The Family Lacy

Kate in the choir

2011-11-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

Today was such a special day! During our parental pursuit, one of the things i ofter caught myself daydreaming about was watching my child grow in his or her faith. Of course, during childhood, Sunday School is such a huge part of that along with participation in the annual children's Christmas pageant. I have watched nieces and nephews, and children of friends and friends i don't know all waiting for the day when i could watch my child go thru the time-honored tradition of rocking folded arms back and forth while humming the forgotten words to Away in the Manger. Friends, my dream will soon be a reality!
In our church, you have to be in Kindergarten to join the kid's choir, this being Kat'es 5th year, we signed her up and she is loving it!
Today, on Christ the King Sunday, best Sunday of the season in my opinion. The children's choir (kate included!) sang Cast your burdens unto Jesus! It was fantastic. Kate had a little more "hip" action thean the others, it's those private jazz lessons, i think! But it was wonderful!

Do you see her? Up front in the pink and orange glaring at me, haha!

During the service, we had a chance to write down those things that were weighing heavy on our hearts and leave them at the altar cross for our pastors to pray on. It felt good, although we should be doing this every single day, it was a nice tangible way to cast our burdens. I pray this holiday season, you will cast your burdens onto Jesus and delight in the Birth of our Savior, taking time to count you Blessings, i promise you, they are all around you.

I forgot perhaps the best part of the day! Kate had rehearsal after church and guess what? Miss Lacy has a speaking part in her very first pageant! Oh my, i am one proud shepherd momma!

I am so over 2011...

2011-11-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

So this has been a crappy, crappy year. Jay's sweet brother died suddenly. Then on Good Friday, my grandmother passed away suddenly. Last week my grandfather who had been on the decline, passed away. At least we knew it was coming. People always ask would you want to know you were dying or would you rather it happen suddenly. Not sure i know the answer but from the other side of the fence, being able to say good bye is much MUCH better. I am anxious to put this year behind me, no doubt! But that being said, there have been some good things.

My sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Phoebe (Buffet). We made great new friends! We had a very memorable trip to the lake with our new friends. Brooke's BFF got accepted into her school. Kate started Kindergarten. My brother moved back to OKC. Kate and Brooke were in their first parade! Jay got to go fishing! I started a book club. Kate took private dance lessons. Brooke took tumbling and won another soccer championship. We got a cat. Jay and I started teaching Sunday School again, Kindergarten! Kate joined the children's choir. We decorated our house all spooky for halloween and it was a big hit! We are headed to Grand Lake for a whole week at Thanksgiving! I have learned to look at the bright side!

No promises on my blogging future, you just never know! But i wanted to add a post so when i look back at this year and my absence of posts, i will remember that amid the trials, there were some rays of light!

All About Brooke

2011-02-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

It seems i have forgotten to post a pic of Brooke from Christmas. Let me just say, this girl gets prettier and prettier every day. It makes me sad to see her grow so fast, it seems just the other day she was putting on fancy dresses for make-believe tea parties now they are for winter formals. She even has a boyfriend. Shhhhhh...she would kill me if she knew i blogged that. It is opening up conversations to have so for now, i think it is a good thing. The only outing they have been on (notice i did not say DATE) is to our church. He asked to go to church with us one Sunday and we gladly obliged. Here is a pic of beautiful brooke from the night of Winter Formal.

Yes, the dress IS strapless which is why i made her wear a buttoned up sweater over all night! Yep, I am proud to be THAT momma!

Last bit of Christmas...

2011-02-10T14:22:00.001-08:00

Well these Christmas posts seem to be never ending! The truth is, with little ones in the house, i just can't get enough of it. We celebrate every tradition we can possibly think of, i am just sorry it took so long to share them with you.

One of our favorite traditions is our week of baking! I have always taken off the week before Christmas to spend with brooke and now brooke and kate. We love to bake and this year was no exception. We decided to make treat platters for all of our neighborhood friends. Check them out!

Mmmmmm Chocolate!
Brooke and I are kinda famous for our "christmas popcorn." Brooke starts asking me around December 1st if we are going to make it and if we have received any "orders." It's not like we charge for it, we have just done if for so many years now that people expect it and start calling us looking for it. Yes, it is that good!

Santa was good to the girls this year because they are good girls! Kate got her Leapster Explorer, Baby Alive and the Polar Bear Alive (which actually came from aunt Bootsy). This year she also finally embraced the tradition of stocking stuffers! How can you not adore this face?

Brooke got her ipod touch 4g and it was even engraved which proved to her that santa is real because there is no way jay or i could do it!

I think that brings 2010 to a close we started off 2011 optimistically but sadly, it was short lived. On January 30th, we lost Jay's younger brother Matthew. His death was untimely and unexplained. Our hearts our filled with great sadness at this seemingly senseless loss. Jay and i have spent countless hours reminding each other that our Faith is strong and that at the foundation of our Christian belief is that our time on earth is short and that after death, our true life begins, in our Father's Home. Matthew, my brother, my friend, you are loved, your smile remains in our hearts forever. Until we meet again.

Christmas Continued....again

2011-01-15T08:03:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve found the Lacy family at the home of my mom and her husband. It was great to have my brothers and sisters around along with all the kids. We were able to take some great family shots so i think in the post I will just share them but before I do - we had a special guest, straight from Mexico it's Justin Bieber!

The girls attacked him - swooning!

Ok so technically, this isn't Justin Bieber - it is my foreign exchange nephew from Mexico, he is spending the school year with my sister and his family and he is hilarious.

Christmas 2010 would not be complete without a round of Apples to Apples - our new favorite game!

Here are a few random family pics

Next up Santa visits ho ho ho!!

tiny tiny dancer

2011-01-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

When I was little I was certain my career would take me down one of 2 paths. I was going to either be a choreographer or a nun. Let's face it, the nun thing wasn't very realistic. I've always been that boy crazy girl - plus i am a little (just a little) high maintenance) and a vow of silence, yeah, i don't think so. So choreographer made the most sense - i was very deliberate and specific, i wanted to choreograph shows, specifically the orange bowl half time. I would lay in bed planning themes and running through moves in my head. The irony is, i never took a dance lesson. My mother was apparently pushed into lessons and didn't want to do the same to me. Despite my lack of lessons, i danced in the 5th grade talent show to a standing ovation. I went on to be the captain of the winterguard on the dance line. In college, i did choreography for the modern dance company as well as the marching band half times. Certainly not the orange bowl but not bad for a kid with no lessons. SO my dream was always to have my kids dance, i restrain myself enough to keep me from being "that" mom but i might push a little. Brooke danced when she was really little, one class and that was enough. Enter Kate. Kate loves it. She took her first class when she wsa just 2 1/2 and is now in her 3rd class. I have seen remarkable improvement - she practices at home and nails her first position plie every single time. She is already talking about moving to gymnastics, which is perfectly fine, i wouldn't push her to do anything she doesn't want to, i just want to give her all the possibilities in the world. I took this picture at last week's class - it's definitely my new favorite! My heart, my joy, my tiny, tiny dancer!

Christmas at the Lake!

2011-01-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, my dad moved to Grand Lake. I have to admit, i wasn't thrilled. It was so nice having him close to me, probably didn't tell him that enough. I always felt like I had a "safety" net! Turns out, my safety net wasn't nearly as important as his happiness. I think he loves it - really don't remember him being happier! We spent the weekend before Christmas with him - my brother, sister and our families - it was so perfect!

Brooke and I stopped to take the obligatory vacation pic!

I think my dad seemed to enjoy it too! He didn't do too bad in the present department either.

We enjoyed a nice Christmas dinner filled with sandwiches and yummy snacks - my nephew Draven enjoyed the "sandwich o' death!"

It was chilly but we still enjoyed the view from my dad's dock.

Kate got one of the presents on her list - turns out a "live" polar bear actually meant, Polar Bear Alive! Way to go Bootsy!

Brooke enjoyed hanging out with her girl cousins - Audrey and Zoe.

While the older cousins hung out and played with Papa's new Wii, Kate gave her younger cousin Llllie a makeover! Pretty.

On the way out of town, we stopped by my sister's lake house not far from my dad's. Can't wait till this summer - i imagine we will be spending a lot of time up there especially if my dad buys a boat...hint hint!

Wow - more Christmas updates to follow!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T14:32:00.000-08:00

The Friday of Christmas break brought some conflict! Brooke's entire school went to the movies - seriously, how cool is that? They even surprised them by taking them to the movie in 3d! Jay chaperoned a car full of mid-schoolers including Brooke. On Wednesday of that week, Kate said she needed something for her party on Friday. I had been asking her for days what they were doing for Christmas in her class. Finally, she said, ummm, you might want to check my bag. I think Mrs. Wilcox wrote you a note! Well, come to find out she had a whole Christmas program they had put together - i was soooo excited - there is really nothing cuter, is there? Unfortunately, it also brought conflict, Jay was already committed to Brooke's school. I guess it was just bad timing because none of our family could make it. I was so excited to have my work BFF, Jessica with me. She totally rocks and so did the concert! Here are some pics of my talented little munchkin!

I am so thrilled with Kate's teacher this year - she is a doll and really goes all out for the kids - it's a great way to start Kate's academic career! Her son is in the same class as Kate and the two of them have a budding relationship, so much so they got busted for kissing under the table and apparently there was NO mistletoe in sight - oops! Hard to believe she is just 4 - she is still the greatest gift I have ever received!

Brooke had a great time with jay unfortunately he didn't take any pics - imagine that! Next time i will remind him. We met back home at 1:00 and hit the road for Christmas with my dad. I will save that for my next post!

Oooh spooky....

2010-12-05T19:15:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post Halloween pics - now that is spooky!!
Brooke and a soccer sister with an unknown gorilla...

Katiebug and LillieBug

Brooke and her foreign exchange cousin, George

Nan and the girlies!

The prettiest tinkerbell...ever!

They say a man marries his mother, i think Jay might of, never realized how similar our lips were!

Of course, Brooke looks just like me and her Nan!

Kate looks a lot like her grandfather, before he shaved!

Little Red Riding Hood

My little tinkerbelle!

Happy Halloween oh and Merry Christmas too!

Giving Thanks!

2010-12-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

OK, so once again i need to catch up on some posts. Like, waaaaaay catch up. I'm going to go a little backwards starting with Thanksgiving. We were so thankful this year not to have to travel AND still get to see family we don't see too often! Here is the big group of us at Jay's moms house on Thanksgiving - unfortunately, some of us left before we took the big group shot!

Kate enjoying a yummy turkey dinner!

Me and "aunt" Bob

Kate with "aunt uncle"

the fam

Mommy and Kate

The gruesome twosome!

The girls and cousin Max

The second best thing about Thanksgiving - Black Friday shopping, look who was first in line! Yep, that's me!! I got my Pauls Deen Cookware, woot! Woot!! Now that is something to be thankful for!

God's Grace

2010-12-05T18:28:00.001-08:00

I think it was my sister who said it is really easy to blog when things are good but when they are bad, it really isn't. I don't want to say things have been bad, they just haven't been easy. I think the economy is finally hurting Jay's job which has made things difficult, at best. I have spent the last 9 months working like crazy. Luckily, i love my job but it has taken me away from my family a little more than i anticipated. Me being gone, financial struggles all in the midst of my transition from stay at home mom to full-fledge work-a-holic has made for a rough ride. See, not something i want to blog about and most likely, something you don't want to read about. But today, I was reminded of something, my Faith. Jay and i have been teaching Sunday School for sometime now but in the last several months have stopped attending regular service. Today, I wanted to go and I am so glad I did. Our preacher, who i swear can make me feel like the only one in our 1000+ congregation. He said, the Grace of God is bigger than our doubt. He said it several times, probably because I didn't get the first 2 or 3. He started talking about challenges we all face in our life, the prayers we pray and how God answers those prayers. It took me back to East Heights United Methodist in Wichita, KS. I remember sitting in our home church during the Lenten season, Ironlc since we are now in the season of Advent, and being mad, really mad and angry at God. I had so much pain, and hurt. All i wanted was a child, more than anything. I had suffered so much loss and didn't understand why, why would God do this to me, what had I done. I tried to be Faithful, I kept praying but much as our pastor said, I prayed not just for my needs but how i wanted them. I prayed for a child, to get pregnant, to stay pregnant, to deliver a beautiful healthy baby. As each month passed, my doubt began to grow, as did God's grace. Today, unlike any other Sunday, Kate didn't want to go to Sunday School - she normally loves it. Today, she wanted to go to Big Church with me and dad. As our pastor's sermon contined, I looked down in my arms, somehow, not really even realizing, Kate had crawled on to my lap and fallen asleep. I was rocking her as i have done since her birth over 4 years ago. I couldn't help but smile and pray. Pray to my God who even when i have doubt in Him, He remains Faithful in me. The Grace of God is bigger than our doubt. Yes, it has been a struggle the last several months but God's Grace and my Faith will pull me through. again.

Another interview with Kate

2010-10-12T18:13:00.001-07:00

Saw this on facebook, thought it might be fun to ask Kate some questions about me!

1. What is something I always say to you?
um.... I love you

2. What makes me happy?
kissing

3. What makes me sad?
i broke your glasses

4. How do I make you laugh?
tickles!

5. What do you think I was like as a child?
you were pretty

6. How old am I?
5

7. How tall am I?
spread her hands about 2ft apart!

8. What is my favorite thing to do?
hug!

9. What do I do when you're not around
go to work

10. If I become famous, what will it be for?
cooking/making secret breakfast

11. What am I really good at?
braiding my hair

12. What am I not really good at?
chewing gum

13. What is my job?
to save babies!

14. What is my favorite food?
chinese food

15. What makes me proud of you?
when i feed Bo

16. If I were a cartoon character, who would I be?
Snow White

17. What do you and I do together?
hang out

18. How are we the same?
we both like kitty cats and sparkles

19. How are you and I different?
your hair is blonde, my hair is brown

20. How do you know that I love you?
because you love me bigger than the moon!

21. Where is my favorite place to go?
Panda Bear Express

Wow - that was much better than i thought she would do except not a huge fan of Chinese food or Panda Bear Express! Still really cute!

Brooke turns 11!

