end of the week and will get them posted once they are edited.
So, I've been researching cameras the past few days and still haven't made a decision. If you have a recommendation for me, I'd love to hear it! I'll probably get something new this weekend.

Father's Day

2008-06-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day! (About 4 days late!) Bobby had to leave town for a week-long training in Birmingham, AL, and so it's been just me and the kids since Sunday afternoon. Much to my surprise, it hasn't been overwhelming or all that tiring. That being said, we definitely miss Bobby very much - especially Ethan. It's like his best friend has been away. We are ready for Bobby to come back home tomorrow. :-)

Bobby is such a wonderful father and we had good time celebrating him before he left. We went to church on Sunday morning and met up with Mom, Dale, Kyle & Kimmy at Cheesecake Factory for brunch before Bobby had to go to the airport. It was a fun time! Later that night, Dad, Laura & Kimmy came over for fajitas to celebrate Dad on Father's Day. It, too, was a fun night. However, I don't have any pictures to show for that night....between making dinner and keeping up with the kids without Bobby, I forgot to get pictures from our night together.

Here are some pictures I did remember to take that day!

Daddy with his kids!

Bobby, Ethan, Kimmy & Kyle

Mom, Dale & Me

Waterpark Fun!

2008-06-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Grandpa & Grandma were off work this week and invited us to the waterpark by their house for some water fun. Ethan had an absolute blast!

On another note, Ethan said another something that was so funny to me. I had given Ethan a piece of gum to chew and he is usually very good to tell me when he is finished so we can throw it away. This time, however, he swallowed the gum. He told me, "Sorry, Mommy, I swallowed my gum. Sorry! Game over!" I have no idea where he got that!

More Pics

2008-06-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics from the past week.....

Girl Explosion....Ribbons and Bows in Pink, Oh My!

Proud Brother Ethan holds Annaliese every chance he gets!

Gigi with her grandkids at Kyle's graduation dinner. I don't know why I didn't get any pictures of Kyle since it was his special night....I get distracted easily these days....CONGRATULATIONS, Kyle! :-)

Mommy with her little girl!

2 Months Old!

2008-06-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe two months have come and gone, but our sweet Annaliese is already two months old! (Well, actually she is two months and a few days.....Mommy is behind on her blog posting!)

She is now 9 lbs. 4 oz. and 22 inches long. To compare, Ethan was already 11 lbs. 6 oz. and 23 inches long at two months. I guess that is just the difference between boys & girls!

She is awake and alert for longer periods and smiling and cooing a lot!

Happy 60th Anniversary!

2008-06-05T12:26:00.001-07:00

Today is my grandparent's (Joe & Shirley Sondeno) 60th anniversary! Congratulations!

I am so thankful to have them in our lives and for the godly heritage they have given our family.

We wish we could be there in CA to celebrate with you! Love you lots!

Week in Photos

2008-05-31T16:47:00.001-07:00

1st Bath & A Smile!

2008-05-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here is video of Annaliese's first "real" bath. Watch carefully....you'll also see her smile! :-)

Cute Quotes

2008-05-22T21:15:00.001-07:00

I just had to share a couple of cute quotes from Ethan this week:

The last few weeks, I've really been working with Ethan on obedience and listening and self-control. Ethan was laying down on the floor with Annaliese and said to me after a few minutes, "Mommy, Annaliese is not crying. She is using really good self-control."

Another day, Ethan was sitting on the couch and had a look on his face like he was really concentrating. I asked him what he was thinking about and he said very seriously, "I have NO thoughts." I said, "Oh. Are you sure there's nothing on your mind?" He replied emphatically, "My mind is empty! I have NO thoughts!" He's obviously male because every guy I know hates to be asked what they are thinking! Every guy's answer is usually, "Nothing!" :-)

Shopping is different with 2 kids!

2008-05-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

Life is definitely different with two kids! I feel like I have the hang of being a mom to two kids down when we are at home, and I can even handle pretty well going over to families' homes. But going out to go grocery shopping is still a little tricky for me. Trying to get two kids, a diaper bag and groceries all in one cart is impossible. Having Ethan walk beside the cart is not an option for more than five minutes because, well, he's three and curious. Pushing two carts or a stroller and a cart is also next to impossible because I have a hard enough time navigating one of those things much less two! So, I've decided that for the foreseeable future, I will be grocery shopping at night or on the weekends when Bobby can help watch the kids! :-)

Here is sweet Annaliese sleeping in the sunlight in our office. I laid her down on the couch so I could get a couple of things organized on the desk, and when I turned around she was fast asleep! I think she liked the sun on her face!

