The Phillips Family

At the hospital . . .

2011-08-03T07:43:00.002-05:00

Well, the big day has arrived. We are all checked in a waiting for this baby to make her appearance. I'll be posting updates here as events warrant. We might even figure out what her name is sometime today. We've probably put that off about as long as we can.

The Changing of the Flowers

2011-04-17T21:07:00.006-05:00

I was sad to pull out these flowers when they were doing so well. However, I knew that if I did not take advantage of the nice weather, that it would get too hot and I would not be quite so motivated to do it. So, this past week we said good bye to these ones:

We also welcomed some new blossoms on the rose bushes and the day lillies are starting to bloom. I LOVE the day lillies.

Here is what we planted. I hope that they get full and beautiful. I love flowers.

Kids Update

2011-04-11T16:02:00.011-05:00

Lydia had a lot of fun running on the track team this year. Lydia is the 2nd one in on the right hand side.

Lydia ran the mile and the mile and a half.

Lydia placed 5th in the District meet for the mile and a half. Way to go Lydia!

Lydia went to her first school dance. I was happy that she went with some good friends--all girls. They had a great time and went out to eat after (with the Moms). Of course, the Moms got to sit together and the girls sat together.

Rachel started soccer this season. She plays for the Hurricanes. She really surprised me and LOVES it! I never pictured her playing sports--she is so into dolls and dressing up. Her first game was against Ellie's team and Gordon was the referee.

Rachel was so happy to be goalie!

When we were in Missouri, Unlce Devon checked everyone's eyes. Jacob got contacts and Richie got glasses. Wow...I sure do have handsome boys!

Princess Bekah

March Pictures

2011-04-09T15:47:00.013-05:00

Linnae and her kids came for a fun visit.We spent a great day at the zoo.

Bekah's favorite part was seeing the fish and also playing with Caroline.

We also spent a day at the arboretum. We were blessed with great weather and the flowers were gorgeous!

Rich mowed the lawn for the first time of the season. He decided to bag it. Well, he bagged 42 bags worth!

MISSOURI

For Spring Break this year, we went to Missouri. Caden and Hadley got baptized. It was so much fun to see where Brooke and Devon live and the kids had a great time playing with cousins and seeing family.

We spent a day at Silver Dollar City in Branson with the Jarvis family and Grandma and Grandpa Phillips. The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time.

Well, Bekah had fun being there. She just hated every ride!

Grandma and Grandpa Phillips took the kids on the ride where everyone gets wet.

...and they got soaked!

Richie and Caden.

Cub Scout Awards

2011-04-09T15:22:00.005-05:00

Richie recieved his first two yellow beads. Uncle Gordy is the Assistant Cub Master and got to give out some of the awards. Richie has two more beads to go and he will recieve his Wolf.

Jacob received his Webelos award. He is now working toward his compas and arrow of light.

Jacob was in a skit.

New News from the Phillips

2011-02-04T11:37:00.003-06:00

Well, people have been giving me a really a hard time for not updating the blog in several months. Honestly, everyone knows that I am terrible at it! However, after lots of guilt, I am finally going to post some fun news today.
That is right...we are expecting a baby in August.

. It was really fun to tell the kids this morning. They were all really excited and really surprised. We did not do such a great job in the planning of being pregnant all summer in Texas. However, we are just really excited about everything and really glad that we have family and friends with pools. :-)

On another note, we woke up to some fun snow this morning. This is what our backyard looked like.

This is the view from our front porch after Rich and my dad shoveled the walks.

Today was our fourth day in a row off of school. We are just so happy to actually have snow on a snow day. The other days were just icy and cold and that is not very fun to play in.

Welcome Spring..no...I mean SNOW!

2010-03-21T21:04:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of Spring. Our children were so excited to wake up to this snow! We were just wearing shorts and playing outside a couple of days ago and well, it should be 65 degrees tomorrow. What is it they say here in Texas? If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes and it will change.

It was really windy and cold as we were leaving for church. Can you tell? Mom, notice the skirt that Bekah is wearing. It is from Kosrae.

Spring Break

2010-03-21T17:47:00.005-05:00

This year we decided to stay at home for Spring break. We had a fun and relaxing week. We hung out with cousins and friends. We had fun at the zoo, the arboretum, playing laser tag, and going to movies.
Lydia, Anna, and Madison made a spa. I got to be their guest.

Bekah discovered sun glasses.

The arboretum was beautiful and the weather was great. We are going to go back again soon--before Dallas Blooms is over.

Lydia Belen

2010-02-21T20:47:00.015-06:00

OK--Guess who grew up? Lydia only has 6 months left in Primary and has already started baby sitting for other families. Middle school has been lots of fun too.
Lydia has thoroughly enjoyed this year. Sunnyvale has been a great blessing to her. She loves being close to cousins and has a lot of friends at school.

Lydia had a Valentine party at our house. The girls made cookies, ate pizza, and played games.

Lydia has had lots of opportunities to play her violin this year. The first picture is her orchestra for GDYO. She is in the DSE. She is in the front in the green skirt and white sweater. The middle picture is at a rest home where she played at Christmas time. In the last picture Lydia is the very last person on the left in the front row. You have to blow it up to even begin to tell. This was her All Region orchestra.

Lydia played with the high school band for football games. She played the marimba. Notice the picture on the right. See the cheerleader with the instrument? Well, here at Sunnyvale you can pretty much participate in whatever you want--a blessing of a small school and another reason we like it here so much. This pasty week Lydia got a 1 at solo and ensemble. She played the xylophone. Like I said, Lydia loves being closer to her cousins. It is great to always have good friends so close!
This picture was taken when Lydia was about 18-20 months old (about 6 months older than Bekah is now). This is the picture that was taken as she was singing to this video. She is reaching out for the microphone. We had no idea at the time that Lydia was unusually verbal for her age. She loved to sing. Rich would sing her to sleep every night. She loved the primary songs. When I would sing to her I would often mix up the verses and she would correct me. Lydia has always loved music and I believe that her dad has a lot to do with that. Also, look how young her parents look. Wow--we have all changed. Enjoy!

Lydia we love you and are proud of you. Thanks for being such a great helper and big sister.

Richard David

2010-02-21T20:17:00.004-06:00

Richie turned 7 years old on October 28th. He is really looking forward to all that will happen over the next year--getting baptized, joining Cub Scouts, having Grandpa and Grandma Foote come back home, and so much more! Richie enjoyed doughnuts for his birthday breakfast.

For his birthday he went to Medeival Times.

Richie was a Fire Fighter for Halloween. He LOVED it. His only disappointment was that he did not have an air tank to breathe. It was a very serious concern. Luckily, he made it through!

On the 100th day of school this year we tried baby powder in his hair instead of silver hair spray. Result--WAY BETTER. Looked just as good, way less mess, and cheaper too.

