It’s quite difficult to figure out what to be thankful for this morning. I woke up to a child throwing up on me. Not the baby mind you, but the big boy. For the past week I have been thrown up on by at least one of my children. One would feel better, then it would go to the next child.

I also have a baby that cries all day. ALL DAY LONG. We try not to leave the house because car rides are miserable. Most babies go to sleep when they get into the car. Mine cries the entire time. I had another baby like this, Makena, and now she just talks nonstop. Figures.

So after I was puked on this morning I decided to get up early and write a post for my thankful series. Not two minutes later, my boy came waddling downstairs and threw up all over the couch. Thank God we chose a slip covered sofa. I cannot tell you how often I throw it into the wash.

I cleaned up the sofa and then Chloe was awake. She heard a commotion and had to join in on the fun.

So what am I thankful for? Through the puke and the incessant crying I am still thankful for my family. My sweet hubby that gets up with me to clean up the puke and put on a pot of coffee. And ensures that I have three blond hair blue eyed babes that look nothing like me.

The girl, sleeping soundly in her bed, that loves deeper and talks more than anyone I’ve ever met. The boy, sleeping quietly on a blanket by the fire at 5 am, oh the boy that would rather play barefoot in the rain than hide inside. And the newest wee one, now sleeping peacefully in her swing, that needs me more than I could have ever imagined. That breaks me down and lifts me back up again with her coos, giggles, and snuggles. And for that I am thankful.

As I was uploading pictures from my camera to iPhoto I came across some pictures that I almost let slip by. Almost grandpa, but not quite. It was grandpa’s (milestone) birthday and it also happens to be on Halloween. How cool is that to have a Halloween birthday? It’s always a party. Anyway, I won’t tell you exactly how old he is because he might get his feathers all ruffled but I will tell you that it rhymes with pixie.

So we couldn’t let this birthday go by without celebration and fanfare. Heck, if it were up to me I would have shown up with some major milestone decorations. Necklaces, buttons, balloons… But that’s not how grandpa rolls so I behaved myself.

We all met at the Salt Lick in Driftwood for a Sunday afternoon barbeque birthday celebration. If you’ve never heard of, or been to the Salt Lick, it’s quite the Austin experience. It’s a BYOB kind of joint that serves Texas style barbeque that’ll knock your socks off.

There is always live music on the patio.

A good time to partake in your beverage of choice with good friends.

Grandpa and his grandkids.

And this picture is as sweet as sweet tea.

Have a great weekend friends!

Keegan is sweet, patient, and kind. He takes his time with whatever he is doing. He doesn’t like to be rushed, especially at mealtime. He likes to hold hands, give kisses, and cuddle. When he’s ready for a nap he’ll go to sleep anywhere, even on the floor. He loves his sister more than she’ll ever know. He really values his relationships with everyone in his family, especially all of his uncles. He’s the sweetest little man’s man I know.

This weekend we had his birthday party at the Little Buckaroo Ranch. It was as hot as an oven, but the party favor bandanas were put to good use to wipe the sweat from their brows. I did an applique on them with their first initial. Little cowpokes indeed.

The kids sang farm songs.

Pet a rooster.

Watered the ponies.

Got nibbled on by goldfish. Did you know, that if you keep goldfish in your stock tank/pond it will keep mosquitos from living in there as well. Who knew.

Fed the goats.

Pony rides.

Hung around.

Had a campfire cook-out.

And had cake.

Happy birthday sweet Keegan. I love you to the moon and back.

Thank you all for your sweet comments and prayers about our bebe who will be here in seven weeks. Aack! After a visit to the prenatal cardiologist we found out that she has a Prenatal Aortic Contraction. The doctor began to tell me what that meant in scientific terms, I should have paid more attention in anatomy in college because it all flew right over my head.

Basically what that means is that there are two halves to the heart and a door that separates the two. The blood flows between chambers, through the doorway. Her door is too big for the door frame. So she has an early beat every few beats. What does all of this mean? He said that when they cut the cord it will all work itself out. He did say that it will drive the doctor and nurses crazy until she is born because of the heart arrhythmia. I now have to see my doctor every week until she is born just to continue to monitor her heart rate and make sure it does not go too high.

Sorry it’s taken me a few days to update this space. From my doctors appointments to the cardiologist appointment to working on the book I haven’t had a moment really to get on here. I do promise that I have been taking it easy, taking naps, and not getting all worked up about things as I would in the past.

Marjorie has taken over Craft Hope for this current project, SOCK MONKEYS! I am so grateful for her friendship and willingness to help out. She’s an angel. If you haven’t checked out the newest project, hurry on over. She’s doing a great job out there on the west coast. I can’t wait to see the comments and results!

We returned from the beach last weekend and actually welcomed the 100 plus degree weather. There is something about the humidity at the coast that makes you feel like your skin is melting. We had a wonderful time. And we were fortunate to travel with my dad who is a professional photographer. He got some great shots that I’d love to share with you.

When I get a chance I’ll go through my camera to see if I missed anything, but I think this is a pretty good reflection of our trip. Playing on the beach, looking at the boats in the harbor, and relaxing.

I feel like I’ve been put through quite the test with the baby’s heart scare and am stronger for it. Today was one of those days of the car breaking down, the printer breaking, my email server being down, and then running out of ink once I fixed the printer.

