AHOY!!!!!!!!!

My little pirate! Isn't he the most fearsome guy you have ever seen?? I just love these pictures. He was a trooper for letting us take his pictures. He really "acted" up his part. My husband loves the one where Brock is chopping my throat, and then giving me a kiss. It cracks me up that he is missing some teeth.

Who is that SENORITA??

Yep, this is us! We had a Halloween party a couple of weeks ago. Trav dressed up as my "Marachi Man". Isn't he so... handsome!!?? We had a wonderful time at the party with some of our greatest friends. Not only that, we hung out with my sister and brother-in-law! They too were quite "dressed up". We always have a blast when we get together. Well, at least Trav and I do.

San Diego ZOO!

I have been so behind on my blog. I MUST get it together and get back into the swing of things. Trav, Brock and I got to go to San Diego, CA for our family vacation this summer. We had a BLAST. By far, the zoo was our absolute favorite. These are just a couple of shots that I love. The deer licking Brock was so cute. Brock kept screaming, "He LOVES me, he LOVES me"! Brock did not want to wipe off the deer's kiss all day. Then, we met Mr. Hippopotamus. He was rather "large and in charge". He really wasn't doing anything and then he saw Brock in the window and slowly made his way to give him a kiss. This I love too, because Brock kisses him and says that all the animals knew he was coming and just want to kiss him. My sweet baby boy. By the way, look at those hands trying to wrap his arms around Mr. Hippo.

RUTHLESS & TOOTHLESS!

Good LORD! I have been waiting to post this occasion for about 3 months. Maybe it has been even longer than that. Brock's tooth has been wiggling forever. The past 3 weeks we said everyday, "today is the day that puppy is coming out!" Travis begged him to let daddy tug and pull it out. Brock didn't trust him...I wouldn't either. Travis got this determined thing on his mind that he was gonna yank it and the tooth fairy was a comin'. I kept screaming at Travis..."It is HIS tooth, let him have it out the way HE wants!!!!!!!" This stupid tooth has been driving me INSANE. It has been grossing me out. Brock everyday loved to show me how it can go left and right, swing backwards and forwards and this past week, how it can twist in a full circle. It has caused serious stress from Travis chasing him trying to get it out and all the "neato moves" that the tooth can do. Anyhow, last Friday night, the fam went to our friend's, the Bennett's. I talk about Carter Bennett, all the time on previous blogs. Anyways, Mrs. Amy used to be a nurse and she DIGS this stuff. So, she loosend the tooth even more. Saturday night, we went to dinner with them again and she asked to loosen the tooth again. She got a napkin and held it, and Brock kinda pulled back and out it went! We were ALL stunned! The best part was watching Brock after the tooth came out. He closed his mouth, felt his gums with his tongue and then felt the huge gap with his fingers. He turned white as a ghost and we thought he was going to faint. He was in SHOCK! All he said was, "Oh my GOD....what do I look like?" I shouted, "HE LOST HIS BIG TOOTH!! HE LOST HIS TOOTH"! It was great! The surrounding tables started clapping and cheering him on. So, the picture you are viewing is right when we got in the car. Of course, my phone was dead and I could not take pictures while in the restaurant.

So, needless to say, the tooth fairy arrived and left a $2 bill. Brock was stoked. The darn tooth fairy forgot to take the tooth, so she was requested to return again. That fairy must have had a lot on her plate that night.

Father and Son

I received an email from my Sunday school teacher to pray for a family that I do not know. This family is the "Beasley Family". The past two days I have logged onto their webpage and I have been reading and waiting anxiously for each update. Basically, the story is, Keith and Judy are married and were expecting their first child. Keith went to his future brother-in-laws bachelor party. Keith was tired and decided to go to the vehicle while the others continued partying. Keith was on the 7th floor of the parking garage. He fell asleep on the concrete barrier for about an hour and then he lost his balance and fell to the first floor. This is all caught on video camera. Judy was contacted and flew to Austin to be with her husband. This began at the beginning of April and she delivered their first child, Brooks on May 25th. I am amazed and moved by Judy's faith and her love and trust in the Lord.

Life is so incredibly precious. You don't know what God has planned for each and every one of us. This story makes me sit back and thank Him for all of our blessings that we have in our family. First, I am so incredibly thankful that Travis and I were given our son Brock. I am thankful that we have all been healthy, loved and well taken care of . I am thankful for the laughs, giggles, frustrations, craziness of potty training, emotions from A-Z between all of us. In reading the "Beasley Blog", I hope and pray that the three of them get to experience the true craziness of a family. I have learned not to take things for granted. I love my husband Travis and my son Brock so much. I am blessed to have them. Thank you Lord.

SPIDERMEN!

