Summer Break!

I've been enjoying a busy summer, and while I didn't accomplish my personal goal of 1 post a month, I'm ok with that because it's the summer and I needed a break:-) We've had our normal summer activities like the Landcut and my Birthday!

And some NEW activities like... Tubes for Wyatt:

a Broken Arm for Addie:-(

that is now HEALED! (but we are in a splint for 6 more weeks - boo)

Nora's once in a lifetime "Aunt Misty" Build-A-Bear trip

and our own little Merida in the making (Brave)

We've had lots of fun with T-ball, fishing, playing AND GETTING READY FOR AUNT COURTNEY'S WEDDING! That will be the next post, and if yesterday's bridal portraits are any indication, all pictures will be GORGEOUS!! Less than a month away, then "Almost Uncle Brad" becomes Uncle Brad.

Art by the Schoessow girls

At the beginning of this month the girls and I had a blast painting our rabbit cages so that they were pretty for the bunnies! The sad thing is you really can't tell much difference (if any) between Addie's art and mine - ha!

Bluebonnet Beauties (and a cutie)

This is in our new backyard.. (well, technically right behind our backyard fence, but close enough!)

March Madness

We had a VERY busy March. There were so many things that we did that I didn't capture on camera but there were obviously some things that I did. I'm so happy that Spring is here - we had IRISES in our yard (my absolute favorite flower)and an endless supply of "wild flowers" (actually weeds) for the girls to pick in the yard. I downloaded some highlight photos in reverse chronological order - oops. Here's the countdown of some of our activities.

An early Easter egg hunt at the Brylas!



Enjoying Luckenbach with the Key family during their brief visit.



Introducing Princess Peek-A-Boo (our holland lop little girl)

and Benjamin (our little boy holland lop)

Daddy's 33rd Birthday:-)

Spring Break swimming with Grandma

spring break flowers picked during a brief pause in the rain!

Making rope at the Pioneer Museum in Fredericksburg


Just a swingin'

Enjoying the horses!!





Playing outside in the yard.

Picking strawberries at a local orchard (YUMMY)


And sadly we lost my sweet Olsen on March 5th, only 6 days after she was diagnosed with cancer.

See ya February

We had a great February that ended not so great. I just found out today that it's almost certain that my cat that I've had for 13 years has colon cancer and that she isn't going to be around very long. This really sucks for me because this cat, like my dog Rudy, has lived with me EVERYWHERE over the past 13 years. El Campo, College Station, El Campo again, Waco, El Campo again, San Antonio, El Campo one last time, and Fredericksburg. I don't want to think about missing her because she's been such a fixture in my life and my 3 kids absolutely love her. We find out Friday for sure that it's colon cancer and we've already started some medication to help make her more comfortable and that's the plan, just keep her comfortable for as long as she's happy and eating.

Back to the great part of February. We've had nice weather mixed in with cold weather and there has been a ton of outside play as a result - especially on the trampoline. We get home and Wyatt walks to the front door and points out and "talks" about going outside. He LOVES it. My Uncle Bill won a picnic table at a raffle and gave it to us to use which has been great! Addison loves to use it to sort her flowers that she's picked from the yard. Nora loves to stand on it to wait for her turn on the horse tire swing. We've used it for people to eat on too! On President's Day the kids schools were closed so we stayed home and I finally got my hammock up! The girls thought it made a great tent but then started swinging on top of it with me too. Can't wait for the warm weather so I can really enjoy it!

This past weekend we went to the St. Philip's dinner dance which was a ton of fun and I actually WON a prize! I am the proud new owner of an awesome new patio set! I'll post a picture when I get the rest of it up here from El Campo - I wasn't planning on taking back a patio set but am happy to do it in pieces.

The special surprise in February was the "snow" that we got early in the month. We came out of church and it started falling. By the time we got home and changed into warm outside clothes it had stopped falling but had coated the yard and trampoline quite nicely. We had a fun time playing in the yard and on the trampoline. Nora finally got her "Christmas snow" - it was just a few months later than she wanted.

My Baby is One!!