You know, it’s always something isn’t it. It’s just how you choose to handle it that makes all the difference. Today when things started crashing down around me I just shrugged and took a nap. What can you do?!? No sense in getting all worked up on things outside of my control. God is in charge here and he runs this ship much better than I ever could.

We spent the week hanging out and bundling up.

Playing in the snow.

Building a snow tribe.

Making snow angels.

Enjoying the fire inside with a good book and the view outside.

Spending time with great friends.

And enjoying time as a family.

It’s good to travel, but it’s also good to be home.

Our Christmas morning can be summed up with this one picture.  Keegan’s feet in his sisters new princess shoes.  The boy would not take them off.

While in San Antonio we spent a lot of time with family.  While I didn’t get my lights shot, I promise to try again on New Years, I did get some bowling shots.  Yes, I did say bowling.  And let me tell you that I have not been to a bowling alley in about ten years.

We have all spent plenty of time with Wii bowling over the holiday, but this was a whole other beast all together.

Makena had a style all of her own.  Run.  Drop the ball.  It would barely roll.  And she would squat or lay down to watch it creep down the lane.

And it’s all fun and games.

Until the boy gets hit upside the head with a bowling ball.  The bruise appeared in about two seconds.

We have returned from San Antonio and the house has been declared a natural disaster zone.  Toys, bags and everything in between lay strewn about the living room.

Today we rest.

Tomorrow we party!  Happy New Years Eve Eve!

We live in Austin, Texas.  It doesn’t really snow here.

Today is her birthday and she got her wish.  It snowed overnight!

Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!  I hope that I can continue to marvel and amaze you throughout your lifetime!

Photos taken by the incredibly talented Kristen of Faux-Toes.  Thanks Kristen!!  If you need a photographer, she’s your girl!

Details ::  We had the party at the park in our neighborhood.  No hired entertainment.  Good old fashioned fun.  The poofy balls are from a Martha Stewart kit from Michaels.  It makes 7 pom-poms.  Near the Martha Stewart paper goods.  In a box near the ground.  We ordered the cake from Costco.  Ordered pizza for lunch and had a big bowl of clementines for snack. We also made a mix-tape for the families to take home.  Makena is really into dancing these days so we threw a mix-tape together of her favorite songs and played them during the party.  An easy, budget-conscious party!

Since we now have time to focus on things other than nebulizer treatments, I would love to introduce you to the newest member of our household. No, we’re not pregnant but we have a new baby Golden Retriever named Oliver!

He’s 9 weeks old and was born on Super Bowl Sunday. He has the sweetest disposition and loves to play. The kids and I took a road trip today to pick him up about an hour and a half away from our house. They, including Oliver, were great!

Since we’ve been home, today has consisted of puppy scratches and nibbles. Pouncing. Chasing. Rolling.

Puppy breath. Chewing. On Everything. Toys. Crocs. Chairs. Rugs. My feet.

And swims at the lake. It was only fitting that we have dinner down at the lake to celebrate our newest arrival. With egg salad sandwiches, fruit and beer in the picnic basket we made our way to the lake to have dinner at the picnic table on the boat dock. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera so I’ll have to create a picture for you. Oliver romped around and swam. Makena fed the ducks. Keegan threw rocks. With beers in hand, Miles and I watched our new family frolic.

Oliver made a new friend down at the lake, his name is Ford and he’s a 10 week old Border Collie. Only in Texas do people name their dog Ford!

Anyhow, back to my dad. Remember when you were a kid and thought your parents knew everything. Well, somehow my dad does. At least he’ll always come up with a good answer or story to tell. That is what a daddy is for right.

Case in point. This weekend we took the kids and their cousins fishing down at the lake. We were stockpiled with the essentials: princess fishing pole (check), worms (check), beer (check). Out we went to catch whatever we could. Anything really. I hate to brag but I’m a pretty good fisherwoman. As a child, I spent countless hours on lakes, creeks and oceans fishing well into the night and early morning. Thanks Daddy.

So back to the lake fishing story. My hubby and his brother took all of the kids down to the lake to catch some fish. They had been down there for about two hours (with no fish caught) when I came down to check on the situation. I was down there for only a couple of minutes, threw my first cast and immediately caught a large fish. Although I like to fish, let me tell you that I don’t touch the fish and I don’t touch the bait. Ever.

Now here’s when my dad and all of his knowledge comes in. We looked at the fish and had no idea what it was. So, who do we call? My dad… he knows it all. He immediately identified our fish.

All of this to tell you that he’s got the answers, or he pretends to have the answers. Thanks dad. If you have questions about photography, he’s your man. If you have questions about photoshop, he’s your man. If you have questions about traveling, he’s your man. If you have questions about short cuts and back roads, he’s your man. If you have questions about camping/fishing, he’s your man. He’s a man’s man.

All of these pictures he took while we had our visit a couple of weekends ago. He’s my photography man!

The cold winds blew in and with it a flurry of activity. Car after car arrived and unloaded anxious toddlers ready to run and play. And off they went! At the party there was eating, drinking, cupcake decorating, kid crafting and good times. Wagons were pulled, pushed and ridden down hill by children young and old. Fires were roaring and marshmallows were roasting. There was singing, laughing, chasing and playing. Happy birthday baby girl!