Vacay 2011!

Totally just saw that I posted the last post on the wrong blog!! haha I wondered what happened to that post! It is supposed to be on my Eye Give a Hoot blog ;) Silly me.

SO VACAY! YAY! We decided to do the exact same trip we did last summer and I loved every minute of it. I will never pass a trip that I get to see my Waco and Ft Worth friends. It's the best ever. It's like we just pick right back up where we left off. So blessed to have friends like that!! :)

So we left early Friday and took our time traveling. We did our usual stop at Cablea's to let the kid's run around. They were super excited about seeing the stuffed polar bear. Silly kids :) We made it to Waco and they absolutely couldn't wait to be at the hotel. They LOVE hotels. It's hilarious. We couldn't figure it out because there was nothing to do in the room but yet they asked to go there all the time! Another thing is Chris and I forgot our bathing suits. :( Of all times to forget...So we ran to Target and I'm just gonna say that was not a fun trip but we got over it and had a blast anyways even if we did have bathing suits we didn't love :)

We had dinner with our friends the Sealey's and the Ward's. They each have two little girls and the kids had fun playing in the backyard while we ate YUMMY chicken shish ka bobs, grilled pinneapple and couscous. Um HELLO. That's a definite new keeper meal. Chris actually came home and is doing the chicken and couscous diet. haha It's awesome. But seriously the grilled pinneapple was off the chain! And it was SO good to catch up and fellowship with friends. Oh how I have missed them!

The next morning we went to eat breakfast with the girls while Chris golfed with the guys. We also went to the zoo (LOVE) and a splashpad. The kids and I had a blast with our sweet friends. We then went swimming in the pool at the hotel (which was WAY too chlorinated and turned Teagan's silver bracelet black. That can't be good!) And then had dinner with Chris' friend from work and his wife and little girl. AT NINFAS. I LOVE NINFAS. The end. ;) We ended up heading back to chat with the Ward's and our kiddos played. It is CRAZY how our kids are so alike. The two oldest are quiet and thinkers and the two youngest are WILD ANIMALS. :) It was awesome and there were MANY laughs!

We left early the next morning to drive to Fort Worth and meet the Phillip's and the May's at the Fort Worth Zoo. Again LOVE! These two zoo's rock! But word it was HOT. We were all soaked with sweat and tired but ran and ate super yummy tacos at Fuzzy's Tacos before kiddos took naps. We then when to check out our flippin' AWESOME hotel, the Gaylord Texan. I got a sweet deal online for a night and we were NOT dissapointed. It was AMAZING and the kiddos still say we went to a gigantic hotel. :) We met back up for dinner and hung out before calling it a night.

The Gaylord Texan is an indoor hotel and it's like no other hotel I've been to. It's HUGE and amazing and so beautiful. They also recently just built Paradise Springs which is a pool resort that has a lazy river and kid pool that was awesome. So we woke up and I was feeling rushed and asked Chris "Hey should we stay another night?" We went back and forth and ended up calling to see if they would give us a deal for one more night. They did and we were pumped. It was such a great day hanging out at the pool and then going to Grapevine Mills mall and driving around Grapevine and seeing a working train. Gauge was in heaven. We will have to go back and actually ride it next time! And yes there will be a next time. We LOVED every minute. Gauge kept saying it was the best vacation EVER. :) I love kids. They just LOVE life and have fun. The hotel also had a minature train track with trains and a little town. Gauge literally would have stood and watched it FOREVER. We had to go twice or three times a day. He was sad to leave and we had to go say goodbye to them all.

We drove home and had to of course stop for a Blizzard and Dairy Queen. That's what I like about Texas. Right? ;)

It was such a great vacation! A little harder this time around because the kids are more daring about getting into EVERYTHING and being super loud and jumping all around but it was so fun and full of memories. I'm so thankful we were able to take that trip and I can't wait to go back! Here are some pics...

Possibilities are endless!

8 Years...

June 6, 2003

8 years ago today I married my bestest friend. My partner, my compadre, my love. I have actually saved most of the cards and letters we wrote when we dated up until now. I love how silly and young in love you are at the beginning. I love that it grows into such a stronger more solid love as time goes on. It doesn't fade but just takes on different changes at different seasons. All of them being perfect in it's own way. To look back at those cards and see our 1st anniversary note to each other and we were like "Whoah! It's been a year! Crazy!" hahaha Oh just a year??! It's been 8 now! And then will one day be 20! I honestly can say I CAN'T WAIT to see what it's like at 20 years married. From what I hear that my parents say is that it just gets better. And you know the older I've gotten I've realized my parents were always right. (Man if we would just believe them when we were pipsqueaks!) So I'm pumped! They will be right! And at 20 years in we will have had even more fun, more adventures, more highlights and I'm sure lo lights that only make our love stronger. God is good. He is so good to bless us with relationship. Not only with Himself but with our hubbies or wives for guys ;)

So Chris, Yay for 8 years! I know the next 8 are going to be full of laughter, joy, bumps in the road but oh so sweet. I'm so glad God gave me you. You are such an excellent husband who loves me tons and spoils me. You are such an awesome dad who loves to be with his kiddos and hot wife (oh did I just say that? hahaha) more than anything else. I am so blessed that you would rather come home and see you kiddos and spend family time rather than eat out. We can eat our any ole day or week but you, my amazing hubby, want to be with your wild and crazy family. And THAT is a blessing.

