Friday Night Lights

Football has been a BIG part of my life for about as long as I can remember. I've spent many a Friday night in the stands watching my dad coach em' up. Luckily I just so happened to marry a guy who is crazy about sports and he jumped right on the "football family" bandwagon. Texas football can be mighty competitive and is quite a phenomenon. Truth be told for me it is more about witnessing my dads success than an actual love of football, but the line is easily blurred...and games can get pretty exciting! We were super busy on this last trip to Texas but we still managed to squeeze in a couple of football games. Carter has developed an early love for the whole sha'bang. What little girl wouldn't enjoy getting to dress up like a cheerleader and meet a life size Cougar? The first game we went to was a little chilly and we were perched high in the stands...


But, that didn't keep Carter from enjoying a little Blue Bell...nothing like being able to have a little of the worlds best ice cream while enjoying the game...


The following week it was mild and warmer which was nice! The whole family was ready to cheer on the Coogs...


This little cheerleader was especially ready...


It was great because we were able to see a lot of family that came for the game (Mimi, Papa, Nancy, Carter and I, Jenny, Roxi, GG, and Aunt Lynette)...


Go Coogs!


After spending a little time up in the stands Carter decided she preferred the view a little closer to the action...


It gave her access to the one thing that had her mind pre-occupied the entire evening...


The Cougar!


She couldn't keep her eyes off of her...


Her patience paid off...


And by the end of the night I think she and her little buddies had made a new friend...


The following videos capture some craziness and Carter's attempt to mimic the cheerleaders, seriously sometimes I don't know where she comes up with these moves!









After the game I had to snap a picture with one of my BFF's for life Mindi. We are both pregnant and due within a few weeks of each other!


I also managed to snag this one of one tired little munchkin' and The Coach...but she just knows him as Pops...


There's nothing quite like the Friday Night Lights of Texas.

Monday Carter Edition #44~One little monkey...

We are baaaack from our whirlwind trip to TX. We got a lot accomplished. One of the things I am most thankful for is that Nate was able to spend some time visiting with family and seeing his grandmother who is currently in ICU...so hard and yet good that we were able to be there a bit. We also spent some time under the Friday night lights of West Texas football which is always fun and he also managed to squeeze in a few days of work...WHEW...BUSY!!!

We love the great state of Texas but it is always nice to be back in our own home. One of the first things on our agenda was to move our queen size "guest bed" into Carter's room...we thought she might enjoy a little more room to spread out, and her current bed wasn't ranking too high on the comfort scale. She slept great and this morning Monday Carter was more like Monkey Carter jumping on the bed before pre-school...

Until Momma' called the Doctor and the Doctor said, "No more monkey's jumpin' on the bed!"

Happy Monday!

I'm Blue for You

The theme over at I Heart Faces this week is "Blue". I'm completely bananas for this little blue eyed butterfly...

Every girl needs a Pops...

Grandparents are pretty great. They let you get away with just about anything and they love you like you were the sweetest thing on earth. Carter has some of the best grandparents around...each and every one is special in their own way. But, I've decided every girl needs a Pops. Pops is the guy who says things like, "How ya' doin' kid?" and always has a piece of gum ready to trade for a hug. He's one of the best coaches in Texas, and can be a pretty intimidating guy, but still manages to have a soft spot in his heart reserved for a certain little four year old....

He also has the hook up when it comes to meeting the Cougar, what more could a girl ask for?

Pops might even give her a shot a little later in life at running back...

But, I'm thinking we'll probably be sticking with cheerleading...
Visiting during football season definitely has its perks!

OH My-A, You're a Papaya!

So, apparently all month long Baby "E", as we will affectionately call her for now (meaning we are considering a name but not yet settled on it), is the size of a Papaya...

...a Papaya that packs a kung fu punch!

Monday Carter Edition #43~Puppy Chow!

On our very first night in Texas Carter and Roxi made dog biscuits for two very eager customers...

Now that Nate and I are away for a few days there is just not telling what kind of mischief Monday Carter and Roxi are getting into...I can't wait to hear all about it!

Four Banana Cupcakes

We're on a fairly unexpected/short notice trip to Texas. Cramming in quite a bit in a week, but making the most of our time in our favorite state!

I had a second and wanted to share the cupcakes we made for Carter's class for her birthday. This was my first go at "Classroom Cupcakes" and they turned out really cute. My mom had a great idea for decorating the top, stamping Necco Wafers with a food coloring "C"...

We then made banana cupcakes with banana icing so we would have something yummy to put our decorations on...

This was a lot of fun and you could spell out just about anything! I'll leave you with a few other pic's from our "family birthday" (seriously the celebration of turning 4 seemed to never end! And a fun video of Carter and her daddy dancing on her birthday...what a dad...

Happy Birthday...With All My Heart

Dear Carter,

This year is is hard to not spend just a little time reminiscing. As I sit here a little over 5 months pregnant with your sister I realize that exactly four years ago I began the same journey with you....What a trip. It is almost hard for me to believe that I spent the previous 24 years not knowing you. Your smile has become something I can't imagine living without, and all those years I never knew it was missing...

In the short time that you have been a part of our lives I have become dependent on seeing you flash me your grin everyday...I'm about as addicted to you as I am Diet Dr. Pepper!
Lately your smile, and every other part of you for that matter, has been seeming quite grown up. You are smart, energetic, and about 95% sugar with a kick of spice. That kick definitely keeps me on my toes (and can make me want to pull my hair out) but, it also means there is rarely a dull moment! Case in point our most recent hair cutting adventure!

For that exact reason I am even more thankful that I snapped these pictures of you at the beach on our last trip to San Diego. They are our last photos of you before you went all short and sassy on us. They also capture your sweet expressions in a very real way for me...

And so, in the spirit of taking all these things and pondering them in my heart, here are just a few of the things I currently love most about you...

The way you say, "Let's go girrrlfriend!"

Your sweet little voice singing along to the music as we drive...

Your "Shake the Booty" dance...

The way you make sure daddy remembers to mention "no bad dreams" every night when we pray together...

The fact that some of your favorite things to do are help me. Be it washing dishes, making beds, dusting, taking out the trash (although you always put a pair of socks on your hands before that one)...

The random way you have of saying "I love you" at least 5 or 6 times a day...

God has taught me so much through you my sweet girl. When you look at me I see the way He loves us, endlessly and without condition.

While you were getting your hair cut the other day I cupped your sweet face in my hands to help you hold your head straight. After a while you looked at me and said softly, "I think I've got it Mommy..." And in a lot of ways you do, you can do so much all by yourself. But, I'm also glad you think you've got it...that means your still not quite sure. So you still reach for my hand when we walk into a new place...or ask me to help you talk to someone when you are feeling just a little shy. You're an independent little lady, but I'm so glad you still snuggle up in my lap and say things like "I love you with all my heart." I couldn't have said it better myself...Happy Birthday, I love you with all my heart right back. ~Momma