2010-09-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

What an amazing girl my Brookie is. She is so smart & beautiful and honestly the strongest kid I have ever met. Her perserverance and determination are inspiring to say the least. She is growing into a young lady despite my pleas to stop growing and stay little. When she was much younger, every time she would leave me I would remind her "no more getting bigger!" Apparently she didn't listen. She turned 11 years old a couple of weeks ago AND started middle school! Just not possible! She is attending an amazing school - we were so blessed to get her into this school. The principal is, in my frequent description of her, a lifetime movie waiting to happen. She puts up with nothing. You have no idea what zero tolerance means until you have met Mrs. Baker. I love her, love her, love her. So many of my fears of Brooke entering middle school have been erased thanks to Mrs. B. They have a very strict uniform policy but my Brookie still managed to rock it out! Mrs. Baker didn't want parents walking the kids into school on the first day. In her words, cut the strings or I will cut them for you. Of course I still made brooke pose for me at home - look at my young lady on her first day of Middle school!

She is loving it!

Just a few daysafter school started, brooke turned 11. Since so many of her neighborhood friends are going to different middle school, we decided to have one giant sleepover. We invited (10) eleven year old girls. We hand delivered the invites - super cute, hot pink invites with zebra ribbon. The entire party was hot pink & zebra themed. Check out her gorgeous cake!

As you all know, I have been a bad blogger and a much better facebook user. I reconnected with a girl I used to work at years ago at the Daily Oklahoman. She is a wonderful SAHM and a fabulously talented baker - she made the cake and i could not have been more pleased. If you live in OKC and want her name, i would be happy to share!
The girls had a great time - we played games, watched movies and even went "midnight chalking", with parent permission of course. I think they all had a blast - i know Brooke did and she deserved it! I am so Blessed to be her momma!

Oops i almost forgot - brooke made the birthday board too, not bad after have only been in school 4 days!

Happy Birthday Kate!

2010-09-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

So here I am playing catch up again but at least I am blogging! I can't believe we just celebrated Kate's 4th birthday! It really seems like just the other day, i was rocking my newborn baby, cradled in her boppy, already wrapped around our finger! I am amazed at how fast the time has gone by. I try so hard to cherish every single moment. It has been a little more difficult since I have gone back to work. I absolutely love my job and I know Kate is in school but there is so much I miss. I miss our 2:00 Word World Date. I miss our arts & crafts time. I miss her makeshift cubby with notes for daddy. I miss lessons with skittles and songs around the singing blanket. Mid-day trips to the zoo and walking to the park on a whim. I guess instead of dwelling on what I miss, I guess I should count my blessings that i got to spend a wonderful year with my baby before she started school. For that, i will always be grateful.
So for Kate's 4th birthday, this working mom decided to have a destination b-day rather than trying to do everything myself. It was fantastic!! We had it Mat Trotters Gymnastics - everyone had a great time! Of course it started with me picking Kate up from school early - look who made the birthday board!

After I picked her up from school, we went to lunch at Panda Bear Express - Kate's fave and made a trip to see her "angels" and drop off some pics for them. Her angels are at the agency who facilitated her adoption. We try and make an annual trip to see them and share her birth story. They were thrilled to see how smart and beautiful she is - hard to argue with that!

Her party was attended by both sets up grandparents. Aunt Bootsy and Lillie, Aunt Mimi and Adam, Uncle Rob & Aunt Leah plus Ben & Harrison. Our new friend Betsy was there along with an "old school friend of kate's" Zane. You might know him better as her first boyfriend and actually, i guess also her first kiss which happened right in front of me AND his parents. So cute!

The party was a huge success. Brooke's party is now complete too so I get a year off before I have to start this back to back birthday craziness again! Here are some more party pics from the big day!

Pics

2010-08-24T19:11:00.001-07:00

Kate and I actually made it through her first short week of school! The first day went great! We walked to the school as a family. I love our little neighborhood, the houses aren't grand, but it is safe and quiet and it really has a great sense of community! The fact that we are around the corner from one of the best elementary schools in the state is such a blessing! Here is Kate walking to school:

Since Brooke has been going to school there the last couple of year, we have a couple of obligatory photo opps!

We were so excited to see Maci from dance class! Look at these cuties!

Her main teacher this year is Mrs. Wilcox, she seems like a sweetheart - she was certainly comforting for both Kate and momma, the first day!

Because she did so well, I took her and Sissy to McD's to celebrate - quite the rare treat! Pre-K must have really worked up her appetite because she ate a McNugget Happy Meal and then an extra hamburger - I have never EVER seen her eat like that!

Day two was a little harder. We got there early and had to wait to get in. I guess it made all the little ones antsy because there was a lot of fit throwing! Kate kept saying, "i'll make you a deal, take me home with you and you teach me a lesson!" Sorry kiddo, no deal. Next thing we knew, this sweet little red-headed boy threw himself onto the floor screaming "NO NO NO!" Kate and I looked at each other like well, things could be worse! She went into her class and I went to work saying a quick little prayer for my new red-headed hero!

Kate's First Day of School Interview

2010-08-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

tomorrow is a big day

2010-08-18T19:49:00.001-07:00

I can't even believe it but Miss Kate is starting pre-k. She is going to a full-fledge elementary school. It is the same school Brooke just "graduated' from. My heart is breaking. Jay and I tried for so long to get pg, we went through so much, so many heartbreaks and then one day, almost 4 years ago, our lives changed forever, Miss Katherine Faith was born. I love that child more than the breath in my lungs. She is amazing, smart, beautiful, sensitive, thoughtful, funny and God's greatest gift. She is living, breathing proof of my Faith. Tonight I rocked her as I still do most nights and read her my favorite book, I love you Forever. When I was done, she asked to read it to me. She read it, I cried. I rocked her back and forth, back and forth and while I rocked her, I sang. I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Today I took her to meet her teacher. It went well, we saw so many familiar, friendly faces. Kate even has a friend from dance class in her class! They gave each other a sweet hug when they saw each other. Tomorrow might be a little rough but I know she will be great. I may not be there holding her hand, but she won't leave my thoughts for a moment!

Here is a pic of her walking in, my little super star!

The beautiful Princess Kate....

2010-07-07T18:28:00.001-07:00

The title to this blog is the way Kate prefers to be introduced before walking into a room. NO, i am not kidding. She is so silly! She loves to dress up and put on fashion shows. She will put on her clothes, sissy's clothes, my clothes all in the name of fashion. Of course she also has to have fancy shoes! She recently bought a pair of shoes at a garage sale with nanna. They were pink sandale with high heels that light up and change colors - she LOVES them!

I actually let her wear them to school but we got in trouble even though i sent regular shoes. Guess Episcopal's aren't big on stripper heels. Good to know. My mom shared with me a story about another garage sale that they went to that I want to share with you. Kate only had a quarter to spend - she picked out something for herself and a little ceramic bear for her sister. She didn't have enough money. She actually put up her toy without being asked and purchased the gift for her big sister. How amazing is that for a three year old - putting someone else before her own wants - i thought it was impressive but then again, Kate never ceases to amaze me!
I was wanting to share some of the other things Kate has been doing lately but am drawing a bit of a blank. She is still calling elephants KiKis but she knows they have another name, she just prefers KiKis which is kinda funny considering I am known to do the same thing to people! When she does something on accident she calls it an "accididn't" i think because she didn't mean to do it! She says her prayers every night without fail. We sometimes refer to it as her thank you's and take care of's. She starts out asking Jesus to take care of her and watch over her and mommy, daddy and sissy and bo. She says what she is thankful for which definitely varies from night to night and then ends up with a list of things she is asking for. Sometimes it sounds like a Christmas list. It always includes asking Jesus for a baby sister and normally at least one toy and a cat! She has the sweetest song she sings before we eat - it's kind of a singing prayer. She can write her name pretty well although normally not in a row more like a k here and an a t e here and there! She has also started writing spelling words when sissy does spelling words. She's not bad. At her school, they are working on Spanish. Kate loves it and does very well. She can count to 10 easily and knows several words! It cracks me up when she switches Spanish to English because I do that too! Yesterday she was looking for a snack and found a half empty bag of chocolate chips - you would have thought she discovered gold! She said, "MOMMA! I think these are the things that are in cookies!" haha how could I deny her that joy of chocolate chips right out of the bag! At the moment I just heard her tell daddy that momma said she could sleep with chocolate chips tonight. Ummmm, no. I did not! Haha she is big on telling daddy that mom said it was ok!
Have i mentioned her "nuggling" this means she sits in your lap and rubs her cheek on your cheek. I love it love it love it! When she doesn't want to go to bed which is pretty much every night she will come into the living room,climb up on my lap and say, "mommy, i want to nuggle you." Sometimes she says she wants to love on me, it's all the same thing......Irresistable!!! I don't think i will ever say no to a good Kate nuggle! I know it's no shock but I love that baby girl so much, Jay and i went through hell and back during our parental pursuit, through loss and disappointment, i didn't understand but holding on to my precious Kate, i know it is because He had a plan all along. Faith, it's a beautiful thing!

Tonight she came home from school speaking German. At least she tells me it's German, counting to ten to be specific. Since I have no idea how to count to 10 in German, I have to take her word for it! She also drew a picture of me wearing a purple dress (March of Dimes colors) and pink shoes. She also drew pink make-up for me which is interesting because i just switched from brown eye shadows to pink tones. Yes, she is beautful, creative and most likely a genius! This picture is going up in my office tomorrow so be prepared if you come visit me, you will definitely hear this story again!

Just for the record, Brooke is doing great - she is such a social girl I never see her! From vacations with family to sleepovers and summer camps, that child is always gone! I miss her terribly. Can't wait till school starts so she will have to spend time with me!

Happy Day!

2010-07-05T20:25:00.001-07:00

So many things have changed over the last couple of years. It has been a real roller coaster ride. Some up and some down. When things are down, i find it hard to blog. Ironic because writing for me has always been so cathartic but the idea of someone reading about my struggles does not excite me. I am going through a period where i feel very unsettled. Maybe it's an age thing. I am approaching the big 4-0 you know. It has been an adjustment being back in the corporate world. I do however firmly believe that I am exactly where I am supposed to be professionally speaking. My work has purpose and that makes me very happy, I just have to find the balance once again. I think Jay and I need to implement date night again - I need to find a babysitting circle. I have talked about it many times but never followed through. So if you live in the area - let me know if you are interested! Jay, the girls and I did take this long holiday weekend to spend some serious quality family time together. It was much needed and very much enjoyed! We attended the Bethany Freedom Festival and had the best time! I am known for saying that everyone thinks they have the smartest, most beautiful children, one of us has to be right. I actually think it might be me! Check out these pics!

My drama girls!

Kate got to ride a pony - one of her favorite things to do!

We all enjoyed a little "food on a stick!"

Jay is slowly recovering from ACL surgery. I think it is taking longer than he thought. He definitely lets it get him down but he was feeling well enough Saturday to give Kate a ride - she loves it on daddy's shoulders!

Kate got to ride carnival rides for the first time. She barely made the 36in height requirement which means she really hasn't grown this year, my poor little petite princess! She had a blast on the rides including a dragon rollercoaster and some spinning "kikis" aka elephants!

One of my favorite childhood memories is going to the state fair with my parents. We were always money conscious but the state fair was different. There was always plenty for games, rides and of course fair food! One year my dad spent probably hundreds of dollars winning giant stuffed animals for my mom. I just remember thinking how sweet that wasand how i wanted to find someone who would do the same for me after decades of marriage. Saturday night Jay helped our girls both win a stuffed animal of their choice - Pandy the Panda and Finn the Dolphin!

Kate looked so cute Saturday night - she is insisting now that i pull her hair up into "kitty cat ears." She is all about dressing up, showing off and looking pretty. Jay thinks we need to check into modeling jobs for her. I am not completely convinced he is wrong. Someone told me recently that we could "make a lot of money off of her!" I was completely offended, now I am intrigued. Maybe it's the Toddlers and Tiaras marathon I watched last week! Ha - my child doesn't need glitz though - she has natural beauty! See for yourself!

The bottom line is we all had a great time and it was the happiest this family has been in a long time!

We have a few complications happening this week that I would rather not get into but if you have a moment this week, please remember us in your prayers. We would be very grateful.

Switching Teams...

2010-07-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

So while Brooke and I started out as Team Edward, after watching New Moon, we are officially switching to Team Jacob and you know what they say "Once you go (Jacob) Black, you never go back!"
I am totally digging my summer hours. I am off at 11m on Friday and i am loving spending those afternoons with my girls. Sometimes both of them and sometimes just one at a time for some special mommy/daughter time. Yesterday was Brooke's day. We had planned to grab a yummy Taco Bueno lunch but unfortunately our closest TB is closed for remodel. We drove around and ended up at Scary MCD's. it did not disappoint not only was the food discgusting but an actual fight broke out between 2 young ummmm "ladie." There was a serious amount of weave pulling going on - all kinds of Jerry Springer action. I yelled at Brooke " grab our food at run." She was so funny - she was holding the tray of food and kept setting it down and looking at me in shock. The fight was across the restaurant and really we weren't in any danger, we were near an exit. Funny how those things run through your mind. I even took the time to make sure a group of out of town HS softball players were safe. The fight moved outside and we were safe but both a little shook up.
After the McDonald's debacle, we met our new friend Jessica at the movie theatre to watch "eclipse" the third movie in the Twilight series. To put it in Brooke's terms " O M G!" It was so good! Turned out to be a great day - we will probably go see it again. We ended with a skate party for our friend Carter's 5th birthday. I will post some pics from that later! Here is Brookie and Jessica right before the movie starts - these two were so "giggly" I loved it!

40x40 and beyond

2010-05-22T07:49:00.001-07:00

So after much internal debate I think i am discontinuing my 40x40 blog...well, sort of. I am going to combine my two blogs. I will continue in pursuits of my 40 accomplishments and will just blog about it here. I think that is a fair compromise.

Things have more hectic than usual. As you know, I re-entered the workforce almost 2 months ago. I had 2 weeks to prepare for our first event, luckily, I had already been volunteering on that committee and we have an amazing team! The night did not go flawlessly but it was quite fabulous! We honored the top athletes in Oklahoma with our headliner being Kevin Durant!