Richie has been great about his piano practicing. He practices every morning before school and really enjoys it.

The thumbs up is for Grandpa Foote from the cabin. Richie is counting down the days until you two buds can hang out again and work at the cabin.

The first tooth was also lost this past fall--EXCITING!!

We love you Richie--never a dull moment with you and always a smile or a laugh. Thanks.

Rachel Emily

2010-02-17T21:33:00.005-06:00

Rachel started violin this past summer. She is taking from Irene Mitchell. Ellie started at the end of the summer and they have had a great time. Rachel has really been improving this last month and has her first recital this weekend.

What a cute snow bunny!

Rachel has had a great year so far at her new preschool. She has been able to go on several field trips and made some new friends.

We all love Rachel's smile and cuddly personality. I am already missing her and she is still at home with me. I will really miss her next year when she is in kindergarten.

Rachel turned five years old on February 7th. David and Mary happened to be in town on her birthday and joined us for dinner. Rachel had a party at Build-A-Bear with some friends the day before.

Jacob Woodruff

2010-02-17T20:52:00.008-06:00

Jacob turned nine years old on November 15th. He played laser tag with friends from church and of course, Zack, from Coppell. It was a great day! Jacob is a joy to us all. We love how quickly he obeys when asked to do something and how helpful he is around the house. Jacob is looking forward to baseball season.

Jacob had fun on Halloween and also at school reading Freckle Juice.

Jacob and Tanner took pictures of the trees that we planted a few years ago at the cabin.

Jacob has loved Cub Scouts this year. He won 1st place at the Pine Wood Derby--thanks Dad. :-)

When we found out that the Sunnyvale Police department was REALLY small, we asked them to come to us instead of us visiting them. Sherriff McCann came and talked to the boys for 30 minutes and then showed them the ins and outs of a police car. He even announced over the loud speaker that CUB SCOUTS RULE!

Rebekah Joy

2010-02-17T20:33:00.003-06:00

Our sweet Rebekah turned one year old on January 2nd. She has been so much fun. She is very easy going--pretty mellow for a Phillips and always happy. She is not walking yet which makes me very happy. She says "Hi!" a lot. She also says, mama, dada, by, and more.

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY KING RICHIE!!

2009-10-28T13:17:00.003-05:00

Richie, you are "THE KING!"

Sometimes life is hard and you cannot see what is ahead.

But you always keep trying.

You are number one!

Take a bow. We love you.

Richie, you always make us laugh. You keep us wondering--we never know what you will do next. We are so grateful that you are part of our family.

Pictures from Emily

2009-10-25T16:30:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Family Pictures October 2009

2009-10-25T16:23:00.003-05:00

Whitni Parker came out a couple of weeks ago and took these pictures for us. I just love the black and white close-ups of the kids. They are my favorite ones. We had the pictures taken in front of our house at the fishing pier. It was very cold and very early in the morning. But, the kids did really well---for most of it. :-)

PS--As soon as I can get the pictures off of my camera and into the computer I will post more. So, look for more to come very soon.

Fun Fiddling

2009-08-07T21:43:00.005-05:00

Lydia had a final lesson with her Coppell violin teacher--Ms. Younghans--this week. She has been a wonderful teacher for Lydia and we will miss her dearly. Luckily Lydia will still get to see her at orchestra. Lydia will start lessons with her new teacher this Saturday.

I have some fun news. Lydia met with the band director last week and he is going to have her play her violin with the 7/8 grade band. At first we were thinking that it would be a little weird--OK--A LOT weird. However, the more we thought about a fun and easy class, we decided that it would be a good idea. The band director will have Lydia play the flute parts on her violin with the band whenever they play inside--at pep rallies, concerts, etc. She will get to play the mallet instruments (bells/xylophone/marimba) whenever they play outside at the football games. So, the other night Lydia started practicing the school song to play at the high school dedication this weekend. Rich heard Lydia and the two of them had a great time going through the silly songs that bands sometimes play. I am not sure who had more fun--Rich remembering his many years in band or Lydia thinking about the crazy times that she will have this year. This afternoon was her first practice and it went really well.

So, our new theme for Lydia this year will be, "If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band!"

Big Bekah?

2009-08-07T21:10:00.005-05:00

Well...Bigger Bekah. Rebekah has gained three pounds in the last three weeks. She has gone from 9 to 12 pounds!! In fact, she is now 12 lbs. 11 ounces. We are all so pround of her and grateful that she is doing so well now. As you can see, she has also made lots of progess. She can now sit in the Bumbo seat. Before she would slump over in it after just a few minutes. She can also hold her own bottle--for a minute or so. Her legs are so much bigger and she actually has a tummy. She can sit on her own for just a few seconds. She is definitely more active and we couldn't be happier!

Happy Birthday Lydia!!

2009-08-07T15:13:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Lydia's 11th birthday! I can hardly believe that I have an 11 year old. Lydia is getting so grown up and is such a good girl. We truly do love her and are so grateful that she is part of our family.

We registered Lydia for school last week. It was so fun to drive by the school and see Lydia's name on the school sign! We also got a letter in the mail inviting our family to a dinner at the middle school for all of the new families to meet all of the staff and to take a tour of the school.
Lydia and her new friend, Chloe, made angel food cake for the dessert.
Lydia invited some friends to go swimming, have lunch, eat cupcakes, and get their nails done for her party. Lydia had a great time. They all wore matching sun glasses and flip flops.

Itty Bitty Bekah

2009-07-24T15:11:00.000-05:00

...won't be bitty for long.
Rebekah has always been little. However, lately she has been too little. She only gained 3 ounces from 4-6 1/2 months. So, the pediatrician had us give her some formula. She gained 23 ounces this week! She has gone from 9 to almost 11 pounds!! It took a few days to get her to take the formula. However, now she is a champ and loves the bottle.

Way to go Rebekah!!

House Update July 23

2009-07-23T21:17:00.003-05:00

Lots has been done around the house over the past week. The backsplash is now finished in the kitchen and in the tech area. The air conditioning is now running and the two week period for the floors to acclimate has begun. The sprinker system was installed and so was the sod. The landscaping is mostly done. They still need to put in the trees and flowers. The cedar on the house has been stained. The builder spent several hours today making a punch list of items to be finished in the next couple of weeks. We are getting very excited to see it all coming together.

Ice Skating in July

2009-07-21T21:58:00.004-05:00

We decided to go ice skating with LeeAnn while she was here for a much too short visit. Rich and I took turns holding Rebekah.

Richie and Lydia

Jacob, Jenn, and Rachel Anna and Lydia

Summer Fun!

2009-07-21T21:32:00.007-05:00

Richie had fun waiting for the fireworks.

Rebekah was so good on the trip. Jacob rock climbing.

Lydia and Richie climbed too.