And here is our adorable Ethan hamming it up in the bath. He sure is an entertainer!

Annaliese's Little Friend

2008-05-08T11:05:00.001-07:00

Our good friends, Craig & Denise Edwards, welcomed their daughter Lacey nine days after Annaliese was born. She was five weeks early and had to spend a couple of weeks in the NICU as her lungs fully developed. She has since been home for a couple of weeks and is doing great. We went over for a visit last week and took some pics of the little girls together. I know they are going to grow up as great friends!

(Annaliese is on the left, Lacey is on the right.)

Birthday A La Flay....

2008-05-07T15:39:00.001-07:00

Today is my birthday, and as is the case every year, I have been made to feel so special by all my family & friends! I really have been celebrated all week long and today was the big cherry on top for me.
I had lunch with Dad & Kimmy at Mi Cocina in the Southlake Town Square and when we left, I noticed a large line wrapped around the building going into Williams Sonoma. Kimmy asked who they were there to see and it was Bobby Flay. I am not "into" any big movie stars or rock stars, but as a huge Food Network fan and foodie myself, Bobby Flay is as big as they get in my book. So, got in line and waited for 1 1/2 hours to see Bobby. Kimmy was so sweet to buy me his new cookbook as my birthday present and she helped me entertain Ethan & Annaliese while we waited. It was worth the wait....Bobby was as nice as I thought he would be and I was surprised that he was much smaller in person. Here are the pictures:

Despite the fact that I am a big Bobby Flay fan, I will take MY Bobby any day....even if he can't cook! :-)

Pics from the last week

2008-04-29T12:57:00.001-07:00

We had another fun week with our new addition! We took Annaliese on her first "public appearances" this weekend. We went to church Sunday morning and to my step-brother's wedding on Sunday afternoon. (Congratulations Nathan & Alicha!) Annaliese slept through everything, but she looked beautiful!

Ethan is so cute with her. If she starts to cry from the other room he'll tell me, "Mommy, that sounds like Annaliese. She's talking to us." And then he'll run into her room and say to her, "Coming, Darling. Stop crying, Sweetheart. Be happy, it's a bright, sunny day!" So cute!

Sweet Annaliese

2008-04-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

Annaliese is such a sweet girl! She is a very easy-going baby that loves to be held. She gets a kick out of Ethan - which is a great thing considering Ethan's overwhelming enthusiasm for her! If we can get her to put the days & nights in proper order, then Mommy will be in great shape! Until then, we are so happy and content, but tired!

Ethan & Annaliese

2008-04-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

Annaliese is here!

2008-04-08T16:40:00.001-07:00

Annaliese was born Wednesday, April 2 at 8:32 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 18 inches long. She has light brown hair, blue eyes, long eyelashes that curl at the end, delicate lips and long fingers! She is such a sweet girl and we are convinced that she is already smiling at us! Ethan is so excited to be a big brother. He loves to give her kisses and help Mommy & Daddy with her.

We brought her home the first time on Friday and enjoyed a couple of fun days together. Then on Sunday we had a follow-up visit at the hospital to check her bilirubin levels and they were really high. They had us come back again Monday to see if they improved, but unfortunately they were even higher. So, they re-admitted Annaliese - this time to the NICU - for photo light therapy. I think Jaundice is probably the least serious thing the NICU treats and I know we are very fortunate because a lot of babies are in facing much harsher ailments, but it is still very hard being in the NICU seeing your precious child in an incubator with little goggles over her eyes and monitors tracking her vital signs. Thankfully, due to a sympathetic nurse going the extra step for me, we were able to get a private room and I was able to room-in with Annaliese. Annaliese responded really well and very quickly to the therapy and we were released 24-hours later with a very positive prognosis. We will have to return to the lab over the next day or two to make sure we're in the clear, but it looks like this is behind us!

So, we are back home now and really enjoying our time as a family. We are so blessed to have such supportive friends and family that have rallied around us to celebrate Annaliese's birth and also pray for us for her quick recovery.

I'll post more pics in the coming days....and even try to get a little video up.

Easter Egg Fun!

2008-03-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Gigi & Pop invited Ethan over to their neighborhood for an Easter egg hunt and visit with the Easter Bunny last weekend. We jumped on the idea since we may be occupied this Easter weekend if Annaliese decides to show up a few days earlier than her due date (yes please!).

Ethan had a great time and even made friends with my mom's next door neighbor!

Here are some pics from the fun day!