On of the things I really like about my new job is that they really encourage you to get your family and friends volunteering! For our sports headliner, not only was I surrounded by good friends but Jay and Brooke were both there! Brooke's job was to help us auction off a sweet puppy named Carmella. Brooke did amazing, my girl is not shy! Kevin Durant was surrounded by an entourage of agents, body guards, press, etc and my 10 yr old pushes right through them up to KD and asks if he would like to meet Carmella! He was very sweet and stopped to speak to brooke and pet the dog. That's my girl!!
Jay and I didn't get to spend much time together because I was in charge of A/V and keeping the show running while he was working the wine pull but we did get to stop and pose for this sweet pic.

Once that event was over we moved on to March for Babies. My sister and i started our very first team this year and while we had some disappointments in participation from others, we still came very close to meeting our team goal and we blew our personal goals out of the water! Sarah was even given two awards top walker and new top team captain! I was so proud of her!! March for Babies was an abolutely amazing event! It was the hilight of my professional career! There were so many challenges thrown at us up until the last minute but it was inspiring! I literally broke down into tears of joy upon completion. I will hopefully have professional pics soon and I will definitely be sharing more about this awesome event!

Other than working, the girls and I are still trying to find some time to sneak in some fun! Jay had some bad luck and tore his ACL in a recent soccer game so the girls and I left him at home and snuck out to the zoo last Sunday with Bootsy and Lillie. It was a great day and so much fun! Here are some hilight pics!

They always say the first blog back is the hardest, let's hope they are right! Once again, I will try and do better!

Marching for Lillie....

2010-03-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

As you all know, Jay and I spent a long time trying to have a baby. We went through every medical & scientific procedure available and eventually through the miracle of adoption, our beautiful Kate was born. I think every baby is a miracle and should never be considered anything else, the word "accident" when it refers to a pregnancy makes my blood boil! God gives you no greater gift than a child to love and I assure you, it's no accident. Unfortunately 1 out of every 8 babies born are born too soon. We were very fortunate with Kate that she was not born premature. Her birth mother did not have prenatal care. She may have been to the doctor one or two times but that was it. It is by God's Grace alone that she was born healthy and we will never stop thanking Him for that.
Not long after Kate was born, my sister announced her pregnancy. Of course we were all thrilled. I remember like it was yesterday the day my nephew was born more than 14 years ago - i remember instantly falling in love with him. So the news of a new niece or nephew to love was very exciting, it was even a contributing factor in our decision to move back to OKC. My sister, so smart and so beautiful had a very uneventful pregnancy in the beginning. She took such great care of herself, never missed an appointment, ate very healthy and even took some prenatal yoga classes. Towards the end of her pregnancy her blood pressure began to rise. She went on bedrest. In her 36th week of pregnancy, she called me to say she was concerned that she hadn't felt her daughter move. We were already out and about so we took her a coke to her house and sat on her bed with her waiting for the baby to "wake up.' I remember Kate sitting on her Aunt Bootsy's bed touching her tummy and telling the baby to wake up! My sister finally decided to call her doctor and go to L&D. They put her on a fetal monitor and we heard the heartbeat right away. I think we all let out a huge sigh of relief. What an amazing sound. The nurses didn't seem as happy as we all did. They decided to keep my sister for observation overnight. Turns out that although there was a heartbeat, it was flat. You want to hear and see spikes and dips, hers remained a near constant 150. I ended up taking her son home while my sister and her husband stayed at the hospital. I was home just long enough to fix dinner and get everyone to bed. Near midnight, i got a call from my sister. They were doing an emergency c-section, now. I was confused and scared and worried. This just didn't seem possible. I prayed and knew everything would be ok. She was almost 37 weeks. I woke up her son and we made the trip across town to the hospital. I didn't get to see her before surgery, i just paced outside.
My wait wasn't long. I saw a team of doctors and nurses pushing a baby and i said, is that baby Henry?? Henry being my sister's last name. Yes, they said, you have 5 seconds, she's under 3lbs. Three lbs?? THREE POUNDS??? That can NOT be right! She is practically full term, she didn't have a three pound baby and 5 seconds, why, what was wrong, i didn't understand. When i saw my niece for the first time i remember thinking she was beautiful, prettiest, sweetest face i had seen but she was tiny. Her head was the smaller than my fist and she didn't have an ounce of fat on her. I know most of you won't believe this but I can be a bit ummmm, pushy. I went to the nurses station and demanded to know what happened. They could only give me the baby's weight, 2 lbs, 15oz. I told them that was impossible my sister was nearly 37 weeks pregnant, they corrected me, apparently she was 36.2 weeks pregnant. Ok, i stand corrected! My niece Lillie Marie was transferred immediately to the NICU. We couldn't see her. My sister couldn't see her. We couldn't hold her. My heart was breaking. I can't imagine how my sister felt especially when she was discharged days later will Lillie remained in the hospital. We aren't sure what happened to Lillie Marie that caused her to be born early and so small. There was a problem with the placenta, she had literally been starving in utero, which explained the lack of fat on her and her droopy skin. My sister was immediately given support by our local Chapter of the March of Dimes. March of Dimes is an organization dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. Their research helped my niece grow stronger. The doctors were able to care for her and help her grow while supporting my sister and her family thanks to the March of Dimes.
Lillie was released from the hospital after spending nearly a month in the NICU. She has continued to flourish with no lasting side effects.
In January of this year, she turned 2 years old - she is as smart as she is beautiful. She and Kate are the best of friends! Since Lillie's birth I have been a volunteer for the March of Dimes. I have participated in many of their events but this year, my sister and I are doing something new, we have a walk team for March for Babies! Our team name? Lil Hen and her Peeps, marching in honor of Lillie Henry, of course, thanks to MoD's research, she will be marching right along side of us! March for Babies is the largest fundraiser for the March of Dimes. I have committed myself to raising $500 while our team hopes to raise $3,000. Would you please consider sponsoring me in this fight to give EVERY baby a Healthy Start! It is so easy to do, there is a "widget" on the side of my blog you can click on it and make your donation. Anything helps - donations of even $10 or $20 goes a long ways! Of course, i realize that times are tough and you may not be able to, please know I understand that as well. If you would like to read more about Lillie's journey, visit my sister's blog at http://littlehen2008.blogspot.com

Out of the mouth of Kate....

2010-03-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

Kate never amazes me with the things she said - i wish i would take the time to write them all down but don't. Today i thought i would share just a few of today's favorites.

Since we finally have some warmer weather Kate has decided she LOVES playing outside! She has learned to put her boots on all by herself and will take the dog to play in the backyard with her. I love it because I have a little time to myself and of course I can keep an eye on her through the windows! So the other day I am watching her through the window, she is playing on the swingset and I am pretty sure trying to get our dog to be the teeter to her totter, didn't work. She ended up finding mud (of course) so I brought her in and put her directly in the sink - we laughed at how she used to take all of her baths in the kitchen sink when she was a baby! A couple hours later Kate tells me she did a surprise for me but wouldn't tell me what it is, this is nothing new, she is all about secrets and surprises! So yesterday afternoon, I went to use the bathroom and this is what i found!

She came in and shouted "Surprise Momma - I washed my rainboots!!"

So yesterday Kate and I were snuggling and watching a movie together. After it was over we just laid in my bed and had a nice little chat. I try to talk to her about adoption as much as possible. I never want there to be a day when she says "WhAT? I'm adopted!" It will always just be a part of her, it's her story to tell and share as she wishes. As she gets older, we have been able to give her a little more information and hopefully understanding. I was explaning to her yesterday that she has a birth mother and a birth father and that they loved her so much but couldn't care for her but they found a family that could and they picked us! She has heard this story since the day she was born but yesterday she was a little more inquisitive. I asked her if she thought we should adopt again. Here is her response, "Well, ummm, i adopted lillie." You did, kate? "Yes, i put her in her stroller and then i gave her food and told her I loved her then Lille said mommy so, I adopted her." Ok, so that's not exactly how it works but I think she is starting to have some understanding. So Sarah, anytime you want to drop off Lillie will be fine!

Here is another one, she just took my phone and called my sister (she's not a complete genius, i have pictures of everyone on my phone and that's how you dial). I heard her ask if Lillie could come over and play for just a little while because it's light outside. Apparently my sister told her that Lillie was taking a nap but maybe next time. To be honest, I have no idea if she called her or not!

She is now on the phone with my mom explaining that when she poops she takes off all her clothes but when she pees, she leaves them on which by the way is completely true, even her hair comes all the way down! I am sure nanna is so thankful Kate called her in the middle of the work day to share these things!

By the way, according to Kate, today is "I love you day!" Not sure what it means but it sure makes for a sweet sweet Kate and a happy momma! So in keeping with the day "I love you all!"

As I mentioned, not a moment goes by I am not awed by this child of mine! Currently, she is listing to some Gwen Stefani, specifically Hollaback girl, dancing in leg warmers with my ipod tucked into her panties!
Hope this post made you smile - she makes me smile constantly - i am one lucky momma!

Updates - finally!

2010-03-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

I am sorry it has been so long since I have updated! I have really been trying to keep my 40x40 blog updated since it has an actual deadline. Once I turn 40, it's all over. The blog, I mean. it has been a crazy couple of weeks, but what's new right? I finally got the job I have been discussing since October! I start on March 22nd, right after Spring Break. Kate got into the daycare/school we wanted her to get into. The school goes all the way through 8th grade but not sure if we will keep her there or move her to the school Brooke went to, which we LOVE! and the best news of all - Brooke got into ICMS! As you probably remember this is the school we picked out months ago. It is an independent charter school. It is most definitely parent driven, we actually had to commit to a certain number of parent hours each semester. The principal is fantastic - I told my dad yesterday that in my opinion, she rules the school with a satin-gloved, iron clad fist! She is obviously well-respected by parents, teachers and students. I know a lot of you have questioned this applying to Middle School and honestly so did we. We live in a great district but the Middle School in our district is not good, in our (any many others) opinion. As a matter of fact when we went to their Open House the other night, the assured us that our 6th graders would be "safe in the basement." Hmmmmm. A group of mom's from Brooke's school cornered the principal to ask more questions as they decided not to have a Q&A at the Open House. We told her we had some concerns and had heard some rumors. She replied with, "are you talking about the drugs or the knife incident?" Hmmmm, ok. Actually neither but let's go with yours! So to say we are happy and relieved is not the half of it! There are three or four different "charter-type" schools in Oklahoma City. ICMS seemed to have everything we wanted - core curriculum with a nice balance of extra-curricular activitites including athletics. To say we were happy she got in doesn't begin to describe it! Jay stopped by the school at lunch to introduce himself and buy Brookie a sweatshirt - we took it to her at school! I don't think she has taken it off since! We are so proud of you Brookie!!

Nobody to blame but myself....

2010-02-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love it when someone kindly reminds you, "Well, you've got nobody to blame but yourself"? Most of the time they are right - although my mom once blamed Kate's neediness on the fact that we took a small miniature "babymoon" after Kate was born so nobody held her or fed her but us for the first 48 hours after she was born! I think it was less that and more the fact of - she just reeeaaalllllly loves her mommy! and.....I think I know why.
Two things most people know about me.

1. I love my family more than anything in this world

and

2. I am a TAD high maintenance.

So is it any surprise that I am acquainting my children with some of the things I enjoy the most? Candles, bubble baths, the occassional glass of champagne (for me not the kids), dim lights, good music and heated towels - ideally all at once. So for Valentine's Day Jay and I bought each of the girls a new Webkinz and outfit plus some chocolate but their extra special treat was what I call a "relaxing bath." Now in the past, a relaxing bath just meant they didn't have to wash their hair. But for Valentine's Day - I did it up right! The girls got to put on a swimsuit, I put on some good music, lit some candles, made them kid cocktails - applejuice with a cherry, and lots of bubbles. I even brought them a little snack! What's Valentine's Day without a little pampering, right? Right!
However........At the moment, the girls are outside playing. As Kate ran out the door she yelled, "when I get in, I need a relaxy bath, please." She proceeded to list everything she wanted - candles, bubbles, hot chocolate, "muksic" and a "pupcake!" So go ahead and say it, shout it from the rooftops if you want - I have nobody to blame but myself. I already know.

Don't forget to check out my 40x40 blog, is it really possible that I am that close to the big 4-0?? . No time to worry about that now, i have towels to heat!

Boo-Boo-Licious!

2010-02-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Out of the mouths of babes! I am telling you I can not keep up with all the things Kate has been saying lately - she never ceases to amaze me! I think I have mentioned that even at almost 3 1/2 I still rock her to sleep most nights. Some nights I rock her long enough for her to get relaxed then she wants passed off to daddy. She has always been a nestler. Even though i never breast-fed, she still likes snuggling deep into my chest. I used to joke that my right boob was mine but the left one belongs to Kate! The other day she was "nuggling" with me and she looks up at me and says " mom your boobs are fantastic!" Of course, with a 10 yr old big sis in the house, boobs are a big deal - Kate wants to be just like mom and sissy and adores her "brawl", a white tank with lace trim.
The other day she was having an "all about sissy day" she wanted sissy to rock her to sleep, you could see kate struggling to get comfy and brooke getting frustrated. Pretty soon, kate started banging on brooke's chest saying "sissy - where are your boobs!" Ahhhh, nobody nuggles like mommy!
So this brings us to our latest boob story! Last night, Kate went to church alone while the rest of us went to brooke's soccer game. I love how much she enjoys her church class and Sunday school! She is light years ahead on her Bible knowledge and can't leave our church without high-fiving and kissing "big Jesus!" So when we got home last night i went into her room to say her prayers with her. She said, Dear Jesus, thank you for everything. I love you with the heart in my boob!"

I decided to spend some time this morning working on her baby book.

When i used to dream about becoming a stay at home mom i dreamed of relaxing days, sipping flavored coffees and scrapbooking for hours. Turns out, not so much! So having just a little of time to update her baby book this morning was very exciting! I can't believe I am over 3 years into her "first 5 years" baby book! I need to get scrapping again! Both girls books are waaaaaaaayyy behind and hosting a scrapbook party is on my 40x40 list so hopefully I will make some time for that!

NO MORE SNOW!

2010-02-04T14:58:00.000-08:00

Brooke ended up missing 4 days of school thanks to Oklahoma's latest snow storm! That meant, including the winter, we were housebound for SIX days! I realize that isn't a lifetime but with two kids plus various neighborhood kids hanging out, our house was in a constant state of chaos!
We did crafts and lessons, we baked, we cleaned, we read, we watched movies, we played hide n seek, attempted to build a snowman, went sledding, invented "mommy's best hot chocolate ever" and I am pretty sure we wore every mis-matched hat, glove and scarf set we have ever owned!
By Tuesday of this week, I was just about at my wits end! I don't remember my mom and dad constantly entertaining us, somewhere in this child-raising, I have taken a bad right turn. With one last burst of creativity, I offered up a tea party complete with make up overs and fancy princess attire. I helped plan and prepare but the girls and their furry companions enjoyed the party sans mom.