I love you to the moon and back Pookie!

Night my love ;)

Word...It's been a while...

Teagan Kaye!

Homie Gauge

So I just started following some of my friends new blogs and it made me realize, "Tara! You have neglected your blog again!" Oops! And I saw two posts ago was about Duke who we haven't had in a long time. He is at a new home with loving people who love animals. I don't HATE animals but I don't want any REAL live animals. My kids can have the Fur Real cat and that's about it. What a bummer of a mom right? haha Oh well maybe later I will let me have a fish ;)

So summer is here! I have high hopes and aspirations for all that is going to happen but I'll be happy if I can just get a little done. The organizing OCD side of me has high hopes for a new cleaning schedule/ chore charts/ calendar/ organization/ cleaning out junk, etc...BUT every since having two kiddos I'm lucky to still get places on time and vacuum twice a month. Ugh did I confess that? But I did get a NEW VACUUM and I think I will bump it to vacuuming once a day!!! Ok maybe once a week. Let's start small ;)

We are going to start planning a little family vacay again. Since last summer our trip to Ft. Worth/ Waco went SO well, we are going to try it again!! :) The kids are just pumped to go stay in a hotel and swim. Haha. Kids. But I'm excited. I miss my Waco and Ft. Worth peeps and I need to hug Natalie and Lisa!

So I'm not promising posts but I know you love them Layne so I will work on it. Again. ;)

And since I'm on an old computer I'm gonna post some oldies but goodies pics! FUN! :)

Excited!

I'm super excited here these days. Because any day now I will be an Aunt again to sweet little Anaya Hosanna. Oh my heart is so happy and absolutely can not wait to hear updates and to be able to see that sweet face on Skype!

You know me, very little emotions due to hormonal changes after Teagan. Well I have been 'cryey' (that would be a made up word) lately. And I have a feeling more tears will come. Many from utter happiness of sweet girl Anaya being here. And a few from wanting so very much to be there to hold that sweet chubby (you know she will be ;) ) girl. I think we have been spoiled by not having any of us too far away as family. We have been close. I can remember Layne leaving to Arizona when I was big and preggo with Teagan in August and then my preggo self loosing it and the floodgates opening just wishing she could be here to hold Teagan. To come up to the hospital and see us. Layne I will be 'there' in spirit! :) I am rooting you on! I'm so excited! With pink bubblegum cigars and goober pink stuffed bears! ;) I will be praying and waiting and so proud to announce and show pictures of my niece Anaya. It will be wonderful!

So Anaya,

Your Aunt Tara Lou says come out! It's about time now girlfriend! We want to see your sweet face and I'm sure your amazing head of dark hair ;) And I want to ooh and ahhh over you on Skype! So hurry on now! My phone is waiting! :)

I love you Layne! Can't wait to hear your amazing and I'm sure hilarious birthing story. Write a book girl. Let's write a book ;)

DUKE

pointing a cat

SO. Over the holidays we fed and watched our neighbors dog across the street. The kids looked forward to feeding Hershey every morning and evening and always wanted to let him out to play with us. Chris has been wanting a Vizsla for a while now and I finally caved. Mainly because I knew the kids would be in heaven with a dog. Ah what you will do for your kids ;)

So last Sunday we made our trek to Houston to pick up our 8 month old Duke. He had been at field training school. haha funny right? He does point though! Birds, cats and I'm sure other things. He is a SUPER amazing dog. He rode the entire way home with me in the back seat like a baby. All he ever wants to do is lay in someone's lap and be petted. Well I did the first two days but like Layne said life has to go on :) He sleeps right by my bed at night and hasn't ever had an accident in the house. He is amazingly calm and gentle with the kiddos. They love him. Vizsla's are known as Velcro dogs and I believe the ride home from Houston made me the other half of his Velcro. He is also great on runs with me. We have run 2 miles several days now and he stays right by my side. He has his quirks that erk me like being all up in my buisness but he really is a great dog. We are lovin' our Duke. I called him ding dong Duke the other day and Gauge looked at me and said "No mom it's just Duke." haha