Annaliese's Nursery

2008-03-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

Annaliese's nursery is finished and ready for her homecoming. Here are a couple pictures of her room. The scripture picture you see is on the wall opposite her changing table. It was my one personal handmade contribution to the room - I think it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! :-)

Goin' Muddin'

2008-03-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that Bobby is a good ol' Texas boy through and through. He informed me this week that it is a Texan's right of passage to take their truck "muddin'". So this weekend after the snow melted, while Mommy was running errands, Ethan became one step closer to becoming a"real man"!

Ethan now wants to drive his truck in the mud every day when Daddy gets home from work!

Fun in the Snow!

2008-03-07T11:52:00.001-08:00

Texas weather is so crazy! On Monday we were all in short sleeves enjoying temps in the 70's. Then on Tuesday we got cold and had a dusting of snow. Wednesday we were back in our short sleeves. Yesterday we got cold again and with the cold came about 5 inches of snow when all was said and done! It was a lot of fun.....for one day! We Texans wouldn't like living in the Northeast!

Here are some fun pics from the day!

Ethan is 3 Years Old!

2008-03-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Ethan had his third birthday party on Saturday. He and his little friends played in a 2-story treehouse with lots of slides. He had a Thomas & Friends cake and he did a perfect job of blowing out his candles!

We can't believe how quickly the last three years have flown by! We are so proud of Ethan and the young boy he is! He is a sweet, friendly little guy who is a blast to hang around with!

(Note from the editor: Apparently I'm not good at using both the digital camera and the digital camcorder at the same time! So, our snapshots are not my finest work, but the video we shot turned out great! If I can figure out how to publish the video on the blog I will get that up asap!)

Annaliese's Baby Shower

2008-02-20T17:45:00.001-08:00

My sweet friends Crista, Christy, Alicia & Cicely threw me a baby shower for Annaliese on Sunday. Everything was beautiful! I so treasured the scriptures and prayers that were spoken over us. I felt very loved by all the friends and family that came - THANK YOU!

Stock Tip!

2008-02-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

For the remaining 7 weeks of my pregnancy and the next time I get pregnant, purchase some stock in the company that makes Tums! I am quite sure I've been responsible for their sales revenues the last few months. I buy the largest container they make every couple of weeks to take at home, and keep smaller containers in my purse & car.

I am counting down the days until Annaliese is here......and counting down the days until my heartburn goes away! :-)

Pastry Chef in the Making

2008-01-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I made a pie and let Ethan create his own crust with the leftover dough. He's a messy cook, just like mom!

Fun in the Fall Leaves

2008-01-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

Ethan always has a blast with his 2nd cousins, Blake & Taylor. Ma raked up all the leaves in her yard so the kids could have at it!

Joys of Pregnancy

2008-01-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

There's just about 8 1/2 weeks to go until Annaliese makes her arrival, but we thought she might come early last week. On Wednesday of last week, I woke up around 5:15 a.m. sick (I'll spare you the gory details) and having contractions every few minutes. I called the doctor and she told me to count the contractions and come in if I had more than 4 in one hour. Well, about 15 minutes later, I had already had four contractions so I told Bobby we better head to the hospital. We dropped Ethan off at my mother-in-law's house (thank you Sandy!) and made our way to the hospital.

We arrived, got checked in and hooked up to all the monitors all the while still have contractions and getting sick. The contractions did not show up on the monitor, nor could the nurse feel them. The good news was that I was not in labor, but the bad news was I had a gastro-intestinal bug. They sent us home with medication and I slept most of the day. About six hours after taking my first dose of medication, I woke up with numbness and tingling in my legs, hands, nose and mouth, as well as stiffness in my hands. I could not pick up things or spread my fingers out - SCARY! We called the doctor and she told us I was having a bad reaction to the medication (duh!), to discontinue use of medication, to drink as much fluids as I could to flush it out of my system and go take a bath and relax. I wanted shoot the doctor......go relax and take a bath when I am losing control of my digits.....yeah right! I made up my mind that if it did not start to go away within a couple of hours that we would be headed back to the hospital. Thankfully, it never got to that and after lots of rest over the next couple of days I got over the bug and its side-effects. And thankfully the doctor I dealt with that day was not my own doctor, but another doctor in the practice who was on-call. I am praying that I don't get her when Annaliese really decides to arrive!

Annaliese meanwhile is doing well. I had an appointment this morning and she had hiccups while the doctor checked her heartbeat (which has been at 146 beats per minute the last three visits.....very consistent little girl). Can't wait to meet her!