It was a great party, totally hated to miss it. Well, not totally!

Speaking of parties, I also managed to throw a very impromptu, very small, dinner party for Jay's birthday! If you want to see pics from that, check out my 40x40 blog!

Thankfully as of yesterday, everyone is back where they belong and we can settle back into our nice, comfy routine well atleast until the next storm which could be as soon as next week. sigh.

Picture Perfect Day!

2010-01-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

As a kid I loved snow days - who doesn't? But as a working mom I dreaded them! If school was cancelled, i had no choice but to stay home with the kids. The guilt was overwhelming, certainly nothing I enjoyed! When i quit my job last March I remember actually looking forward to snow days down the road! Today, I found out why! Yesterday the weather was nasty - icy and freezing cold but today - we had beautiful picture perfect snow!

Today I bundled the girls in layers and sent them out to play! They loved it! They went out three different times each time coming in to momma's now famous hot chocolate complete with whipped cream and a smidge of caramel sauce! The girls played in the playhouse and on their swingset while trying to catch the perfect flake on their tongues! Miss Kate even adopted a baby icicle but in a totally unforseen tragedy, it melted in her hot bubble bath!

I realize my stay at home mom days are numbered but days like this are ones I will remember and treasure for a lifetime! Today, my joy is overflowing - I am blessed beyond measure!

Over the river and thru the woods...

2010-01-27T08:04:00.001-08:00

We finally made it to my grandparents for Christmas! With another winter storm heading our way we figured it was now or wait till summer!! I love LOVE the fact that my children have a relationship with their great grandparents! I knew mine and always knew I was lucky! In this crazy busy world we live in, it is so hard to make visiting them a priority. I should have added that to my 40 goals by 40 years blog.
Sunday after church we finally went to visit. We took them pizza - a favorite of my grandparents - for lunch and had a great visit! After lunch we finally got to exchange Christmas presents. I made my grandparents a photo album of Lacy Family pictures over the last year - kind of my blog in a photo album. I hope they liked it, it was a lot of fun to put together! The girls loved their presents!

Princess bath stuff for Kate was perfect - she thinks it is VERY grown up! And while according to Brooke HSM is sooo last year, HSM3 is not so she loved hers too!

Kate enjoyed playing with cousin Aiden's toys and entertained us all as she tried to figure out if she was big enough to drive his toy truck!

She tried sitting on it and in it and finally stuck her knee in the back and scooted it around - too too funny!

Brooke had toys to play with too! My grandparents electric chair which raises and lowers helping them get up and down!

I really hate that I didn't take any pictures with my grandparents this time. I think we were so busy talking and the kids were running around, i just didn't think about it! The four of us did go and walk around their property, it was a beautiful Sunday, a little on the cool side but not bad for January.

All in all it was a great day - can't wait to visit again, soon!

Sweet Brinks!

2010-01-22T09:03:00.001-08:00

It's been almost 6 months since we added a new addition to the Lacy family. A sweet, tiny puppy we named Brinkley! Brinkley is 1/2 lab, 1/2 golden retriever. Over night, he went from sweet puppy to big dog growing! Lab puppies are notorious for chewing and playing but once they get out of the puppy stage they are, in my opinion, one of the best dogs you can have. It has been tough because Brinkley is a rambunctious toddler stuck in the body of a grown man - he has no idea how strong he is! It has made it difficult for the girls to play with him, he wants to run and jump and when he does, he accidentally knocks them down, scaring them. He means no harm. After the girls go to bed at night, Jay and I let him in and play with him and love on him. I think he is starting to make a turn and calm down. At least I hope so! For now, he's just that big, clumsy guy with a huge heart! Thought I would share some pics of our furriest Lacy Family Member!

I think I am in love.....

2010-01-22T07:30:00.001-08:00

For the last 3 years I have had a constant worry in my head. Where will Brooke go to Middle School? She is in the best elementary school in the district, some say the state, I say the world! We love it! We have made some family sacrifices to ensure she stays with this school but this is her last year (excuse me while i wipe away my tears) there. The middle school in our district does not have a good reputation. We have not heard good things. We did attend parent university there and left feeling better. They know they don't have a good reputation but they have assured us they are working diligently to change it. I believe them but also believe they have an uphill battle. We are very blessed that Brooke is a good kid. She's smart and of course, beautiful. I really think she will be fine whereever she goes, but should "fine" really be the goal when it comes to our kids? Ummmmm, NO! So....there are several charter schools, enterprise schools and magnet schools in a nearby bigger district. My nephew attends one. It's tough. Tough is good but is it right for Brooke? We have really done our research. Last night, we attended Open House at a charter school very close to us. It's not actually in our district but its closer than the school that is! After spending two hours there, I am in love! Brooke loves it! I love it! This is her school! The only problem is that while there are certain qualification to get into the school, and we have to commit to a certaing number of volunteer parent hours, it is a lottery school. They literally put all of the applicants into a hat and pull out names till they fill their rolls. Siblings of students already there have guaranteed placement. They normally accept 100 6th graders. Last year because of the sibling rule, they only took 60. Over 200 applied. Are the odds great? Not really but we have to give it our best shot. So this is my new mission - Get Brooke into this school!! I have a lot of paperwork to do including get her a district transfer first but I can do it! Hello - I have adopted a child, your paperwork does NOT scare me!! The other thing Brooke and I have going for us is our friends and family. We are asking you to please join us in praying about this. This is such a tough time in a little girls life. There are so many temptations and ugly things out there. I feel this school will help us keep Brooke on the right track and encourage her to blossom into the strong, smart, beautiful young woman she is destined to be. The application is due March 1st and the lottery is March 8th so it won't be too long! In case you were wondering, it's not just me that loves this school. Brooke was so excited too - we left the meeting and she was BEGGING me to let her go to school there. She even "loves" the uniforms! I explained the lottery process and she knows her chances but we are both excited and up to the challenge!

Don't forget to check out my 40x40 blog, we have decided to take this thing to Oprah! More and more of my classmates are jumping onboard everyday - visit us often and don't forget to leave your comments and even link us from your blog if you don't mind!

Picture Perfect Day!

2010-01-19T08:19:00.001-08:00

When I was a working mom, I dreaded school holidays! They really make it tough especially when they are almost back to back! As a stay at home mom, i love them! A couple of weeks ago they cancelled school due to cold weather. As you can imagine if it was cold enough to cancel school it was definitely too cold to do anything but hang out around the house and there are only so many games you can play before a three year old loses interest! Trust me, it happens fast! So when MLK day rolled around yesterday, i was beyond excited about the fact that it was going to be about 60degrees! Unheard of for January in Oklahoma. The girls and i got up, picked up the house and headed out for fun!
We decided to pack a picnic lunch and take it to the park! Yummy fried chicken, potato wedges and fresh fruit - yum! yum!
Kate picked out an apple that was as big as her head!

Kate is a very feisty three year old. She has a ton of energy and is very headstrong making some days ummmm challenging. But when she is loving, this girl has the biggest heart i have seen! She will randomly crawl up in my lap and say, "momma, i just want to love on you a little bit." I love those moments and can't get enough. yesterday, she was wanted to love on Sissy a little bit. While we were enjoying our picnic lunch she looked at her sister and said, "Sissy, I love you bigger than muffins!"

Nothing makes me happier than to see this wonderful relationship develop! People question me all the time about their age gap. I used to want to fill it in but now I realize that with the two of them, they have each other and are best of friends without someone in between them! As a matter of fact, before we went to the park, while i was picking up, the girls made their first fort! Check it out!

Kate thought it was soooo hilarious that it said no moms allowed!!

We ended up spending FOUR hours at the park just playing and walking around the lake - it was such a beautiful day!

After the park, i took the girls out for ice cream - just doesn't get any better than that! We got home about 5pm and it was still pretty and light outside so we decided it was time to try out Kate's new bike that Santa brought. The girls rode up and down the block while i ran along side them giving Kate pushes when needed!

I am so thankful to have this opportunity to be home with my girls. I can't believe it has almost been a year. This fall Miss Kate will be in pre-K at Brooke's big girl school and I will be back to work. This year has had it's ups and downs and lately, financially it has been a struggle but I keep reminding myself this is time I would never get back. Are there any sacrifices too big to make for our children? Although my time at home with her is coming to an end soon, I will never forget what an amazing gift I have been given and just because I won't be with her every moment, there will be many more picture perfect days ahead!

Dress Up Day!

2010-01-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

As a mom of girls, few things make me happier than dress-up day! I have always been a girlie girl - make-up, purses, dresses, pretty, sparkley things, can't get enough! Raising two girls I figured with God's sense of humor, I was bound to have one of them be a tomboy. I wondered how I would be able to relate. I never climbed a tree, played in the mud and I still scream at the sight of an earthworm! Thankfully, no need to worry. At least for the time being, both of my girls are as girlie as can be!
For Christmas Kate got a fairy dress-up Kate from Nan and Pop. She loved it. Christmas Day she changed outfits every five minutes. The first time Lillie came to play after the New Year - Kate was anxious to dress up Lillie! Not sure why they needed the umbrellas!

Kate's other favorite game involves her sister and her sister's make-up! She calls it doing "make-up overs!" I love it. Brooke is soooooo good and patient with her. Last week school was cancelled due to sub-zero temps. We entertained one of Brooke's besties for the day. Kate talked both Brooke and friend into playing fairy dress-up and make-up overs!!

Guess you are never too old to be a princess, atleast that's always been my motto! Speaking of being too old, I have started a new blog. I have decided that this year, my 40th, I am setting 40 goals for myself to achieve before the big day, October 27, 2010. Hope you will check it out and play along! http://jennturns40.blogspot.com

Paging Dr. Lacy, Dr. Kate Lacy...

2010-01-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

What an imagination my 3yr old has, she never ceases to amaze me. She comes up with the craziest things, I am going to try and use this as a forum to share some of her stories. Here is the latest.
So this morning, much like every morning, we got up, had breakfast and picked up the house (for the first time of the day!). It's pretty chilly outside so i decided the two of us needed to share a bubble bath. I dont' think i have showered by myself since 1992 so I thought maybe i would atleast enjoy some nice bubbles while being MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY'D to death! Kate decided to make a "mix" in a cup. She starts explaining the ingredients - body wash, bubbles, rubber duckie "pee" and soap. She mixes it with her magic bath wand. Intrigued, I finally asked what exactly she was making. It's a mix that makes your problems go away, she said. That made me laugh out loud! What problems do you have, darling daughter! Without missing a beat, she replies, "Brinkley wants to eat me!" HAHA! Brinkley, our 60lb lab puppy probably does want to eat her. Guess i can see why she does have a problem!

WHO ME???

One more story from this morning...Kate was playing with her doctor kit that she got from Nana for Christmas. She put the blood pressure cuff on my arm and started pumping it up. She checked the guage and said, "21 pounds! good job momma!" Guess i gotta clean bill of health from Dr. Lacy, wish she could get rid of this cough!

I love my stay at home mommy days but am actually ready to go back to work. I had this great opportunity presented to me - it sounded perfect but now there seems to be some delays. I guess I need to practice my patience and enjoy my days at home while I can!

New Years Eve

2010-01-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

I can't say I am too sad bringing 2009 to a close. It wasn't a particularly bad year, just very unsettled. We brought 2010 in with our good friends Rob & Leah along with several other friends. We kept it pretty low key - the kids did have a great time and even made it up till midnight!
Kate and Harrison rocked in the New Years.

Brooke was wooed by several 4 & 5 yr old boys!

Of course in the end, Ben, Rob & Leah's oldest son won her heart again and even proposed for the 92nd time! Brooke returned his proposal with an enthusiastic YES!

We had a yummy taco bar and treats for dinner and Jay and i were in charge of the alchol. We made the MOST delicious Pina Coladas I have ever had! Yum! Yum! Yum! After the kids went to bed, the four of us stayed up a little longer and played Chicken Foot dominoes, we spent the night for safety purposes. I wish someone would have also, for safety purposes, told me to keep my camera in my purse. I will just post the nice photos instead :)

Happy 2010 everybody!

Sled-tastic!

2009-12-30T10:25:00.000-08:00

Since we moved from Kansas, 2 years ago we have been hoping for snow! Brooke loved growing up with snow - she started sledding when she was two years old. Definitely some of my fondest memories. We had a park at the end of our block and Brooke was firmly convinced that it was her park and in the winter, the big hill was her sledding hill, even if she had to share it now and again. Jay and i have been anxious to make those memories with Kate and this year we did! Brooke has been hanging out with my dad and getting spoiled totally rotten (which she deserves) so she missed out on some of the fun.
Jay and i taught KK the importance of layers - we started with one of her spacesuits(our name for footed jammies) and built on from there. I didn't think we were going to get her jacket to close!

Jay pulled her over to the "good hill" which i think she enjoyed just as much as sledding itself!

Little Miss Kate "no fear" Lacy went down the hill all by herself the very first time!

She even pulled the sled back up the hill! What a trooper!

We met a nice family from the other side of the neighborhood who let Kate try out their sled, she definitely like it better plus you could actually steer it!

Daddy couldn't wait to join in so they decided to try a tandem sled. He and Brooke used to do this all the time - it really brought back so many good memories!

We traipsed back home through the snow - check out how deep this is. It was hard to tell how deep the drifts were until you got into one, kinda dangerous for a 3yr old who is not even 3ft tall!

yes, this is up to my knees and is not even the deepest drift!

Kate was struggling to keep her hat and gloves on so we called it quits but not before my little angel made an angel of her own!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T14:12:00.001-08:00

I don't recall enjoying the weeks leading up to Christmas more than i enjoyed this one. With my sister and I both stay at home moms there was never a shortage of shopping trips, lunches out and Santa visits. I baked more than i ever had and was constantly delivering "goodies" to friends and family!
Then came the blizzard on Christmas Eve - the worst in the states history and the days of Christmas became a blur. All of our church services including the girls pageant, was cancelled. Roads were treacherous. We received more than fourteen inches of snow - and that was on top of the ice and sleet we had earlier in the day. Luckily, we all made it back to our respective houses safely! Here are some of my favorite pics from our Christmas celebrations!
Jay warming his feet by the fire after a long winter's nap!