I just have to blog this picture. It is by far one of my favorites of Brock and his pal Carter. These two guys together spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!!!!!!! They play so incredibly well, but I have to admit, as a mother, it is exhausting when the two get together. For some reason, they invent games that almost always get them in some sort of trouble. They have been in school together for the past 3 years. This is the first year the two of them are venturing off from Montessori and heading to public school. YIKES!!! Let's just say a little prayer for their new teachers.

BROCK and MITCHELL

                        


Brock amazes Travis and I all the time.  He is a VERY good athlete!  He is one of those fortunate kids that just understands sports and catches on quickly.  He is also very driven.  I'd like to say that he gets all these great athletic qualities from me, but he has a touch of them through Travis.  Haaaa....  Brock swims for the Kings River Kingfish!  He is quite a Kingfish alright.  He is one of the top swimmers for his age group.  He has made a wonderful new friend named Mitchell.  Mitchell is also an OUTSTANDING swimmer, as well.  They cheer each other on and keep track of their times and encourage one another all the time.  It is so sweet to see.  At the end of their races, they will high five each other in the water....just like Mr. Michael Phelps and his buddies.  It is precious!  Brock and his fellow teammates qualified for All Stars and Summer Champs.  His relay team placed 2nd overall for the Humble/Kingwood area.  It was INCREDIBLE and so exciting.  We are so proud of all of them!

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, Travis and I finally bit the bullet.....we have a new addition to the family.  He has the sweetest little brown/hazel eyes, BIG NOSE, little triangle floppy ears and a HUGE HEART!  Introducing, the one, the only......KETO!!!!  Isn't he the cutest little thing you have seen in a while.  He has the SWEETEST demeanor.  He is full of love and joy and can not give enough of it.  And just when you think he is done kissing and loving you, he comes back and gives you more.  PURE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!   Check him out, what do you think??

Brock and Carter

Brock has a best friend!  Carter is his name.  He is opposite of Brock in many ways, but together they mix well.  For one, Carter is half the size of Brock.  In our family, we call him "Little Carter", because we also have our nephew Carter.  Our nephew Carter, is long and lanky.  But our "Little Carter", he is just petite and precious.  Little Carter is ALWAYS smiling....and I mean this by "mischieviuos" smiles.  Carter is always up for a good time, and if it means getting in trouble, it is worth every bit.  Now Brock on the other hand is super cautious and questions everything he does.  That is why the two mix well.  Brock saves Carter from serious trouble and Carter forces Brock to step outside the box.  Now, I must say, when they are mad with each other.....LOOK OUT!  Those two can duke it out.  Travis and I, and Amy and Clint (Carter's parents) worry a little about that.  

The best part is that Amy and Clint and Travis and I get along wonderfully.  They are family to us.  It is so rare to find friends that your child can be friends with.  Amy and Clint have the biggest and sweetest hearts we know.

Brock is 6!!!

My baby turned 6 years old! It is bitter sweet for me.  He is my one and only, and he is growing up way too fast.  I am so thankful that he lets me snuggle with him, hold him and shower him with kisses.  I will be so sad the day he tells me I can't do that anymore.  But for now, I am taking full advantage of it!

This is a picture of his "Stormtrooper Star Wars" cake from his birthday.  How cool is it?  It tasted even better than it looks.  Brock was so excited!

My 3rd grade students

I did a Valentines party for my kids at school last Friday.  I think I am finally recovered.  We had a blast.  I provided the Valentines, cupcakes, candy and treats.  It was a lot of work, but the kids had a BLAST.  I don't think I will put myself through that kind of heck again this year. It took me two days to recover.  Enjoy the picks.

The Cast is OFF!

So, for those who were not aware of what has happened...we as a family went to visit my family in the Valley. My parents were brave enough to drive Brock and my niece and nephew, while my sister and I and our husbands flew. We had just arrived to my Uncle Bob's and Aunt BB's and my niece, Morgan came running to me.  She was screaming, "Brock broke his arm and we are heading to the emergency room." I hadn't even had a chance to grab a nice cocktail. For those who know my family, anytime we get together, that is the first thing we go to...DRINKS. So, I get in my cousin Randy's vehicle and we headed off. I had thought about the time that a time like this would come, and I had invisioned that I would be a nutcase. I was really calm, surprisingly. Although, my brother in law, Brent and Randy did EVERYTHING! I just was there for "momma love". On the way to the hospital, Brock tells me he had broken his arm from falling off the zipline. Then he said it was really fun, even when he broke his arm. He wanted to do it again, but his arm wouldn't let him. He was truly really calm. I was surprised about all of our emotions. Anyhow, the best part was when the doctors were wrapping the blood pressure wrap around his other arm, and inserting the needle, he was so sarcastic (I wonder where he gets this from). He says, "I am not sure which one of you went to medical school, but you are working on the wrong arm!" HILARIOUS!