Rachel is wearing one of the shirts that we tie dyed. We had so much fun with it. We dyed shirts, socks and even underwear!

Lydia and Rebekah watching fire works. Georgia, Jacob, Lydia, and Rebakah at the Diamondbacks baseball game.

LeeAnn and Lydia got matching shirts. Rachel loved wearing Sarah's mask so that she could get her beauty sleep!

We all had fun at the circus!

Awesome Arizona!

2009-07-20T21:34:00.010-05:00

We recently returned from a WONDERFUL trip to Arizona. We had SOOO much fun with family there. We went swimming a lot to try to stay cool and just to have fun. We went to the community pool.

Lydia and Jacob jumped off the high dive.
.

Richie decided that doing cannon balls was fun. However, he decided that diving was really fun.

We did so many fun things. My favorite thing was seeing Wicked with Rich and my sisters. The musical was incredible and I would highly recommed it to anyone. I do regret not taking Lydia with me. I would have if I had known how good it would be.

We also had a great time at the circus, the rodeo, the baseball game (INDOORS! :-)), shopping, eating caramel apples, rock climbing, Jamie cutting the boys' hair, playing Wii, doing crafts, getting our nails done, watcing the fire works, and much more. We look forward to having this much fun again soon!! Thanks to the Vallerys and LeeAnn for such a great time!!

July 9 House Update

2009-07-09T23:16:00.004-05:00

It has been fun to watch the house get closer and closer to being ready for us to move in.

They have painted the exterior and installed the roofs on the front porch and the porch outside the office door. They also added the sidewalks, driveway, and patio.

Today, they started putting in the countertops.

This is where we are going to put the computer. It is just off the kitchen and will be a great place for the kids to do homework.

This area at the top of the stairs will be a great playroom for the kids.

House Update -- Trim and Cabinets

2009-06-25T22:09:00.003-05:00

So, the work has been fast and furious over the last two days. The trim guys started on Wednesday and finished today. The cabinets have also been installed, and the stone work has started on the fireplace.

Dining Room

They have installed the banister on the stairs.

View of upstairs from the family room

View of the kitchen from the family room.

The stone on the fireplace is the same as the exterior of the house. There will also be a stone hearth.

2009-06-24T17:30:00.004-05:00

Lydia has been wanting to get her ears pierced for a long time but has been very nervous about it. She finally got up the courage with the help of a few cousins and aunts to cheer her on. Lydia is SO proud of herself and she looks beautiful! Way to go Lydia!!

(PS--SURPRISE DAD!!) :-)

June 23 House Update

2009-06-23T20:53:00.007-05:00

There has been a lot of progress both outside and inside the house.

The brick and stone work is mostly done. They just need to touch up the window sills and the put the brick on the porches.

This is a view from the front door, showing the dining room to the left. The doorway to the right leads to the kitchen. As you can see they have finished work on the drywall, including texturing the walls. They have also installed the wood flooring. Later in the process, they will sand and stain the floor.

The clamps on the stairs are holding the railing to shape it to the curve of the stairs.

These are two views of the family room. The one on the left is looking toward the back yard. The one on the right is looking toward the front of the house.

Housing Update--June 15th

2009-06-15T10:43:00.002-05:00

The house is almost totally sheet rocked.

They started on the brick and stone. We think that we have about 9 more weeks to go.

Where we have decided to "summer"

2009-06-15T10:28:00.003-05:00

After much contemplation, we have decided to "summer" at the Foote's cottage. It has been referred to as the "guest house" and even "the garage." However, we prefer to think of it as "the cottage." It is a lovely and cozy place where we can spend lots of time getting closer to one another. We look forward to many fond memories to be made this summer at the cottage. However, we hope that some will not be as excitng as last night when after killing wasps we found a snake on the floor. Thanks to the Foote's for allowing us to build wonderful memories this summer!

Packing & Moving

2009-06-15T10:16:00.004-05:00

The packing and moving days finally arrived. We had everything packed into these crates and sent off to storage. They will join us in August at our new home in Sunnyvale. Thank you to all who helped to make our move a little bit easier and thank you to all of our friends in Coppell. We will miss you all and hope that you will keep in touch. Thanks to the Cangelosi family for hosting an open house for us to be able to say good bye to everyone.

We will miss our friends

2009-06-15T10:03:00.003-05:00

Lydia and Jacob have had these friends since kindergaten--Caitlyn, Karina, and Zack.

Lydia's friend Sloane had a going away party for her. It was so nice for Lydia. They swam and played. Then, they gave her flowers and a journal with pictures in it.

Last Day at Lakeside--Goodbye Longhorns! :-(

2009-06-15T09:49:00.004-05:00

Goodbyes were filled with smiles and tears all mixed together. This picture is of the kids with Mr. Lukert. He has been the principal for the last 5 years.

Jacob and Lydia with Mrs. Bonner. She was Lydia's sub in 2nd grade and Jacob's teacher this year.

Richie and Jacob with Mrs. Smith. She taught them both in kindergarten. What a blessing she has been this year! We will miss all of the great teachers and friends from Lakeside!

The 5th graders took a final walk aroung the school before the bell rang. It was led by Elizabeth (the school secretary) and the school mascot--Buddy the dog. Lydia is behind in the white shorts and blue shirt. My camera was not fast enough to get any good shots. Lydia did not want any of her anyway. She was crying a lot!

The 5th graders made a banner that said "The future's so bright we gotta wear shades."

5th Grade Graduation

2009-06-15T09:31:00.003-05:00

I will start off by apologizing for the quality of these pictures. I was also slow in getting these. They announced winners for different categories and we did not know who would win...so I did not have my camera ready. Lydia won awards for both Music and Social Studies! Way to go Lydia! You have worked SO hard this year. We are very proud of you.

Lydia has loved her teacher this year--Mrs. Lamar. We love you Lydia. Thank you for setting such a great example for all of your younger brothers and sisters.

When Lydia got the music award the teacher decided to have the students guess who would get it. So, she started out by saying, "This student has been at Lakeside since kindergarten. She has two brothers at Lakeside with her and two sisters not at Lakeside. Everyone then said...Lydia!!" By the way, doesn't she look beautiful and grown up?! Watch out Sunnyvale Middle School--Lydia is on her way!

Baseball Season

2009-06-15T09:20:00.003-05:00

Richie had a great season with the Pirates. He loved the trophy and the treat tickets as much as playing!

Jacob loved playing catcher this season. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of his last game where they got their trophies. I was running from the house after a full day of packing and left the camera. Jacob's team won 1st place in the U8 division! Jacob really improved this year. Great job Jacob!!

Last Pack Meeting in Coppell

2009-06-15T09:10:00.004-05:00

Rich has been the Cub Master for the two Coppell Wards for the past couple of years. He has done a great job. It has been especially fun for him the past few months as Jacob has been in Cub Scouts. The theme for the month was recycling. So, the kids used recycled materials and decorated the outgoing and the new incoming Cub Masters.