Digging my brother Aaron's car out of the snow at my dad's house. We got him out but he ended up spending Christmas Eve at our house, it was too dangerous to get back to his mother=in-law's and they closed every single highway in a 7 county area!

My sister and I joined a gang this year, it's just for elves! We're a jolly ol gang!

Brooke joined too as a junior member!

Uncle Aaron, Aunt Shell and the girls got snowed in with us, although I know they wished they were with Rama we sure enjoyed the time with them - Miss Kate loves Aunt "bubbles!"

It was Kate's turn to put the angel on the tree at Nan and Pop's. She took it very seriously and did a GREAT job!

Brooke's presents were a little more grown up this year - a hair dryer and straightner (blue leopard to be specific!) and luggage along with a lot of clothes! Miss Kate got some fairy dress up clothes, lots of barbies and although it was touch and go for a while, Santa came through with her big girl Cupcake bike!

As I sit here and type this, it is snowing again. This time it is peaceful and beautiful, much like my wish for this New Year which is almost upon us. After a hectic 2009, I find myself wishing for peace and comfort. I vow to find joy in simple pleasures, once again. I resolve to be the person, I know I can be, to be kind and loving and selfless. I hope you, dear friends, find what you are looking for in the New Year and that peace and joy find you.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

I can't help but look back on this year with mixed emotions but as i look into the faces of my beautiful girls, it's hard to feel anything but joy!

Mery Christmas from our family to yours!

Kate's new best friend...

2009-12-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention that after the party at Brooke's school, we bumped into a very busy man! SANTA!!!! All the little ones were going crazy screaming his name - he was a total ROCK STAR!! Kate was determined to get his attention jumping up and shouting "Santa - I want ALL the presents - ALL of them! I've been good! I've been good" and then she started itemizing, a big girl bike, chocolate milk pony, puppy swim to me, etc, etc, etc. She finally got his attention, I think she is his biggest fan!

Tis the Season...

2009-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

for Christmas parties - gotta love 'em! I think my favorite of the year, so far, was brooke's school party. As a room mom and active parent, i brought treats, help set up and chaperone. We all had a great time. Before the party began, the gym played host to the annual sing-a-long. I loved the spirit in that room! The teachers did a great, hilarious version of the 12 days of Christmas. It went something like this, On the blank day of Christmas, a student said to me "my dog ate my homework", "she cut in line" someone took my gloves!" and on and on - very funny!

I love that the singalong included some Faith based songs including Joy to the World and O Holy Night! The whole day made me realize, i really do want Kate at this school so Jay and i are going to do our best to get her enrolled for pre-k starting this next fall!

After the singalong, we went back to the classroom for the party - lots and lots of goodies!

Even Kate had a plate - she acted like such a big girl!

Brooke has grown so much in the last 3 years, she is really flourshing, she has learned so much and i could not be more proud of her! After the party, she and her girlfriends met up in the library to exchange christmas presents.

I really dropped the ball on that one so i guess i know what i am going to be doing the next couple of days! Oh and making fudge - lots of fudge! I am determined to have trays filled with a buffet a fudge as we traipse over the hills and through the woods to all the grandparents houses!

Tomorrow is another big day in our family, my niece Lillie Marie makes her acting debut in the church kids program - i am bursting with pride! I am so thankful to be back home where i don't miss all these great milestones! We won't be able to stay long, our church is hosting a birthday party for Baby Jesus, afterall "tis the reason!"

I blog therefore I am...

2009-12-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

So obviously it has been a while since i posted. The last couple of posts have been obligatory at best. I feel bad when people ask me to blog because they miss it and want to know what we are up to. However, the last 6 months, i have been unable to tell people what we have been up to. So i have decided to catch up and fill you in as much as I can.

Six months ago we were contacted by our adoption agency, most of you know that. There was this unbelievable opportunity to adopt two children. We immediately decided we wanted to pursue this and started the hoop jumping. We did our background checks, and home study, and filled out lots of paperwork. Then we met the children. We fell in love. Some of you met them. Instantly, we were their parents. Our girls were their sisters. We were a family of six. Everything was good. And then it wasn't. Instead of placing the kids in our home, we had visits. Short visits, weekend vists, supervised visits, unsupervised visits. They went to church with us, shopped with us, swam with us, played with us, we did everything. We were a family. It was a little stressful. Our house is a little small for 4 kids. Our cars only hold 5. We shopped for a bigger SUV. We combined rooms and cleared out all kinds of "unneccesary" items. We bought beds and mattresses, comforters sets and curtains. For the first time in our lives, we bought boy things. An amazing blue quilt with dinosaurs, superman jammies complete with cape. Jay went crazy shopping for what will always be his first son. I did too. But then the visits grew further apart. We were so used to having them in our lives but my mothers intution kicked in. Something was wrong. We fought. Not hard, but diligently. Little victories here and there, every possible option explored. But it was not to be. The kids birth mom decided not to relinquish her rights. The state decided not to terminate. Despite, what seems to be poor, poor judgement, the two kids are going home to be with their biological mother. Our hearts are sad. We are left standing confused. Arms empty. Once again, i have no choice but to count on my Faith. Not a day will go by i don't think of these beautiful children. I will pray for them. For their mother. I will pray that they will grow up having atleast a glimpse of what it is like to be in a family where love and faith prevails.

Thank you all for your love and support and for your prayers. There are good things ahead for this family and I pledge to start blogging about it once again!

The end of an era....

2009-11-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

I think, atleast for now, Jay reliving his soccer glory days through both of his girls may be over, atleast where kate is concerned. We FINALLY had our last game of the season on Saturday. It was early and pretty chilly - Kate wanted no part of it and spent the first half doing this -

laying on the blanket next to momma asking for a snuggle! Poor Jay was pacing back and forth - i really thought he was going to run out on the field and kick the ball himself! I don't what he said during his half time pep talk but it worked! Kate ran out on the field like the champion she is - they had a great game and ended up winning 4-1. They (along with every other 3 yr old ymca participant) earned a gold medal! Here is a picture from the very moving and formal medal ceremony.

Don't worry, it didn't interfere with the less formal, but just as moving, eating of the scooby doo snacks!
We managed to keep the paparazzi away long enough to snap this group shot of our champion team!

After the game, Kate celebrated in her own personal way, the double handed eating of cherry twizzlers!

From Kate's game we headed straight to Brooke's. It was another 3 game Saturday! These girls are amazing and SOOOO much fun to watch. They have really stepped it up and are playing some serious soccer. Brooke has become a staple in the starting line-up. Although she is normally one of the youngest and smaller players on the team she is holding her own. She is now playing a defensive position and her opposers are not too crazy about her. Saturday this girl who i am not kidding was as tall as i am and was wearing full make-up (we joked she probably drove there) YELLED at Brooke to get off of her! Brooke was guarding this girl and she could not get open. The girl got so frustrated they put her in another position because she just couldn't lose brooke! It was awesome! This team they played has not had a loss all season - until Saturday! The soccer sisters beat them 3-2! Sorry there aren't any pics but the last game it was so cold, we were bundled up and it was getting so dark i never even took the camera out. I will try and do better this week!
Should be a fairly quiet week this week. The last few weeks I have been waiting for some changes that just may not be happening. But hey, you know what they say, "when you least expect it, expect it!"

In search of the Great Pumpkin!

2009-11-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

Halloween seemed to last all week this year! Perhaps it was my girls busy social calendar that was the ever-contributing factor! Miss Kate ended up with 3 costumes this year. You have already seen her first one as the Princess Witch. For her friend Lawson's birthday party and for actual trick-or-treat, my Kate transformed herself into "KATYBUG."

and then once we were home, Kate changed again....ooooooo spooooky!

We ordered Brookie's costume online, looked pretty cute for a witch costume. Once we got it home and tried it on, i thought it looked more like a French maid than a witch, brooke referred to herself as a "french witch." OK, i can live with that.

We started trick-or-treating in our neighborhood beginning with my dad's house. It has become a tradition, I hope to continue. i think my girls might have got a little extra from "the ogre" of course, it was before 8pm!

After we hit the usual haunts in our neighborhood, we met Aunt Bootsy, Mouse and Lillie at their favorite haunt - Mesta Park. They really go all out, the kids love it and it keeps us adults entertained too. Helped us log a few more miles on our exercise routine too!

We made it home early enough to hand out candy to our little neighborhood ghosts and goblins by 9pm the girls were lights out and Jay and I watched the 5 scariest Ghost Hunters episodes - what a great end to a very Happy Halloween!

My little star!

2009-10-28T14:46:00.001-07:00

Kate made her television debut this morning on the local Fox News channel. Unfortunately, she missed her cue and had a Christine Latti moment - yep, she was in the bathroom! Oh well, she soon caught up. This was a little spot for the Harn Homestead's Haunt the Harn. She and another girl, Olivia braved the early morning and cold temps and learned that sometimes in TV, it's all about hurry up and wait! We showed up a little before 7am and didn't go live until 8:15. In the meantime, Kate was able to get her make-up done!

Here is the finished product - how beautiful is this girl?

Kate finally made her appearance despite the bathroom incident but got a little camera shy, luckily, the host Lauren, helped her out!

Miss Kate and Olivia helped demonstrate all the fun activities tomorrow night at Haunt the Harn. They showed Lauren how to bowl with pumpkins, bobbing for apples, eating cotton candy and finally cooking s'mores on a campfire!

All-in-all, another great day at Camp Lacy!

Halloween

2009-10-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow's my birthday - yay! Sarah aka Aunt Bootsy and I are going to spend the day with our 2 little girls. I think we taking them to a pumpkin patch and then off to a grown up lunch or as grown up of a lunch you can have with a 3yr old and a 1yr old. Jay has to work late tomorrow and the rest of the week but I am trying to keep my eye on the bigger prize - Christmas Shopping money! For the first time Kate is very excited about Christmas. Every sentence now begins with I want that for Santa Claus. Yes, for Santa, not from! Right now her too biggest things on her list is a "pupcake maker" and Swim to me Puppy. We will see how that changes closer to the day. Brooke is still not sure what she wants but I am sure she will figure it out soon!
Of course before Christmas, we have to get through Halloween. Both girls are going to be adorable little witches. I may or may not be their accompanying black cat!
On Wednesday of this week, my littlest witch, is going to a local museum to film a special for tv. Not sure of all the details but we are very excited! Here is a preview of her in costume.

I will keep you posted on times the special will air! :)

Another Soccer Saturday...

2009-09-27T14:41:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day here in the heartland! Poor Jay had to work so I was in charge of all things soccer. Kate had a 9am game followed by Sissy's at 11 and another at 3. Finally, Brooke was going to play her first game as a soccer sister - excting stuff!
Brooke's BFF has been staying with us while her folks were out of town so i had three girlies to get up and get ready! We were up and ready so early, i forgot to feed them breakfast. The four of us ladies, enjoyed Starbucks as an early morning treat, Brooke's friend had never been! I caved and bought a Pumpkin SPice Latte AND a pumpkin muffin - so good. Of course an Il Primo Grande Green Tea Chai, Skinny would have been MUCH better, that, my friend, is a perfect fall day in a cup!!

Kate had a pretty good game, stayed on the field but insisted on holding the coaches hand most of the time. She looked happy and had fun, that makes me happy!

After Kate's game the older girls were ready for their first game of the season. Both girls has a bit of first game butterflies going on!

The first game was crazy, they were playing against some serious competition. But the second game they totally dominated! Brooke was all over the field - she really came into her own!

And guess what?? Miss Brooke, my stinger goalie/always plays defender did.....SHE GOT HER FIRST GOAL!!! Her daddy cried- how sweet is that?

Another crazy week in Lacy Land! Parent teacher conferences are Tuesday, we are expecting great things!

Dear Mr. President...

2009-09-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Brooke and Kate are both taking a Wednesday night class at church. Kate's is very sweet, basic bible stuff mixed with playtime and snacks. Brooke's class is awesome. It prepares the kids for middle school and hopefully some of the choices they may be faced with soon. The focus right now is on responsibility and respect. The best part? They have homework each week to complete. The first week they had to make their bed every week and write a letter to a person of authority. Brooke chose the president of the United States. I am going to share the letter with you:

Dear Mr. President

Thank you for serving this county (pretty sure she meant country). At school we got to vote and I voted for you. I respect you for who you are. My mom and dad voted for John McCain but I voted for you. Tell Malia Ann hi and send a letter!

Love, Brooke
age 10

I am sure Mr. Obama will love this letter - I can see the return letter now.

Dear Brooke,

Thanks for voting for me in your school election; however, that did not count. Your parents vote would have. Please tell them HAHA, I was elected anyway with 51% of the vote without their sorry-a$$ votes!

Sincerely,

-B

I haven't mailed the letter yet but found her yesterday looking through the OKC phonebook. After 30 minutes, i finally said, what are you doing?? She replied, "i am looking for Barack Obama's address!: Sarcastic momma asked her if she was looking under the B's or the O's. The O's,duh! she replied. Hmmm, the O's in the Oklahoma City phone book?? "Oh." was all she could say. hehehe

Busy but loving it!

2009-09-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

I think i mentioned in my last post how busy things have become. They most certainly are! Since that post we added one more chorus class I forgot and enrolled Kate in a ballet/tap combo class. We changed dance studios but i LOVE our new one! It is close to the house and just seems very friendly! She had her first tap class last week, it was the cutest thing I have ever seen. My dad went with me and agreed, these little dancers were too precious for words. They have a recital at the end of May, I can not wait!
Brooke is doing very well in school (it seems) and is loving her new soccer team and chorus. She seems so well-adjusted and an all around good kid - makes a momma proud! Her first soccer game was rained out but they spent the day at an indoor water park so she wasn't too upset. She has two games this weekend and kate has one Saturday. Poor Jay has to work on Saturday morning so he will miss Brooke's first official game as a Soccer Sister.

Today was one of the guiltiest days i have had since i became a SAHM. Kate and I went to the Oklahoma State Fair with Aunt Bootsy, Lillie and Papa. We had THE BEST DAY!!! I really felt bad that Jay and Brooke missed it! The weather could not have been more perfect. It rained a little this morning but by the time we got there we were left with a beautiful cool day! Check out miss kate in her rain boots~

OUr first stop at the fair, A Pronto Pup of course, or is it a Poncho Dog? I can never remember which is an Oklahoma thing and which is a Kansas thing.