Oh how I've dreaded this day - Wyatt couldn't possibly be one already?!! Ever since I found out I was pregnant with Wyatt there's been a constant struggle for me to remember to stop and enjoy whatever it is that was happening rather than hurrying through life trying to take care of everything that's needed to be done. Between raising two girls, getting a house on the market, wrapping up my job in San Antonio, selling the house, completely re-doing and updating the house we moved into, unpacking the entire house while Chris worked, getting the kids settled in new schools and new activities, and getting my own work schedule down, I feel like I'm losing the battle more often than winning it. I think God knew I needed help and so he gave me the sweetest little boy in the world who is ALWAYS happy and so easy going. Sometimes I wish he'd be a bit more demanding so I wouldn't have any option but to pay more attention to him - and on rare occasion this happens. Now don't get me wrong, the kid isn't a silent lump. He's full of personality and love, and boy do I love to cuddle and love on him! Lately he's started to give really big strong hugs around my neck - it's an extra squeeze of love and I just can't get enough of him. I'm in denial that he isn't officially a baby anymore. I recently put his swing up in the closet and brought the play tool/work bench out of storage. He LOVES it! We got a trampoline for his and Nora's birthday and while he is certainly too little to be on it with the big kids by himself, he absolutely loves to be in there walking and bouncing around. He walks absolutely everywhere these days, but I still carry him every chance I get! I figure I better do that as long as he'll let me because I know all to well that the day will come when that will not be a preferred option for transporation:-( His beautiful eyes and sweet smile light up the mornings for me and this is when he has his best conversations. Chris likes to say that he's practicing saying every single "word" he knows and sometimes I think that is what he's doing! Anyone can see he's a very good eater, he especially enjoyed his cake! I can't pick just a few photos to post so I'm going to be ridiculos and post the link to the about 250 or so photos we took on his birthday last Friday and at his birthday party Saturday. I love this little guy and his sisters more than life itself. Happy Birthday Wyatt! I'm looking forward to many more amazing years:-)

Wyatt's first birthday

Poop and a Wolf Trap - OR - Being a Mom

So yesterday I found myself not knowing whether to cry or laugh at myself at my dinner table around 7pm. No, I haven't totally lost my mind. I was just reflecting on recent events. Less than 30 minutes before I had been voluntarily holding human feces. This was a CHOICE I had made and at the time I really didn't think about it - instead I though about the amount of work I would have to do if I didn't do that disgusting act. It started with Wyatt coming home from daycare with a terrible rash on his little hind end. This led to our taking off his diaper for the evening and letting him walk around in what God gave him. This sounds easy enough until you consider the fact that at any moment he can (and did) sprinkle tinkle. Likewise, he can (and did) toot and on occasion, poop, and being in nothing other than what God gave him...there is nothing to stop it! He was walking all around the house (he walks quite well now), taking socks out of his drawer, going through the cabinets in the kitchen...awww how cute that he can get around so well -right?! Then he went into the living room, started "reading" a book on the ottoman, and stared at me with those big blue eyes...and tooted - a really loud toot. He giggled, then I looked down at his bottom and sure enough, it was more than a toot. I lunged across the floor and with my bare hands caught what was happening. At the moment I was thinking, Dear God I don't want to try to clean that out of the area rug. So, I caught it, then threw what I could in the trash, washed the rest off of Wyatt and off of my hand, cleaned my Aggie ring extra good, put a diaper on him and put his P.J.s on. Drama behind us, I thought I could get on with my evening. My parents had been visiting and were getting ready to leave. We were talking at the table when the reality of what I had just done hit me - I started laughing because that seemed like a better alternative to crying. I had just voluntarily caught human poop in my hand - WHAT!!!!! I mean seriously, the carpet could be cleaned!!! What has happened to my decision making skills? As I was pondering this question I realized the girls had been quiet for a little while. With all the Wyatt excitement they sort-of had freedom to do as they pleased. Grandma and Grandpa were getting ready to leave so they needed to say good-bye, this was as good a reason as any to go check on the girls. What did I find? My two girls playing sweetly and innocently together?? Well, sort of. I walked in on what I would call a messy pile of about a dozen or more baby boy blankets covered with the contents of two large kleenex boxes. My girls, however, explained that it was not such a pile, it was, in fact, a wolf trap!!! A WOLF TRAP!!!! I had to laugh. I mean, what wolf wouldn't be tricked by the camo and blue blankets so carefully covered with double ply ultra care Kleenex???!! At least they were trying to protect their brother, I guess,trapping any wolfs that might wander into his room. We spent the next few minutes re-stuffing the two very large and very empty kleenex boxes and folding blankets. Later, with my parents gone, my kids asleep, and right before I fell asleep on the couch, I vaguely remember thinking, it sure is great being a mom!

And just for laughs - you know how everyone always says they want skin like a baby? Well my friends, I believe I have achieved that goal. See the folds and dimples on this infant's skin ( See the back, rear, legs)? I have areas of my body that look very much like that!



Oh, and Christmas and New Year were great this year. December is a haze because it flew by so quickly but we had amazing times with all of our family. The kids got more than they needed. Sadly, my Grandma Dornak passed away at 94.5 years old. She was one amazing lady and is greatly missed, espically sinceshe was the only Grandma I ever knew. I know she was happy to be reunited with Grandpa and Our Lord for Christmas! It still stinks that she is gone. Her long term memory was pretty good but the shorter term wasn't as reliable. I guess after 90+ years you earn the right to not remember everyone you meet. I kindof liked the fact that every time I saw her these pasat two years, I would show her my kids and she'd ask whose they were. I'd say, "Grandma, these are my kids." The look on her face was first surprise and then unmistakable pride. I'm going to miss that look.

Here are a few pics from our December. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.