Here they are as we judged them.

It was a tie!

For dessert we ate this yummy cake. I think that Rich will miss the boys as much as they will miss him.

Housing Update--May 26th

2009-05-26T22:13:00.003-05:00

As you an see, the framing is complete and the roof was put on today. It is fun for us to see so much progress.

Piano Recital & 5th grade Talent Show

2009-05-26T22:06:00.002-05:00

Richie, Jacob, and Lydia all performed at their piano recital. They all did a great job and we are very proud of them for their hard work.

Lydia performed at the 5th grade talent show. She played a fiddle piece. She did a great job. I am hoping to figure out how to add video to this and let you all hear some of the music that the kids all played over the last week.

Hair Cuts

2009-05-26T21:53:00.004-05:00

The kids all got hair cuts and are ready for summer!

House Framing

2009-05-21T22:36:00.003-05:00

Framing day 1 looking from the garage. Framing day 2 looking at the front of the house.

Framing day 2 looking at the back of the house.

Framing day 3 looking at the back of the house.

Framing day 3 looking at the front of the house.

Rachel's Dance Recital & School Program

2009-05-21T22:27:00.003-05:00

OK--this is not from the dance recital or the school program. I took this one at Jacob's baseball game. I just like it.

Rachel was so excited after the recital. We brought her flowers and she could not even hold still for a picture.

Rachel with her teacher, Ms. Lisa.

The girls all lined up and ready to start their dance. Rachel was thrilled to be the line leader! You can notice the beautiful hair, :-)

Rachel sang a song about flowers to all of the mothers at her school program.

We have a foundation!!

2009-05-14T23:09:00.004-05:00

We were told that the foundation would be poured today if it did not rain. So, we were surprised to find out that they were still able to get it done today. The lumber should be delivered on Monday so that they can start framing!

Pictures of the kids

2009-05-10T21:47:00.002-05:00

Lydia and Rachel in their matching outfits.

The kids on Mother's Day.

May 9th Housing Update

2009-05-10T21:23:00.003-05:00

Our Coppell home is now officially sold. We closed on Tuesday. We will be renting it back until school gets out.

Our Sunnyvale home has been slow coming with all of the rain. However, progress is coming. The post tension cables were all put in place over the weekend.

This work should be inspected in the next couple of days and then the foundation can be poured as early as Wednesday or Thursday--depending on the rain.

Kindergarten Fairy Tale Ball

2009-05-10T21:15:00.003-05:00

Richie got to parade through the school with all of the other kindergarteners.

Richie got to be introduced along with his partner--"King Richard and Princess Naomi." Richie liked bowing. He even blew kissed to everyone.

As you can see, Richie's hat got in his face when he would jump up and down in the dance. He did not mind though. :-)

Mrs. Smith with Rebekah after the Ball. We sure will miss this fabulous teacher.

Rachel ate a strawberry with Richie at the feast.

Happy Birthday Richard!!

2009-05-10T21:08:00.003-05:00

Rich turned 35 this week! What a great Dad! We started out the day with breakfast together. Then, Rachel, Rebekah, and I all met him at work for lunch. We then had a great dinner with cake and presents. Rich got the West Wing on DVD to watch this summer while the kids and I are in Arizona.

Rich, we all love you so much and are so grateful for the wonderful things that you do for our family!

Sisters Weekend

2009-05-10T20:48:00.002-05:00

Rich treated me to a very special weekend. Rich watched the kids and worked from home so that I could go and visit my sisters for the weekend. Sarah and LeeAnn live in Arizona and Linnae went to visit with her new baby. So, I took Rebekah and we went too. We had a great time and now I am very excited to take the kids back for a visit this summer.
LeeAnn, Emily, Linnae, and Sarah

Linnae with Caroline, LeeAnn, Emily with Rebekah, Sarah with Ava at a night music concert in Anthem.

We took the babies shopping with us.

The babies in Sarah's car.

We all went to the Pheonix zoo.

House Update

2009-04-30T19:44:00.003-05:00

So there has been some progress out in Sunnyvale. As you can see, they have put in the plumbing that needs to go in before the foundation. Hopefully, they will get it inspected soon and move on to pouring the foundation.

April Happenings

2009-04-25T23:26:00.007-05:00

Lydia got the Citizen of the Month Award for demonstrating the quality of the month--effort. She truly deserves it. She puts 110% into everything that she does! Congratulations!!

Rachel by the baby chicks that Richie has had in his class at school.

Jacob is getting really good at baseball and he loves it. He has decided to play baseball and not soccer next year. We hope to find him a good team when we are in Sunnyvale.

Richie loves to play baseball too. Although, I think that he likes to smile, give people the thumbs up sign, and just look good in the uniform as much as he likes to actually play.

We went out to look at the lot today. While I was checking things out, the kids had fun rolling in the grass across the street. We were excited about having a bigger lot (even though we will have one of the smallest lots in Sunnyvale--lots of people have several acres). However, the house is bigger too and the front yard will be much bigger than ours is now. So, the backyard won't be quite as big as we had thought. However, having this right across the street is almost even better. I will be able to sit on the front porch and watch the kids. They can play ball, ride their bikes, have a picnic, fish, or whatever and I do not even have to maintain it.

By the way, thank you to everyone who prayed for our house to sell. We sold it in less than a week and we close on Wednesday. We will lease it back until school gets out. Then, we will be grateful to family for the summer. Our new house will not be done until the end of August. So, we are going to live in Gordon and Jenn's guest house and also take a long visit to Arizona this summer and stay with Sarah and Jamie. Thanks family.

House updates

2009-04-25T23:16:00.004-05:00

OK--This is NOT what our house will look like. However, this is the brick and stone that we will have.

This IS what our house will look like--but flip flopped to a left swing and with much better brick, stone, and paint choices.

They put out the forms for the house this week. They got a little bit behind with the rain last week. This view is from the back of the house. The driveway will be on the right.

Since putting down the forms, they have dug the trenches to put in the plumbing. The plumbing should go in next week and then it should be ready to have the foundation poured. Hopefully the rain expected in the next few days won't cause a huge delay.

Another view from the end of the cul-de-sac. Can you see the trails? We are really excited about this quiet and beautiful street. By the way, the lot to the left of the house is still for sale. Any takers?

Easter

2009-04-25T23:08:00.004-05:00

This year we spent Easter weekend at the cabin. My parents have decided to rent it out while they are on their mission. So, we went up to have fun and to get it ready to rent.
The kids had fun coloring eggs. Richie made a red one--his favorite color.

Rachel.

Jacob.

Lydia with Anna.