The day was filled with typical fair fare. It was so much fun to have the "babies" try new things. I think my dad had his head set on trying everything out there! It was so much fun. everything he ate, he would say, "I think this is the best thing i have had out here!" We laughed and laughed, walked until we were sore and ate until we could eat no more! Here are some of our snack pics!

Besides eating, the girls enjoyed seeing the animals the most. There was a birthing center with babies that were actually born during the fair. We also visited the petting zoo - we all really enjoyed that. I dont think Lillie or Kate wanted to leave!

As you probably remember Kate was dead set on having a blueberry muffin pony for her b-day. I did the best I could and promised her as soon as we could, i would let her ride one. Yesterday she started talking about riding a black momma pony and also a camel. NO IDEA where those came from but she was not going to leave the fair without both - luckily I managed to pull it off! Thanks Aunt Bootsy for being a good sport for riding the camel with her!! I owe you one! By the way, the pony she rode was actually named Top Hat but she renamed him Black Sugar! Where does she come up with this? I think she is going to be very creative like her momma!

All in all it was a fabulous day so thanks Papa and thanks Bootsy and Lillie - i think we ought to make this an annual tradition!

New Room!

2009-09-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

We have been wanting to redo the girls room for some time. Kate needed a big girl bed and promised us that if we bought her "strawberry shortcake bunkbeds" she would sleep in it all by herself (with sissy on top of course!) After not sleeping for 3 years, Jay and I gave in, probably from exhaustion. We redid the girls room - finally! It is hard to balance what is appropriate for a 3 yr old but not too babyish for a 10 yr old. I think we did pretty well! The pics make it look crowded but it really opened the room up more and best of all, at 8:55 last night, Kate was asleep in her bed all by herself! yay - makes it all worthwhile! Check out the new room!

This week officially kicks off our complete hectic schedules! We have 3 soccer practices, 2 soccer games, 2 Wed night church classes, 1 Cougar Chorus practice, 1 Cougar Celebration and somewhere in there a partridge in a pear tree! I am also busy busy working on a freelance/volunteer project for March of Dimes so yes, things are a bit hectic! Luckily, Jay and I decided to try some prepared meals from Pass Your Plate and stocked our freezer yesterday, that will help this tired mom out tremendously!

Kate's first soccer game!

2009-09-13T07:14:00.001-07:00

At 3yrs and 2 weeks, Miss Kate played her first soccer game! She is on a church team thru the Y. It is definitely not as serious as Brooke's soccer. The biggest challenge at this age is keeping the kiddos on the field! There were a few teammates that cried, some wanted to be held by the coach and at practice, one kid even ate some grass. Miss Kate was the clear exception - I would like to tell you that she strapped on her cleets and transformed into a Mini Mia Hamm but the truth while she did remain on the field she had very little interest in kicking the ball. At one point jay was yelling from the sidelines "kate - kick the ball" she kicked it and then yelled back "there! i did it!" nice. nice. She did get more agressive in the second half and of course looked adorable during the entire game! The snacks at the end seemed to make it all worthwhile! I wonder how they will do when they realize they have to do it all again next weekend! In the meantime - Go Mighty Dinos Go!

This is my favorite shot of the game! Kate was asked to do a throw in for the dinos, something she had seen but never done. She raised her arms over her head to throw the ball in, the ball, landed on her head and bounced into the game. I don't think I have ever seen David Beckham attemp a headball throw in, have you? Perhaps this is her signature move...

Princess Kate

2009-08-28T14:43:00.001-07:00

Aunt Bootsy got Kate a Princess Ballerina outfit complete with high-heeled shoes for her birthday. She loved them so much she had to wear them today when we picked up Sissy from school. Unfortunately, the high-heeled shoes didn't work too well on the grass or the street so mommy pulled Princess Kate in her wagon - it looked like we were part of the world's smallest parade!

Kate's 3rd birthday letter

2009-08-26T15:56:00.001-07:00

My dearest Kate,
I can’t believe tomorrow you will be three years old. As a matter of fact it’s not so much tomorrow as it is tonight. By God’s Grace you were welcomed into this world at 3:07 on a very stormy Sunday morning. I am sure you know the story by heart by now, your birth story is your favorite story of all time, even your big sister knows it word for word!
Like each year before, this year has been an amazing journey. When you turned two, you were very strong-willed and ready to test your limits. Your intelligence “wowed” those who knew you best and your beauty was unequaled. Many a stranger approached me about your beautiful blue eyes, so unique with your dark brown hair but it, my dear, is just one of the things that makes you special and unique. Yes, you do have a mind of your own. You want what you want, when you want it and how you want it. You have found your voice and it is loud and demanding when you want it to be yet sweet and quiet in conversation.
The early part of the year had you down with one illness after another. You had another UTI followed by ear infections followed by strep and then the very scary RSV. We were so fortunate to keep you out of the hospital. You have grown so strong. In February of this year, there was a tornado just a mile or so from our home. Nobody was hurt but I was miles away from you. You were at school, sissy was at school and daddy was at work. I began to realize that my priorities were changing. All I could think about was rushing home and holding you and never letting go. It wasn’t too long after that I decided I needed to be home with you full time. I did some research and planning and was prepared to battle with daddy but it was unnecessary. I loved my job and my career but the thought of missing one more “first” or not being there to protect you won out. In the early Spring of 2009, I began staying home with you full time.
You and I spent a glorious summer together. We spent a lot of time with your Aunt Bootsy and BFF Lillie. We spent hours strolling the zoo – you loved trying to show and teach Lillie new things, although most of the time that consisted of dragging her along holding her hand while she was still taking her first steps! We spent 4 days over the July 4th holiday at Eufaula Lake. You loved being out on the boat and even went out on the tube by yourself! You even spent 2 nights the next week at Lake Murray with Nan and Pop – such a big girl!
Chocolate milk still rules your world as your number one favorite! You have a cup almost every night before bed time. You have become slightly obsessed with all things Strawberry Shortcake. You know every single character’s name along with the name of their ponies. Strawberry Shortcake is your favorite character and you love Blueberry Muffin pony, although technically, that does not exist! You started ballet lessons over the summer and loved every minute! Tutus and toe shoes have become everyday attire. This fall you will follow in your sister’s footsteps and start soccer. I don’t think you could be more excited! You have been practicing in the backyard with your hands behind your back running cone drills like daddy taught you. You have learned your colors and shapes and can almost count to 10 in Spanish. You know how to spell your name although you can’t write it yet. Your favorite song has become Itsy Bitsy Spider (or Ipsy Bipsy as you call it.) You are still not a picky eater you will eat almost anything although only when you want to. Some days you eat, others you do not. You amaze the local Chinese Restaurants with your chopstick skills, maybe someday you can teach momma. I think beef broccoli may be one of your favorite foods. It’s things like that that make me adore you even more, if that’s possible. What other 2 yr old little girl craves beef broccoli, eats with chopsticks, speaks Spanish, is a gifted ballerina and a rising soccer star? I am beyond proud of the little girl you are becoming. I want to show you the world while holding your hand and walking by your side.
This last year, I have reconnected with some old friends. I have got to know them again and learn about their children, many much older than you. Many of these dear friends have sent their kids off to college for the first time this year and in some cases, off to war. It has made me realize what a gift you truly are and although our time together hand-in-hand won’t last forever, I am going to cherish each and every minute. I hope you know, my sweet baby Kate, what a blessing you are. I know there will be days when we don’t see eye to eye but I hope there will never be a day when don’t know how much I love you. To quote from one of our favorite books, I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be. Happy 3rd Birthday Katherine Faith!!

I love you to the moon and back,

Mommy

Kate's first movie...

2009-07-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today, the girls and I met our friend Leah and her 2 boys at the dollar movies. It was Kate's first movie theatre experience - yay! We saw Monsters Vs. Aliens and it was pretty good. Kate thought it was a little scary (and loud)and the theatre seating wasn't very conducive to my shorty von shortstein - the booster seat helped a little!
Of course, I had to take a picture to mark the occasion!

All in all, not a bad $3.00 afternoon adventure!

An Update from Farmer Jenn..

2009-07-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

You might remember the girls and I decided to create our first vegetable garden this summer. We got a little bit of a late start and it wasn't easy getting a patch of ground ready but we did it and created a little vegetable garden near the shed in the backyard. I wanted to do a salsa garden with tomatoes and peppers plus yummy green and yellow squash for grilling. The girls wanted to do watermelon and pumpkins. I don't know if it's the heat or the location or what, but things have been off to a slow slow start. I finally have ONE tomato on the vine - while my dad has brought me literally dozens! I also have one tiny zucchini - pathetic! BUT..Iam happy to report that the watermelon is really taking off - i bet we have about 7 on the vine! They are tiny but seem to be growing well! Brooke and i go check on them, water them and talk to them everyday. We might just have to open a roadside watermelon stand - we are so proud of the little guys, you don't think $50 each is too much to ask to you? Here is a pic of our largest melon! What a beauty, huh?

It's going to be another 105+ day - Leah and I are taking the kids to see Monsters vs Aliens at the dollar movies - hope their a/c is working better than last time i was there!

and then yada, yada, yada, i got mono.

2009-06-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

So once again I haven't been blogging. I have been sick. I have been running a fever of 102 consistently for 2 weeks now. I finally went to the ER last Sunday and they ran a bunch of tests that came back positive for mono. A week later I am having glimpses of feeling better but they are fleeting. Friday, Jay took me to the doctor and they did more bloodwork - no results yet. I hate this - there is so much i want to do and i have no energy at all and just feel terrible! I want to be swimming and scrapping and cleaning house and yes, even doing laundry! Today, i started some laundry and brooke said, 'Mom, you are too sick! Don't do laundry. Dad can do it!" I explained nicely that while dad has done some of his laundry, i no longer have a single pair of clean undies - I really can't wait any longer! My house has gone to pieces. The girls are eating maybe one meal a day and i found out Jay put DP in Kate's sippy cup! No matter how i feel, i have got to get this family back in order! Brooke is not feeling well today - her back is really hurting so she has an appointment this afternoon. I guess sometimes moms do get sick, it just can't very long.

Here is a pic from Saturday night, Jay bought the girls some Oreo cookies and tried to teach them the art of the dunk!

The girls made Jay coffee cups and homemade cards for Father's day. They turned out really cute, the cups have chalkboards on the side so they each wrote him a message. Brooke's card wa really cute - covered in soccer sayings but kate's was my favorite! I let her go through all my scrapbook stickers and use whatever she wanted. I was determined to let her express herself without my guidance which explains why inside jay's Father's day cup there is a sticker which reads, "don't mess with mom!"
That's my girl!!!

Back on level ground...

2009-06-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

We had to drain the swimming pool last week. It was just too unlevel. Jay and his dad worked on it on Saturday and it does look better. Guess only time will tell. He had a typical hectic weekend so we haven't got to fill the pool all the way up yet. Right now it is the perfect dept for Miss Kate. She, Brooke and I swam in it all afternoon. It seems Kate is getting comfortable in the water again. She even learned a new trick.

She has learned to hold her nose and put her entire face under water! She was running around like crazy - splashing and kicking. She kept slipping and going all the way under. She would stay calm, pop back up and most of the time say, "that was just what I needed!" No idea where they came from but it sounds suspiciously like daddy!
She learned another "trick" today.....the all important TA DA!!! She has got this one down. Of course, she does have the best teacher in the world!

There is a LOT going on with our family this week. Decisions are being made that are out of our control. I can't really elaborate on them right now but please, please pray for us and our family. By Friday evening, the storm should be over and I can share what hopefully will be good news. In the meantime, please take a moment and say a little prayer for us.

Here's something you may not know about me...

2009-06-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm a farmer. Some people might say, "oh sure you are" but I think I am. I thought maybe I was a gardener but then I realized anyone can plant and grow flowers, I have done it numerous times. Mine in Wichita were spectacular. But now, dear friends, I have ventured down a new path. I am becoming one with the earth and one with nature. I have planted a vegetable garden. Albeit small, I tilled the land by hand with a shovel and rake, a small area next to our outdoor storage shed. To go from solid grass to earthworm-loving soil is not easy. One very hot Oklahoma afternoon that is just what i did. The girls got to choose what they wanted to plant. Of course, they chose watermelon and pumpkins. I wanted to try my hand at tomato plants, afterall, my dad is THE tomato master, maybe something rubbed off. I planted 2 little tomato plants and 2 little jalapeno plants, my own little salsa garden. I also planted 2 kinds of squash, zucchini (mmmmmmmm zucchini bread) and yellow squash. Nothing better than Jay's grilled fresh squash. In the past we have always had to rely on local farmer's markets for fresh veggies but no more! Farmer Jenn is here.
The garden is doing very well, still small but mighty. I got a late start so things are running a bit behind (my dad already has tomatoes on his plants, mine are still scrawny.) Tomato envy aside, I did something today i thought i would never, ever, ever do. # 1, I went to Wal-Mart which is something I normally don't do and #2, i bought manure. Turns out, that is one of my dad's secret to a great garden. I bought 2 bags and today I spread it and also gave them a little miracle grow (i have been doing that since planting.) I think I may be well on my way. I will let you know when it's harvest time!

Here is garden day one - (oh other than the tomatoes and peppers, everything was from seed)

and here it is today. Look for more Farmer Jenn updates to come!

It's a Boy!!!

2009-06-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Our house has grown by 4 feet!

Jay, Jennifer, Brooke & Kate are pleased to announce the latest addition to the Lacy family.

Brinkley Lacy

Brinkley is now 6 weeks old and 7.1 lbs. His birth mother is a full blood Labrador Retriever and his birth father is a full blood Golden Retriever.

My little prima ballerina...

2009-06-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today was Kate's first ballet class. I am not sure who was more excited me or her. For those who don't know, dancing was always a huge part of my life until I was in a bad car accident that changed everything. I always dreamed of a little girl who would love to dance as much as I did. I am not going to force her at all - i never did with brooke but....if she loves it, well that is pretty cool with me!