We now are castless and ready to go. 

Who is your best friend?

I watched this video and it just moved me! Who is your best friend? Don't you think Jesus is just like them?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjyb0t5Jm44

JENNIFER DID IT!!!

Last Sunday was the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon.  Going to one of these races is so inspiring in so many ways.  If you have not had a chance to go, please make certain you go and experience it.  I mean this on both sides....being the spectator one time and being the actual participant.  I was able to cheer on my cousins Laura, Randy, Javier and Hector(and Michelle).  I also got to cheer on my friends Jodi, Charley and Taeva.  But mainly I was there to scream my heart out for my sister, Jennifer.  Jennifer is the most dedicated and structured person I know.  These 2 qualities are not anywhere on the top of my list.  Last year, she and our dear friend, Lisa, ran the marathon together.  At the end, they got this crazy idea that they wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  For those who don't know, it is the most ELITE race in the "Runner's World".  Anyhow, Jennifer trained so incredibly hard this past year.  She woke up when the roosters were still sleeping (way unheard of for the Carter girls) to run, did not drink too much, and the hardest thing for me, she ate like a perfect athlete.  She would eat TURKEY burgers WITHOUT the bun! (oh, and those awful protein bars,that are supposed to be like Snickers and Thin Mints) If it were me, and I was running those crazy miles, I would have to over indulge in REAL milk chocolate and wine. That my friends, is DEDICATION! Anyhow, she did not qualify this time around. But, I have seen her run in 5 races. She was the happiest in this race. She finished, and I was so worried she would have been devastated. She was far from it. She was thrilled for herself and family and friends. She is so incredible. I admire her greatly. I spoke to her last night, guess what...she wants to train harder and qualify for Boston next year! She may be dedicated and structured, but I think I might have to diagnose her as CRAZY! Way to go girl!  I will post a picture later.

My baby GIRL!

I am sure many of you have heard me talk about Dixie. She is a Westie. We pay her house note, her bills and sleep in her king size bed. She is spoiled rotten. Travis and I adore her so much. But, honestly, she is not the best dog ever. She has bitten quite a few people...about a month ago, she got the pizza delivery guy's ankles. He very much deserved it. He was giving my babysitter a hard time about the tip she gave him and they started "conversing". Dixie felt the bad energy and went after him. He hit her with the pizza warmer box until she stopped. She still leaves us little "presents" from time to time on our carpet, even though she has a doggie door. But in her defense, she does it when it is raining and thundering outside. She can't stand to get her feet wet. She will bark at her dog bowl anytime you go to the pantry because she too must snack or eat. She grunts and groans anytime you move in the middle of the night, in "her" bed.
But, she loves and cares for us unconditionally. She is always waiting for me at the door, outside the shower, just about everywhere. She is ALWAYS under my feet. I think that God is kind of like that with us. Except for he is not so "visible". He is always waiting there for us, at our feet, all we have to do is look to Him.
I write this, because a very dear friend of mine, Charly, lost her four year old lab, Yoakum. She and her husband had to put her to sleep yesterday. I have been thinking about her and Burt and their other dog all day. I know that she views Yoakum as her "Baby Girl" as well. That Baby Girl has the best smile, especially when she is on the boat. I will say that heaven just got a little more fun with Yoakum there.
One of Travis and my favorite quote is this (it hangs at our back door):
"No matter how little money and few possesions you own, having a dog makes you rich" by Louis Sabin

It's a NEW YEAR!!!!!!

WOW!! It is now 2009. It was hilarious this morning when we drove into our Church parking lot and it was JAMMED PACKED! There was not a single place to park. Funny, in the sense that almost all workout gyms and church parking lots are full right after those "New Year Resolutions" are made. Travis and I walked into Sunday School, and there was not an open chair. This is wonderful, but why isn't it always like this? Well, if there is a Sunday that I want all my friends to be at Sunday school, this was the day. Our class for the past few years, has been helping "The Stanfield family." I put their name in "quotes", because for the past few years, they have just been people that Travis and I have been praying for and sending money to, but not a face or stories to put with them. We were blessed today to have them lead our Sunday school class and share their amazing life in Masiphumelele, South Africa. Their name is no longer the "Stanfield Family"...it is Kevin, Tonya, Chesney and Asher Stanfield. I admire the strong faith that they have in the Lord. When they spoke, you could really feel and see Christ working in them. I was so moved by their dedication and love for Jesus. They lit a little fire under my tail. And boy do I need that fire, I need a stinkin' blow torch! They made me want to grow even closer with our Lord. I am not sure what is in store for me, but I will be praying and searching. I ask for your prayers as well. So this is my goal, not resolution...I want to be a "light" for others. I want others to see Christ shine in and through me and yearn for more of Him. What are your "resolutions"?

Check out The Stanfields

www.kevandton.com