Our Big News

2009-04-25T22:52:00.007-05:00

So, our big news is that we are moving. We decided to move out to Sunnyvale, Texas. It is located between Garland and Mesquite and borders Lake Ray Hubbard. It is 15 miles from downtown Dallas. Gordon and Jenn and their family live there and Mom and Dad Foote are going to come there when they return from their mission. It will be a big change from Coppell. It is much smaller. We will miss all of our friends and teachers from Coppell. However, we are looking forward to new things in Sunnyvale.
We are building a home in a neighborhood called Stoney Creek. This is what it looks like as you turn into the subdivision. The building on the right is the neighborhood swimming pool and small fitness center. We are looking forward to using the pool!

Another view of the pool. If you click on this picture you will be able to see big lights on the right side of the picture. These are the lights from the high school stadium. It is pretty close--maybe a 1/2-3/4 of a mile. All of the schools are next to each other. So, the elementary school is about a mile away. The kids can ride their bikes or ride the trails to get there. There is also a bus that will pick them up if they want. Sunnyvale ISD is a small school district. We are really excited about the small class sizes and the kids getting to go to school with their cousins. We were also surprised to find out the the district is ranked 14th in the state. It is a 2A school with just over 800 kids.

This is taken from the same area. There are trails throughout the neighborhood and they also lead to the schools. The lake is filled with fish and there is a pier for catch and release fishing. You can actually see our lot in this view. It is half way between the house on the right and the closest one to it on the left. I think that you can click on the picture to enlarge it. If you do, you can see a yellow tractor. It is on our lot.

Our lot. The trees behind our lot back up to Nance Road. It is a Civil War road and cannot be touched since it is "historical." The school are not very far down on the other side of Nance Road.

The view from the front of our lot looking at the end of the cul-de-sac. There will not be any homes built in front of ours. There is also a gate in the fence so that we can have access to the trails, the lake, and the grass areas in front of our new home.

End of March Happenings

2009-04-25T22:43:00.006-05:00

My Presidency had a breakfast for all of the Ward Presidencies to get to know each other. It turned out really nice.

These are the great ladies that I have been able to work with--Anna Rawlins, Janna Wise, and Julie Young.

I sure will miss these ladies. I was just released from the Stake Primary on April 19th after 5 years in the calling. I do not know much else anymore and I will miss primary. Christine Eppley would always tell me that primary was the happiest place to be and I have come to truly believe that. Ladies, thanks for making a great ending to a wonderful learning experience and thank you to all of the many women that I have had the chance to work with over the years!!

We had a fun visit from the Wunderli and Jarvis cousins. We all spent a day at the zoo. Grandma Phillips was able to come in town for the weekend and Connie also joined us.

Rachel had tons of fun!

Epcot Center & the Kennedy Space Center

2009-04-25T22:30:00.004-05:00

The kids at the space center.

Lydia and Rachel in their space suits on the moon.

Lydia.

Jacob and Richie.

Rachel and Grandma Phillips. Grandma Phillips was so great to stay with Rachel when she could not go on the majority of the rides that the other kids wanted to ride.

Dinner with the Princesses

2009-04-25T22:22:00.003-05:00

One of the greatest highlights of our trip--and definately Rachel's greatest highlight--was dinner with the princesses. I wasn't sure how the boys would like it. Just look at Richie's eyes in these pictures and guess how much he liked it. It was a true hit with everyone.
All of the kids with Belle.
Lydia with Cinderella.

Jacob with Snow White

Richie with Cinderella.

Rachel with Aurora.

Family Pictures in Florida

2009-04-25T22:12:00.004-05:00

Lydia, Jacob, Richie, and Rachel on a walk. They stopped to pose. I love this one because it shows their personalities.

Grandma and Grandpa Phillips with the kids by the 3,000 year old tree. AMAZING!

My girls.

My boys.

The whole family.

A Day at the Beach

2009-04-25T22:07:00.004-05:00

We had so much fun at the beach. The weather was beautiful. The birds were too.

The kids played in the sand.

Richie

Rachel

Jacob and Lydia

The Sword in the Stone

2009-04-25T22:00:00.006-05:00

The kids had fun trying to pull the sword from the stone. Well, all but Rebekah. She just slept through it all.

Spring Break

2009-04-25T21:32:00.005-05:00

For Spring Break we took the kids to Florida. We were able to spend a wonderful week with Rich's parents. They were so great to help with the kids and take us everywhere. The week really did go by too quickly! We are already looking forward to going back again.
We spent a day at Magic Kingdom. The kids got wet on Splash Mountain. However, their favorite ride was Space Mountain. Richie kept saying, "I can't believe I'm tall enough!!" over and over again! We rode that ride MANY times.

We all had fun on rides for Rachel too. She chose the Merry-Go-Round.

Rebekah spent most of her time in the carrier or relaxing in the stroller. She was such a trooper.

Traveling Teddy came with us again. He is the teddy bear from Mrs. Smith's kindergarten class. He came with us when Jacob was in her class two years ago. However, Teddy had a much more adventurous trip this year. One day we went out to the Kennedy Space Center. Teddy was so excited about all of the astronauts and the shuttles that he jumped out of the stroller when no one was looking. Then, he hid from us in an attempt to stay with the astronauts. So, after spending the night there, he finally decided that he would miss Mrs. Smith and all of the kids. Rich was so kind as to drive the 1 1/2 hour trip (each way) to get him so that he could come home with us. After that, Teddy had to stay in Richie's back pack in time out whenever we went anywhere.

More February Happenings

2009-04-25T21:24:00.004-05:00

Rachel had her Spring Program at school. This is Rachel with her class. They all had fun singing songs and being silly.

Rebekah learned to smile. :-)

I love how you can see one of her dimples in this picture. She has two--just like Richie.

Our little Rachel turned four years old!! She felt like a princess and wore her princess dress all day. We celebrated with family at Chuck E. Cheese and had a great time! Rachel has always been such a dream. She has never gone through those "terrible" twos or threes. She is a great helper with Rebekah and we are so grateful for her in our family.

Our Pretty Princess.

February Happenings

2009-04-25T21:08:00.003-05:00

February got past me a little bit too quickly--as has March and almost all of April. So, I will atempt to highlight a few of the things that have happened in our lives.

Lydia had her 5th grade program at school. It was a musical program. Lydia did a great job and had a lot of fun.

Richie got to dress up for the 101st day of school. All of the kindergartners dressed up like dalmations and a teacher at the school dressed up as Cruela Davil. They even got to do a parade around the school.

Bekah at one month old.

Jacob recited a poem for the 2nd grade poetry celebration. He did a great job and came up with actions and props all by himself.

The kids all had fun dressing up for Lakeside's 100th day of school. They got to dress up like they would if they were 100 years old. Lydia won for her class.

Pine Wood Derby

2009-02-24T20:59:00.004-06:00

Jacob received his first award, the Bobcat, at the Pine Wood Derby.