She was so excited to put on her leotard and ballet tights. She loved the sparkley hair gel and bow clips. We went to class and she made a couple of friends. The teacher took them off to a small studio. Some of the moms, including me of course, went outside. There is a window with a curtain that has some prime peep spots for viewing. This is a fairly new studio so there isn't a big sign outside just on the window. I am guessing it looked a little more than odd to have 4 or 5 moms laying on the side walk peeping into a window. Oh well, we do what we do, huh? One of the other moms said that Kate was clearly the best, she may have been fishing for compliments for her daughter but without hesitation I agreed. Not a big fan of compliment fishers and what could I say, the lady was right - Kate is a natural! I wonder how early the ABT takes applications??

Here are the pics you have been waiting for - she seems to have one "signature" move but I am confident it will evolve over time.

One more pic...

2009-06-02T05:26:00.000-07:00

Brooke was checking out my blog and was not too happy that i did NOT post this pic. She also had me add it to facebook. That kid is pretty funny!

Monday pics

2009-06-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I watched Brooke's friend Ryan for the day. You may remember him as her on again off again boyfriend. Well as of yesterday, for those of you keeping score, they are back on again. He really is a very sweet boy, thankfully. Truly if it was anyone else I would be so done with this drama but this is so harmless!
Brooke started summer school yesterday to help with math. I am so proud of her - she didn't complain once when i suggested it to her. Math has never been my forte and i hope they can bring her up to speed. Turns out, she isn't quite as far behind as I thought so maybe she can actually get ahead.
While Brooke was in summer school, Ryan and Kate and I ran errands and played. We went to Target and the dance store. Can you believe Kate's ballet tights were $11.00?? That's almost as much as her shoes. CRAZY! After our errands we went to the park. Kids had a great time playing - Miss Kate thinks she is sooooo big.

After the park, I took the two of them to our favorite lunch spot - Taco Bueno. Yummmm!

Finally it was time to pick up Brooke. She gets out of class at noon so atleast it wa a short day. She had a good time and said it was fun. I was hoping she would say, "wow, mom! I learned so much." maybe tomorrow.

Once we were home, the kids played outside on the swings and then in the water. About 3:00 they came in to dry off and watch a movie in the playroom - long enough for me to get a couple loads of laundry done. All in all, not a bad Monday!

Back in the groove...

2009-06-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

well hopefully i will be tomorrow. Last week was garage sale crazy plus with the holiday it was a short week. Not much got done around the house other that getting ready for the garage sale. We also managed to eat out waaaay too many nights. We discovered this new hole-in-the-wall Mexican place and Jay is a little obsessed. For my Wichita friends, it reminds me of the little one that used to be in Parklane - we loved that place too. The garage sale was a big success, I took some of my earnings and treated Jay and I to a lovely dinner at Othello's in Norman. It was quite romantic, twinkle lights, candles, Frank Sinatra and a cool patio breeze - oh and great Italian Food. The ambience was better than the food but it was still great! After the garage sale on Saturday we attended the end of the year soccer party and awards banquet. It was hosted by a parent at their home. Their house was unreal - gorgeous. I am kicking myself for not taking pics. The pool alone was custom with a graduated entry made of natural stone with 3 waterfalls converging into one. It was breathtaking! The girls had a great time. Before we left, kate finally remembered she loved swimming and would not quit jumping in. She would go all the way under and pop up laughing - great great times!
So Sunday we spent much time out in our own pool. After much debate, jay and i decided it was much too unlevel and we have to start over. We swam for a while and then started to drain it. We played "circulation" until we were all laughing so hard, we couldn't stand up!
Today I am watching a friend of Brooke's so i will probably have to wait until tomorrow to get my house back together. Brooke started summer school for math this morning and reported a good day! Kate starts ballet tomorrow - you know i will have pics of that. I had to buy hair gel today because she has to have all of her hair pulled back. I soo bought glitter hair gel. Anyone not see that coming???
I will leave you with a pic of Miss Kate in her swing ring - so happy - so big. I am so blessed!

And so the saga continues....

2009-05-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had an incident with Lucy. Without getting into too much, both girls are fine but we had a scary moment. Apparently, according to experts, she went into prey mode. Can't have that around my children. So once again we are heartbroken - 90% of the time this is the sweetest dog but can't risk any chances of her hurting my babies. Lucy is going back into foster care today.

Memorial Day

2009-05-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our Memorial Weekend PLans changed more than, well, whatever changes a lot. Oklahoma weather? Cher at a reunion concert? Anyway, it changed a lot. Obviously we got our new baby Lucy who is doing great by the way and we also finally set up the pool! Brooke was the first one to get in even though it was freezing. When i was her age, it would have totally been me but now i am much "colder" and wiser!

Jay's family came over for fajitas and fun. I think everyone had a good time. Certainly Kate and her cousin Adam did, they are inseperable!

A short week means a busy week! We are having a garage sale friday & saturday so i have lots to do! better get back to it!

Awwww....

2009-05-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

life is good!

And Baby Makes Five...

2009-05-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

Looking online this morning we checked out the OKC Humane Society. Today happened to be adoption day. There was this very cute 8 wk old puppy - a retriever/lab mix, so cute! We went there directly after church and the little puppy was even cuter than online. i knew we were in trouble. She wasn't quite as playful as I would have hoped but then out of the corner of my eye I saw a sweet sweet puppy. A lab terrier mix who is 8 months old. She looked a LOT like Gordie. She was in a "waiting" room. I asked about her and was able to see her. It was love at first sight. Maybe because she looks a lot like Gordie or maybe because she is the cutest, sweetest puppy. Either way, she won our hearts. We still have hope that Gordie will come home - i think he will be very happy that we found his long lost sister. So without further delay, I present, Miss Lucy Lacy....

Those who know me best...

2009-05-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

know that if I am not blogging it's because one, i have a secret that i can't share or two, i am too upset to write. This time, sadly, I have just been too upset. Jay left our backyard gate open sunday night and our beloved dog Gordie ran away. He couldn't have been gone long before we noticed but it has been 3 days now and no sign of him. Like a true marketing professional, i have done my best to get the word out, ads, e-mail blasts as well as social media including facebook this blog. We have no leads. We continue to check the pound and the paper but hope is diminishing. I am trying to be strong for the girls but it is so hard. Today, kate and i drove around passing out flyers to OKC vets & animal hospitals. Yesterday it was door to door. It has been difficult at best. I know it's not the "smartest" thing to do but we are discussing a puppy. We had talked about a puppy before, someone for Kate to grow up with since Gordie has always been brooke's dog. Maybe it's time. I will try to get back and post more with happier thoughts, I just needed to have this said.

My little fashionista? probably not...

2009-05-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

At the end of a long day whether i have been working or playing, i like to come home and put on comfy clothes, most of the time it's pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, Brooke has developed the same habit. Kate, not so much. When she comes home from a long day she wants to put on her ballerina swimsuit (as she calls it.) Yesterday was no exception although she added a few new accessories, her new Gymboree rainboots and a plastic flute/microphone! The look was too good not to share. This kid definitely marches to her own drummer and i love it!! If you start seeing this look at Fashion Week, just remember you saw it here first!

Not So Bunny Friendly....

2009-05-12T23:02:00.000-07:00

Remember our bunny? HA! I laugh in the face of the "bunny." Kate and i were tired of being kept in by all this silly rain so we ventured out today and had a fabulous day! We met Bootsy and Lillie at the Omniplex, Science Museum, whatever name it's going by now (how come in the 10 years we've been gone, everything has changed it's name?) Kate loved it - it was totally interactive. She ran around looking at everything and playing with everything as hard and fast as she could! She loved this statue although she kept saying the "tiger' bit her!

I didn't get any great shots because she would not stand still - I took it as a sign she was really enoying herself!

Here is a bit of a scary one. I love my baby but multiple Kate's?? Hmmm might be more than I could handle!

After playtime, we had a nice lunch at Jimmy's Egg. Kate ate like crazy - i thought she would be about ready for a nap but I was wrong. We went to the mall to burn off more energy (and lunch) but that didn't work. Since the bunny was already blown, we enjoyed a little retail therapy. Kate got some adorable rainboots from Gymboree and Brooke got an end of the school year present - a new swimsuit!

It is 1:14am right now and the wind is blowing so hard right now, i am a little scared. Scared of wind, crazy right? Cant help it - it sounds awful out there!!

Tomorrow is an inside day - really need to catch up on laundry and the house plus make a few sales calls. My freelance project is not going well, I'm a little bit frustrated but hoping for the best. Maybe the wind outside is the wind of change and luck is blowing my way! maybe!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

What a great day. Jay let me sleep in until 7:30! I think it would have been longer but Kate came in wanting to get in bed wth me and Jay (in the living room) kept yelling "leave your mom alone." Which I am pretty sure is husband code for, "honey, i love you and can't do this without you, get your pretty butt out of bed, please, please, please." Or something like that. We got showered and dressed for church. Today's sermom was awesome, really just confirmed our decision that this is truly our church home. To top it off, both girls made me homemade mother's day gifts in Sunday school - they are the best aren't they? After church we took my mom out to lunch. She had said she didn't want to anyone to "have" to see her. I convinced her otherwise. We had a good lunch and a nice visit.

In addition to the great homemade gifts, I got two perfect gifts from my family - Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster and a Starbucks gift card - how perfect is that?

The rest of the afternoon has been spent scrapbooking - I have made a lot of progress on Brooke's book. Kate is still behind but she's younger so I can't be THAT far behind! Tonight, Jay is going to let me take a bath while he cooks dinner, cares for the kids and cleans the kitchen. Now, who wants to call him and tell him that???

It's the family that makes the house...

2009-05-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

not the house that makes the family. This has been a tough lesson for me to learn since we have moved back to OKC. We just really haven't been settled. We moved into this house last November. It is small and needs some updating but I am happier than I have been for a while. Brooke's school is literally right around the corner and her friends are everywhere. Now that is getting warm, not a night goes by that one of her besties doesn't come over asking to play. Just 2 nights ago, a girl from her class and her soccer team came by with a surprise for Brooke. She gave Brooke her old bike. I was very touched by her generosity. We haven't let Brooke go riding because her bike is unsafe but now not only does she have a new bike, she has a riding buddy. The two were out till dark riding around the neighborhood. We are very fortunate because there are just 4 houses on our little stretch of the street and the median age of our neighbors is probably 80 (jay and i bring it down a bit). Anyway, it is quiet and safe.
We have been working to get the front of the house looking good. It has been a lot of work and more expensive than i thought but we are finally there. I took some before and after pics and thought I would share.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there! Love you all!

Field Trip!

2009-05-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Kate and I accompanied Brooke's class on a field trip to the Capitol and according to Brooke the "government" mansion. It was a wet, sticky, disgustingly humid day. We walked and walked as I carried a 2 yr old and a stroller up and down marble stairs. Amazingly enough, we still had a great time! Exhausting but great! Kate's favorite part was she got to ride a school bus. She loved it. It was soooo sweet - she got a little scared and wouldn't let go of Sissy's hand.

Here are some other pics from the day:

Here is my favorite pic from the day. I don't care who you are - this is funny!

The girls were so well-begaved, really made me proud. So as a treat, I took them to Braum's for ice cream. It was Kate's first big girl cone - she loved it. And yes, i did purposely match her ice cream to her shirt. My momma didn't raise no fool (oh and i am still married to OCD J)

Pretty in Plaid

2009-05-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

Today marks the debut of Jen Lancaster's much awaited book - Pretty in Plaid. If you have not read any of her books, ladies, you owe it to yourself! Each and every one is laugh out loud funny! She is the ME i wish I could be. So funny, so smart, so cute and did I mention funny?
This book would make a great gift for your mother, daughter, sister, best friend, co-worker, wife, aunt, godmother, neighbor, any woman who needs a laugh! Or even better, go buy it for yourself - you deserve it! Don't forget Mother's Day is coming out. So check it out and hurry!

Splish Splash....Gordie Took a Bath

2009-05-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

I love a rainy night - I even love a rainy day but I am starting to get a little tired of this drizzle. I prefer a little more action with my rain. I don't enjoy scary movies but i do love scary weather. Staying home with Kate the last week has been a little harder - no zoo, no park, nothing outside, today was the same way. By the time we got our "work" done, it was raining. YUCK! I think my biggest complaint is letting Gordie in and out. Nobody likes muddy dog paws all through the house but to an OCD person like Jay, it is pure torture which turns into torture for poor Gordie. See, everytime he goes outside and comes back in, Jay makes him take a bath. No, i am not kidding. So today, Gordie was out while it was nice but it started raining while i was out. I put him in the garage but then the thunder was freaking him out so i decided to give in. Not just to Jay but to my girls. They are always begging to give Gordie a bath (actually kate wants to take a bath WITH Gordie.) Today I gave in. Kate didn't get to get in but they both got to scrub - they had a great time. Gordie, not so much.

Wii only thought we could bowl...

2009-05-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have said it before but nobody listens, Wii bowling and bowling in real life are NOT the same thing! We have been having rainy day after rainy day so by Saturday, mommy AND Kate needed to get out of the house. Jay suggested bowling. It was a lot of fun but I can't believe how expensive it was. We bowled one game and spent almost 40 dollars in about an hours time.
We really did have a good time but i think next time we are bored I can think of a better way to unload 40 bucks! Here are some hilights. Oh in case you were wondering, Mommy totally won! Daddy came in second and UhOh, Kate beat Brooke. Not by much but enough. Thank goodness she is a better sport than her momma!

Dance Party

2009-05-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Friday night we had a mini slumber party with Brooke's friends. They had asked me to pick a song and choreograph a dance routine for their talent show. We didn't get all the way through it but thought i would share the progress. Kate LOVED it! She is starting ballet class in June, maybe I will have my dancer afterall! Check out her crazy moves!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiNLku2jjuI

Bargains and Beautiful Girls

2009-04-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I met with my old employer on a new freelance gig - very exciting. It's a lot like my old job at The Eagle, just wish i had a few more contacts here in OKC. It was great to see everyone. I thought it would be hard going back there but i am really enjoying my new "position."

After the meeting, Kate and i stopped by a garage sale and purchased our deal of the century. Kate has been wanting a bike but we have had trouble finding her one - she is a little ummmm vertically challenged! I really wanted to buy her a power wheels jeep but they are sooooo expensive! Well guess what - i found one at a garage sale for 40 dollars. I called jay just to see what he thought and he told me to try and get them to take less. I am a bargain shopper NOT a negotiator. Anyway, i really wanted to get it for kate so i did just that. I offered her 30 bucks and SOLD! I got it! My sweet dad came to pick it up and deliver it. Kate LOVES it!!! It is a great bargaining chip when she is being less than good. I wasn't sure she would be able to drive it but she does great. Sissy can even ride on the back! Check out my little speed racer!