Rich was in charge of the races. The boys all had a great time. Not even one boy shed a tear. I was informed that that is a good measure of a successful Pine Wood Derby. Jacob was sad when we had to leave.

Jacob received an award for his car. Rich and Jacob worked really hard on his car. Jacob's car won the first three races and lost the last three. He painted it green with flames on the sides. Great job Jacob! Oh yeah. Grandma Phillips also made a fun dessert for the evening. She made race cars out of twinkies and mini oreos for the wheels. They were a big hit!

Rebekah's Baby Blessing

2009-02-24T20:40:00.003-06:00

What a great day! Rebekah Joy Phillips was blessed on
January 25, 2008.
Notice the beautiful blanket that Rebekah is on. My mom made it for her.

Scott and Connie blessed their baby just after Rebekah was blessed.

What a treat to have Grandma and Grandpa Phillips here. Grandma Phillips helped us out for several days driving the kids places, helping with practicing, doing laundry and dishes and making sure that we had lots of good food to eat. The kids were only OK with Grandma and Grandpa leaving because we reminded them that we would get to go and visit them soon in Florida. Richie even told his teacher at school that he was concerned because I would not have anyone to help me anymore. Thanks for all of your help!

What a beautiful dress--Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Foote. We missed you at the blessing and are so grateful that you are serving a mission. We will always be able to tell Rebekah that you were where the Lord wanted you to be on such a special day.

Wood Badge Complete...FINALLY!!

2009-01-09T19:54:00.005-06:00

This entry is for my Dad. Dad received his woodbadge award a few years ago and has been a positive infuence in helping me get my award. I wish that you could have been there with me. The people in Kosrae have no idea how lucky they will be to have you there with them.

I was scheduled to receive my award in February even though I finished it in December. However, there was a mix-up and they scheduled it for last night. When they realized their mistake they agreed to change it. However, I told them that I just wanted to get it done and also that way I could receive my award along with three other people that I attended Woodbadge with. It is so nice to be done. It was a great experience.

This first picture is me getting my neckerchief removed by my SR-902 Assistant Scout Master.
Next I received "the beads."
The new neckerchief was put on next.

The finished product.

Finally, I received my certificate for my Woodbadge from my SR-902 Scout Master, Michael Bay.

Rabekah's first week

2009-01-09T19:38:00.002-06:00

Sarah was able to come and be with us for several days. She arrived just after rebekah was born last Friday and stayed until Wednesday morning. She was a life saver. She took care of the kids while I was in the hospital and then took care of everything else until she left. Rich had a huge project due on Wednesday night and had to work super long hours. Sarah made sure that Rich could get his work done and that everyone else got where they needed to be. Sarah, we already miss you tons. Thanks to you and your family back in Arizona for sharing you with us. It was also fun to have Ava here. It is scary to realize how fast children grow up. It seems like Ava was just born.

Rebekah was a little bit shocked by the flash.

Rebekah's first bath was this morning. She quickly kicked off the wash cloth that was over her. We told Rachel not to worry because babies cry a lot during their first few baths. Then, Rebekah proved us wrong. She just layed there and was as great as ever. She also had her 1 week check up today. She is up to 6lbs. 2ounces and is measuring 18 1/2 inches now. I guess that her head must have been quite cone shaped to make her be 19 1/2 inches at the hospital. Rebekah has been a true joy so far. She is calm and a wonderful day time sleeper. Hopefully we will all get our days and nights straightened out soon.

Rebekah Joy Phillips

2009-01-02T12:42:00.005-06:00

At 10:41 this morning, Rebekah Joy Phillips made her grand entrance. She is 19 1/2 inches long and weighs 6 lbs. 5 oz. Rebekah gave us a good cry right as she was born, but she has been very calm since. For the first hour or so, she was very alert and laid there and looked all around the room. She is beautiful.

Emily was a trooper and did a great job. Both Rebekah and Emily are doing great.

The birth of a baby is one of those moments that make us ponder on the great blessings of the restored gospel. I am so grateful to know that Rebekah is ours forever. I am so proud of Emily and so grateful for both Emily and Rebekah (and our other children). We look forward to everyone getting the chance to meet our new addition.

At the Hospital

2009-01-02T08:34:00.002-06:00

After a minor glitch (the hospital did not know we were coming), we are all settled in and waiting for the baby to make her appearance. Emily is doing great. More updates as events warrant.

Airport

2009-01-01T22:20:00.006-06:00

LeeAnn stayed with me for a couple of days after Mom and Dad left for the MTC. She was a ton of help and made things a little bit easier.

We all saw Mom & Dad off at the airport. It was a very emotional day. We are so excited to have Mom and Dad serve a mission. We are so grateful for their service and example. We also miss them terribly!

I have been an emotional wreck this week. I will gladly blame the pregnancy. We sure do love and miss you Mom & Dad. On a fun note, we have had four family members all in the MTC together this week. My parents (Micronesia Guam Mission), my brother Dallin (Las Vegas Spanish Speaking Mission), and Rich's sister Ann (California San Fernando Spanish Speaking Mission). We are so proud of you all!

Santa Gifts

2009-01-01T22:12:00.006-06:00

Christmas morning was so much fun. The kids always seem to make it magical. We had a lot of fun together with just our family opening gifts. Then, we headed out to Gordon and Jenn's house for a fun day of scones for brunch and hanging out together. Thanks for hosting and making Christmas so much fun this year Gordon & Jenn!

Lydia with her new camera.

Rachel with her baby doll "with socks and shoes" and a bottle.

Jacob with his rip stick.

Richie with his marble toy.

Christmas Morning

2009-01-01T22:09:00.004-06:00

We have a tradition of lining up on the stairs on Christmas morning. The kids get to come down one at a time and see what Santa has brought.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-01T22:00:00.004-06:00

We went to the Dallas Bar Association Christmas Party. We left at 5:30pm in hopes to arrive by 6:00pm. It started to ice outside and there were lots of accidents. We arrived at 7:50pm and the party ended at 8:00pm. The kids were such troopers. Luckily we were able to see Santa before the party ended. We arrived back home about 9:30pm.

We went to Jared & Sara's home for Christmas Eve. Dad read a story to all of the kids before we went home. Thanks to Jared and Sara for a very fun evening.

All of the kids got to share a talent. Most of the kids sang. Lydia played her violin while Anna played her guitar and Maddie sang.

Dad and Emily together.

Kankles

2008-12-08T21:26:00.004-06:00

OK--This post is just for you Gordy. Gordy calls fat ankles kankles. So, I thought that I should show mine off. I think that they get bigger each day. The worst part is that the tops of my feet get swollen too. So, today I wore slippers everywhere. Not one pair of shoes would fit. But on the bright side--my toes do look nice.

Getting ready for Christmas

2008-12-08T21:21:00.002-06:00

We got out Christmas decorations for FHE.
Rachel quickly found the non-breakable nativity to play with.

The kids got to decorate the tree all by themselves this year.

They did a great job!

Jacob's Baptism

2008-12-08T21:09:00.006-06:00

ALL of the Foote's were together for Jacob's baptism. So, we took a family picture. We also wanted to have a picture for Mom and Dad Foote for their mission.

Our family right before the baptism.

Jacob and Rich all in white. What a special day Jacob!

Linnae and I posing after dinner. Linnae is also expecting a girl--just one month after me.

We had a lot of good-byes to say. Can you tell that I have been crying all day! Within 24 hours, Dallin left for his mission, Grandma Evans went back to Utah, the Vallerys went back to Arizona, and Linnae and Brett moved to Wyoming. Rich's whole family that was in town also left. It was very emotional. We truly loved being with all of the Foote's and Phillips for such a special weekend.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-08T21:00:00.003-06:00

Dallin went through the Temple on Friday morning. It was neat to have so much family all together.

My good friend Gwen Jones had a baby shower for me on Friday night. It was so much fun to celebrate our soon to be addition--Rebecca probably.

All of my sisters--Sarah, Linnae, and LeeAnn--came to the shower.

Aunt Sharon, Grandma Evans, and Mom Foote were there too.

I was also lucky enough to have Mom Phillips, Brooke, Connie, and Maren there too.

The boys had fun playing Rock Band while the girls were at the baby shower.

Thanksgiving Day

2008-12-07T21:53:00.005-06:00

Lydia started out the day by participating in the Turkey Trot. You go girl!

Everyone helped cook.

Devon helped get the turkey ready.

Jacob, Cayden, and Richie.

Lydia and Hadley.

Thanksgiving Week

2008-12-07T21:24:00.006-06:00

The week of Thanksiving was a wonderful one for our family. We were able to have all of the Foote's in town and almost all of the Phillips too. The Vallerys came and stayed for a couple of days before heading up to the cabin.
Our kids and the Vallery cousins planned a great FHE. They told the story of Noah and the Ark. They acted it out and planned the whole thing themselves.

We spent one day at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science with Grandma and Grandpa Phillips and Connie and Jackson. Rachel and Jackson had fun in the water.

The girls loved making bubbles with Grandma and Grandpa.

Student Council Elections

2008-11-30T22:21:00.005-06:00

A while ago, Lydia ran for Student Council Secretary. There were about 8 kids running for each office. Lydia put a lot of effort into her posters--with the help of a couple of aunts. Thanks LeeAnn for the ideas and Connie for your great art work. At first, Lydia was very sad that she did not win. She came home from school and said, "Mom, it is just a popularity contest." She was right about that. However, we are so proud of her for trying and giving it her best. We are proud of you Lydia!

Cub Scouts

2008-11-30T22:18:00.003-06:00

Jacob got to attend his first official Pack Meeting just a few days after his birthday. It was really fun because Rich is the Cub Master. Jacob is excited to start attending den meetings too.

Jacob with his new Cub Scout uniform.

Great Dallas Youth Orchestra

2008-11-30T22:15:00.004-06:00

Lydia has been able to play with the DSE (Dallas String Ensemble) this fall. They are part of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra program. Lydia had her concert recently and did a great job. Lydia works really hard and we are grateful for her talents. Great job Lydia!

A visit from the Utah Phillips

2008-11-30T22:08:00.003-06:00

Daniel and Jenny Phillips brought their family out for a short visit. Jenny had a couple of firesides that Daniel helped with. They were able to stay the weekend. It was great to see them and for our kids to get to know their cousins a little bit better. We hope that they can come again soon.

Silly faces! (Gracie is on Lydia's lap.)

Richie, Rachel, Kate, Lydia, Jonah, and Jacob

5th Grade Camp

2008-11-30T21:55:00.004-06:00

Lydia got to go to 5th grade camp at Sky Ranch. She was really nervous to go without me. I put my name into the parent draft, but I did not get picked. Lydia is my child who loves to be at home and gets very homesick even going to a cousin's house for a day. However, she surprised herself and had a wonderful time. She came home all smiles and with lots of great memories.

Lydia with her bags.

The 5th grade gathered in the cafeteria before loading up on the bus.

Lydia sitting with the girls from her cabin.

Lydia's Soccer Season

2008-11-30T21:33:00.005-06:00

Lydia had a great soccer season. Her team took second place in their division. Lydia had a great time. She is looking forward to the spring season already. At the same time, she is sad because she know that it will be their last season together. Her team will all split up after the spring as many of the girls will go and play select.

Lydia has become a great runner. I love this picture of her. She is not actually touching the ground.

Lydia's coach wore his crazy pants to get the girls excited about the play-offs.

Rich with Lydia after they took second place. It was a long play-off week. The first game got cancelled during the first half because of lightning. They won the next game on penalty kicks in triple overtime. They lost the final game in overtime. They played really well.

The Pink Angels with their medals.

Lydia getting her trophy from Coach Rob at their end of season party at Hard 8 BBQ.

Jacob's Soccer Season

2008-11-30T21:22:00.003-06:00

Jacob has played soccer with the Rangers since the teams were formed when he was four years old. This was their last season together. So, we finished off the season with mixed emotions. Jacob had a great season though. He improved a lot and had fun. Jacob will go back into the draft for the spring season and we will see where he ends up.

Jacob holding the "Player of the Game" trophy.

The team huddled together. Rich was one of the assistant coaches. He will miss that next season.

Jacob running fast. Go #7!

All of his team at the end of season party at Pump-It-Up.

Jacob getting his trophy from Coach Mark.

Jacob's Birthday

2008-11-30T21:07:00.005-06:00

Jacob turned 8 years old on November 15th. This is has been a long wait for Jacob. He has been so excited to get baptized. Jacob is such a wonderful addition to our family. He is great at doing what he is asked right when he is asked to do it. He loves his brother and sisters and is very helpful. We love you Jacob!

For Jacob's birthday we took him and his best friend Zack to Medieval Times. They had a great time!

Outside of the castle.

Jacob and Zack using their awesome swords.

Jacob got to pick his breakfast too. We all had French toast.

Jacob got very practical gifts this year. He has been begging for a suit to wear to church. So, he got that along with a new white shirt. He also got a new set of scriptures with his name on them. One other very exciting gift was his new cub scout shirt. Jacob has been looking forward to joing the cub scouts for quite a while. You will be great Jacob!

50s Day at School

2008-11-30T21:04:00.008-06:00

The kids got to dress up like in the 50s for the 50th day of school. They had lots of fun.

Halloween Fun

2008-11-30T20:35:00.006-06:00

The kids all had fun decorating Halloween cookies to eat and to share with our friends and neighbors.

Lydia really took charge of the whole thing and organized everything. She is so grown up now!

Lydia was Little Red Riding Hood.

Jacob was Indiana Jones.

Richie was Darth Vader

Rachel was a fairy.

All of the kids had a great time and they sure did get A LOT of candy!

We also carved pumpkins. The kids did a great job.

Richie's Birthday

2008-11-30T20:27:00.003-06:00

Richie turned 6 years old on October 28th! Richie has made such great progress over the last year. We are so proud of him. He is such a happy person with a wonderful smile. He loves school and is a very hard worker. We are so grateful that he is part of our family!

For Richie's birthday we all went to Going Bonkers. We had a lot of fun!

All of the family in the party room.

Richie blowing out the candles.

Richie with his best bud--Grandpa Foote

Richie and Jacob are great brothers and friends.

Aunt Ann came for a visit

2008-11-30T20:14:00.006-06:00

One of our favorite people came to visit us--Aunt Annie. Ann has been called to serve in the San Fernando California Mission. She came to see us in October before she went into the MTC. She has now been in the MTC for one month and is doing great. She is also learning Spanish. We miss her terribly and are so proud of her. We are grateful for her example and for her willingness to serve the Lord. We love and miss you!

Ann with the kids--before the tears began.

One day while Ann was here, Connie, Jackson, Rachel, and I (mom) went with Ann to the Dallas zoo. We all had a great time and the weather was GREAT!

Bubble Fun!

2008-09-26T17:36:00.001-05:00

How cute are these kids! Jacob asked if they could turn the jets on in the tub after I had already washed them off. All of these bubbles are just from their shampoo. They had a blast!

Grandparents/Special Friends Day

2008-09-26T17:26:00.002-05:00

Today was Grandparents/Special Friends Day at Lakeside Elementary. We were lucky to have both Aunt Linnae and Grandpa Foote be able to join us.
Linnae went to Lydia's class with her.
Grandpa spent half of the time with Jacob and half with Richie.

Richie loves his teacher--Mrs. Smith.

Thanks for coming and supporting us this year!

Nursery Rhyme Day

2008-09-25T11:27:00.003-05:00

Today was Nursery Rhyme Day at Lakeside Elementary. Richie dressed up as Old King Cole. All of the kindergartners got to parade around the school. Richie had such a fun time!

Richie makes a great king!
Parading around the school. All of the other kids at the school lined the halls and clapped for them as they walked by.
Richie's K4 class after the parade.

A visit from Grandma Evans

2008-09-25T11:24:00.002-05:00

Grandma Evans came for a short visit. She drove back from Utah with Grandma Foote and was able to stay for just a few days. We love being able to see her whenever we can.

Rachel's First Day of Preschool

2008-09-25T11:10:00.003-05:00

Rachel started preschool earlier this month. She has been so excited to go since the other kids are in school all day too. She goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are excited about her teacher too--Ms. Laura. We already knew her from Lakeside. She used to be a kindergarten teacher there. Rachel is LOVING school!

Which is bigger...Rachel or the backpack?

Our Little Dancer

2008-09-03T11:09:00.004-05:00

Rachel went to her first dance class today with Miss Lisa. She has been looking forward to this morning for a few months now. She was so excited!

Rachel got to go to dance with her friend, Katie Young. Wow--dancing and friends at the same time!! How lucky can a three year old get?

Labor Day Weekend Fun

2008-09-03T10:54:00.007-05:00

We spent a wonderful weekend at the cabin in Oklahoma! The kids cried as we left and are already asking when we can go back. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Foote for allowing us all to go and enjoy this beautiful place with them!!

We found this wonderful little cove to hang out on. It was perfect. Grandpa Foote bought one of those canopy tents for shade and we felt great with such a nice breeze. There was grass and even a little beach area. The kids had a blast swimming, skiing (GO Lydia, Jacob, and Richie for trying!!), jet skiing, and tubing.
Richie is our dare devil.
Grandpa Foote always brings suckers for everyone.
Jacob and his cousin Tanner had fun in the rocks. They tried to build a sand (rock) castle and had fun skipping rocks.

Lydia was great to swim with the little girls. She is such a helper these days. We love her!

First Day of School

2008-08-25T14:07:00.006-05:00

Everyone was VERY excited this morning.
Modeling their new backpacks.
Today was Richie's first day of kindergarten! Richie was really excited because there were Legos on his table when he arrived. Also, Richie's teacher, Mrs. Smith (ie. the BEST teacher ever), already knows him well. She had him sit at a table with just one other girl. Sometimes prevention is the best medicine.
Jacob started 2nd grade today. He is in Mrs. Bonner's class. He was excited because about half of his class from last year is with him again. He has some great friends with him again this year.
Can you believe that I have a 5th grader!! Lydia is looking a little too grown up these days. It was sad to realize that this was the last time that she will want us to walk her to class on the first day of school. Lydia has a new teacher to Lakeside this year. She has taught before though. Her name is Ms. Ramirez. She is darling and Lydia is really excited to have her as her home room teacher. She will also have Mrs. Warren and Mrs. Mikovsky. She will only be in her home room for announcements in the morning, math, and 15 minutes at the end of the day to get things ready to go home.

Rachel does not start preschool for two more weeks. She was a little bit sad this morning when I was the only one to play with. Luckily she was able to spend some time with her cousin, Elle. Hopefully she can hang on until preschool starts. She wants to do everything the other kids do. She too is growingup too fast!

The Rainforrest Cafe

2008-08-22T14:06:00.005-05:00

Today we had a great time at our 3rd Annual Back to School Lunch at the Rainforrest Cafe with the Youngs.

I received a coupon in the mail for a free lunch and dessert for the the birthday child in our family. I thought that we might as well use it. So, they had Lydia stand on her chair as they sang "Happy Birthday" to her and brought her a Sundae for dessert. Lydia was a good sport--especially since this was totally unexpected and her good friend just happened to be sitting at the table next to us.

POTTY TRAINED!

2008-08-19T14:26:00.006-05:00

Rachel with her new baby doll.

Rachel is finally potty trained! We have now had almost a whole week without diapers in our house. Until last week we have had at least one child in diapers every single day for the past 10 years! Rachel picked out this baby doll as her reward for reaching her goal. We are so proud of her and we are really going to enjoy the next few months of diaper freedom before we start all over again.

Happy Birthday Lydia!!

2008-08-19T14:07:00.005-05:00

Hapy Belated Birthday Lydia! Lydia turned 10 on August 6th. She is such a joy and a wonderful blessing in our family. We love you.

Lydia and Grandma Foote.
Aunt LeeAnn and Anna came over and took Lydia out for breakfast on her birthday. She was so surprised!

Georgia, Lydia, Ryanne, and Laura went to IHOP to celebrate.

After eating at IHOP, the girls went to get their nails done.