Today was the 4th grade girls tea party at brooke's school. She was soooo excited. I curled her hair last night and even loaned her my pearls. She wore a new church dress and took her best friend "sassy." (thanks aunt wendie)
She looked so cute - hope she has a great time. Oh one more brookie brag....she jsut received a little trophy for being an all-star reader. I can't believe how far that girl as come. makes a momma proud!

This week has just flown by!!!

2009-04-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Kate and I have really kept ourselves busy this week. It is great to be back in OKC during Arts Festival time. Brooke, Kate, Sarah, Lillie and myself spent a good part of the day there yesterday. It was so much fun. Exhausting but fun. The weather was perfect, I even got a little sun. We suncreened the kiddos but I got a little pink, not bad, just a little. Matches my black eye nicely - did i mention Kate gave me a black eye the other night. She said,' Mommy, i want more chocolate milk - now!" and then she punched me. Oh wait, that's not what happened, she was silly tired and bonked my eye with her forehead.
Back to the Arts Festival. The kids had a great time. Brooke painted a piece of pottert that turned out great (i will have to take a pic later.) They tied ribbons on this sculpture and then played on it.

They made lots of arts and crafts including spirit sticks and puppets. Bootsy helped!

Once we got home it was over 90degrees so the girls and i thought it would be fun to play in sprinkler. The LOVED it! Can't wait till we get the pool up. I love these pics!

Today we kept a little slower pace spending the day with Jay's mom who is recovering from surgery and Jay's grandmother. I am glad Kate got some time with them too, she is so lucky to have great grandparents!

Tomorrow I have a meeting about a freelance project, I am very excited so hope it goes well.

Saturday we get to meet my dad's new girlfriend. It's a BIG day - can't wait. He is so happy and that makes me very happy too! Other than that is soccer and girl scouts as usual! TGIalmostF

Another Great Day...

2009-04-21T19:50:00.001-07:00

I don't know what part of the world you are in but here in Oklahoma, we are experiencing perfect spring days! Today was one of those days 80 degrees, very little wind and lots of sunshine! Kate and i made the most of it with a long morning walk. Later we met Bootsy and Lillie for some shoe shopping and lunch. We had planned on spending the rest of the afternoon napping but Miss Kate had other plans. The days Kate takes a nap are just perfect. It normally gives me an hour or so of me time to either do something around the house or do something relaxing like reading. Today was not one of those days. She was SOOOO tired after a visit to Papa's house, i could not get her down. She wanted me to hold her, rock her and lay with her but she would NOT go to sleep. I told her she was dangerously close to mommy catching the cranky train to cranky town but she decided to take her chances and no nap was had. Editor's note - as of the typing of this blog at 9:54pm she is still awake but daddy is finally home and mommy needs a break!

So at 5:00 we met Sarah and her kids and went to the opening day of the Oklahoma City Festival of Arts. We haven't been in 10+ years. In Kansas, this always falls on Winefest weekend and as much as I enjoy art, I would choose wine over art any day! Tonight we went to check out the Yippee Yi Yo Show. It was pretty entertaining but I am guessing their regular performances are a little better. Hard to get audience participation with such a large crowd. We had so much fun we are headed back tomorrow! Didn't get any great pics but here is one my step-sister Wendie took of me and the girls! Hopefully we will have more tomorrow!

Little Miss Popular...

2009-04-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Brooke and her BFF decided to dress exactly the same today. Kate and I walked up to Brooke's school to meet Brooke and walk her home. We have been trying to do that on the days we are home. It's good exercise (even though it's close) and Brooke loves it! Anyway, her teacher was on carline duty and had to stop to tell me she had trouble telling Brooke and her BFF Taylor apart today. They do look a little alike - don't you think?

While looking for Taylor we also ran into Brooke's new boyfriend. This kid is a playa. Seriously. One time he told Brooke that her mom was "hot." Ummmmmm, ok - thanks 10yr old boy. So today we saw him and he had to show off his new self-made tattoo -

He informed me he has a matching one on his ankle. Nice. In case you were wondering this new boyfriend's name....it's Brock. Brock Harder. Seriously. I told him I was keeping my eye on him and I meant it!!

For Lillie...

2009-04-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

I have posted so much about Lillie and the March of Dimes lately, i thought I would give you, my friends, an opportunity to support them. Lillie's family is raising money for their March for Babies Team. Their personal goal is $500. Here is a link to my sister's blog if you would like to donate. Every little bit brings her closer to goal! Thanks so much!

I think I could get used to this!

2009-04-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

Kate and I are having a great week. Monday we stayed home and worked around the house before Jay and I had our night out for March of Dimes. That was a great night - we met Sam Bradford and Courtney Paris and bid on several auction items before winning a great anniversary package at the Skirvin - YAY!!
Yesterday, Sarah and I went to see my grandparents. Today is my grandfather's 87th b-day. I think they like having us there and we loved being there. Both the girls (kate and Lillie) had a ball! Kate renamed grandpa - GrandPapa, which i thought was very sweet! We took them icecream to celebrate his birthday. Kate loves her grandpapa - I think she would love him even if he hadn't shared his ice cream!

My grandparents live out in the country. There is lots of room to run and play. Kate really enjoyed the dogs they have although at one point (around the time of this pic) Kate started screaming - THERE ARE TOO MANY DOGGIES LOOKING AT ME!!!!

Today we spent the day with Sarah and Lillie again lobbying at the capital. We were there hoping to gain support for funding for pregnant women with iron deficiencies. Iron deficiencies are one of the major risk factors in low birth weight babies. We joined the March of Dimes passing out information and gifts to our Senators and Reprentatives. Kate had a ball! Here she is with Katelyn Marie. Katelyn was born at 25 weeks weighing less than one pound and smaller than a ballpoint pen.

Premature babies is no laughing matter but Kate got a bad case of inappropriate giggles. No idea where she gets that from...Sarah???

Kate's job was to walk into the Senators office and say "we are with March of Dimes, thanks for your support." She did a fabulous job - of course I helped her out a bit!

When they weren't in their office, she called them. "Senator, we are counting on your support!"

Of course a lot of this is done in her cousin Lillie's name. They are quickly becoming best friends - it is such a joy to watch this friendship blossom! I am very lucky and so proud to be able to finally have this time at home.

When Kate and I finally left the capital - there were literally thousands of protestors on the front lawn. they were calling it a "tea party." It was very peaceful and really was great to see Freedom of Speech in action.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned this before but our Easter plans got a little rearranged at the last minute. It seems everybody had other plans so the 4 of us are celebrating Easter together. We went to church this morning. The girls looked so beautiful - i am such a proud momma. Jay looked quite handsome too! As for me? I always say either the girls will look cute or I will. Today was the girls turn!
Here are some pics!

We had a surprise guest in church this morning. Two rows behind us sat Sam Bradford! It was so funny, really reminded me what a kid he really is. I am sure his mom said, "Sam you are going to church - it is Easter Sunday." I am also quite certain the Easter Bunny visited his house and left him some chocolate goodies - just like he did for Brooke and Kate. I almost went up and introduced myself. I have been working on a script for a Sports Headliner Event, so i have done some research on him this week, written his bio as well as others and tomorrow night we are attending a dinner in his honor. I am pretty excited - it is a formal event at the Skirvin and we get to attend the pre-party VIP event - YAY! I love an excuse to dress up.

Jay took the girls to Moore to see his mom. She is really suffering right now and is going to have to have major surgery on Friday. She has fractures in her neck. Please remember her in your prayers this week.

I am cooking a traditional Easter dinner - can't wait for my family to get back and share it with me! Happy Easter everyone!

Family Day

2009-04-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today wsa a pretty good day. We spent the whole day as a family with obligations only to ourselves. Can't remember how long it has been since that has happened! We spent the morning at the Myriad Gardens - it was just beautiful. The girls had a great time running up and down the hills, smelling the flowers and watching the ducks! One goose in particular seemed to have it out for Brooke. He kept flying directly over her at a low altitude and high speed without permission to buzz the tower. Permission denied goose!
Kate and Jay took a little nap while brooke and i went to run errands. I think she is getting a little jealous of all my time with Kate. I took Brooke to Beauty Brands where we totally got ripped off - do NOT get me started. I really miss Beauty First in Wichita. They need an OKC store desperately!
We decided since our previous Easter plans have been cancelled to have a nice quiet Easter at home. We will, of course, go to church but afterwards we are going to come home and make a traditional spiral honey glazed ham and all the trimmings. Well abbreviated trimmings but still pretty good.
This evening we dyes Easter Eggs. Kate was so much better at it than last year. Here are some pics from the festivities:

After the eggs, we painted nails. Thirty toes and thirty fingers. Well, I am two thirds done. Hopefully mine will got tonight after my 2 little easter bunnies are in bed!

Spring has officially arrived!

2009-04-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

Kate and I spent much of yesterday morning working outside. We pulled weeds from the newly created flowerbed and planted several annuals in the pots out front. My dad came over to supervise - Kate adores him! She did a really good job and was rewarded with her own garden shovel which she proceeded to use to dig dirt out of the bag and pour all over mommy. Oops! Anyway, we took the opportunity to learn about nature and all the beautiful colors found in nature. Here is Miss Kate helping carry plants - note the little shovel in her hand!

Here she is showing off her hard work!

Last night we attended Maundy Thursday services. They had special small groups for families with young children. It was so nice and felt very special. I think Brooke really got a lot out of it. Kate got to partake in her first Communion. I hadn't planned on having her do it but she just reached right up there and helped herself. It was very sweet and very moving.

Today ends my 2 weeks of meal planning. I am SO proud of myself - i didn't have to go to the store once. I stuck to my menus and everything worked out. With this being a busy Easter weekend,i think Kate and I will plan to go to the store on Monday to start again. Tonight, dinner is on Jay. Guess I had better call him and tell him!

An Eggstra Busy Weekend...

2009-04-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Another busy weekend in the Lacy family - funny but other than soccer on Saturday I can't remember what we did! Sunday was Palm Sunday - Brooke and the other kids in the congregation did a palm processional and sang. I really think out of the 100+kids Brooke was by far the best but maybe, just maybe, I am prejudice.

After service we stayed around for lunch at the church. Brooke changed at the church into her soccer uniform so we could go straight there. I dropped Jay and Brooke off at the soccer fields and Kate and I went home to change and then back to the soccer fields for the end of the game and to pick up Jay and Brooke to take them back to church for the big easter egg hunt & party. Tired, yet?

We did arts & crafts!

Mr. Adam joined us for the festivities. He was excited to see the Easter Bunny. This is as much of an easter bunny Kate could handle. She seriously freaked out when ever the "real" bunny was near!

They divided up the hunts into age groups - Kate was not surprisingly aggressive. I am not saying she tripped her 2 yr old competitors on purpose...

While waiting for Brooke's hunt to begin, we worked on crafts and had a lovely visit with a clown. I thought Kate was going to be freaked out since our run in with the easter bunny. Turns out, she loves clowns! Who knew?

Brooke posed for a pic with the Easter Bunny - so grown up but still a kid!

Finally it was time for Brooke's hunt!

Brooke found plenty of eggs! Kate found Jesus!

all in all, i think we are ready for a very special Holy Week!

on a side note - I got my first freelance gig today. It's pro bono but it feels good to be "working" and you know it's always good to make/keep contacts! I will tell you more when i know more. YAY!

Celebrate Good Grades - Come on!

2009-04-04T17:43:00.001-07:00

Jay and I decided to take the girls out to celebrate Brooke's good grades. She has celebrated with a mommy date and then a daddy date - this was family date night. We started off with family pictures - sorry i don't have any to post.

After pics we took the girls to a new to us Mexican Place.

This wasn't it but I forgot my camera earlier AND i like this sign. After dinner we took the girls to Sara Sara Cupcakes - it was Jay and Brooke's first time.

She doesn't look excited but she really was! Kate was very excited. I was happy because I got a new flavor - The Destin (keylime!)and the milk bar - YUMMY milk served just above freezing!!

Brooke was thrilled with her blueberry honey!

Kate thought her strawberry cupcake was Berry Delicious!!

Jay enjoyed the cocunut cream a lot!! - i just forgot to take a pic - oops! It was a great night!!

We spent this morning preparing to meet with the cpa, no fun but it's done! We also had our first soccer game in 3 weeks - after being off for 3 weeks for weather and spring break, i think the girls were all exhausted! This afternoon, we finally got to work out in the yard some. I finished cleaning out the front flowerbed and jay mowed. I really wish it wasn't going to get cold again tomorrow but it is. Too bad. We have the big Easter Egg Hunt at church plus another soccer game and i really am ready to spend some more time outdoors! Oh well - guess a girl can't have it all!

I forgot to mention Sara Sara had live music playing. His name is Jamie Bramble and young Miss Brooke is in love. To finish off her good grade celebration, we let her purchase 2 of his CD's which he graciously autographed! She fell asleep listening to one of them last night and has already loaded her ipod with them. Sorry JoBros, looks like you have been replaced!

Busy Busy Busy

2009-04-02T11:16:00.001-07:00

Two things I figure out about this stay at home mom gig. First, i can not believe how busy I am. Second,I can't believe how much I love it. Kate and I are settling into a routine. We wake up watch one show on tv - normally Einsteins, eat breakfast and then it is time for the lesson of the day. We started with colors and then shapes. This morning instead of arts & crafts we had a computer lesson. After lesson, we play and then eat lunch. Our afternoons have been filled out & about. Yesterday we met Sarah and Lillie for lunch and some mall time. I felt like such a complete cliche - stay at home mom letting the kids play at the little play area but Kate loved it. She is really the perfect age for it! Here are some pics:

Lillie is just starting to walk. Kate gets a little impatient with her and likes to grab her hand and help. How sweet is this?

On our way to lunch we spotted the Easter Bunny - Kate was soooo excited. I told her if she was good through lunch we would take her back there. She did pretty good so that was our first stop. We went to go see him and she freaked out! It was Santa CLaus all over again. Funny thing but I couldn't get her to leave once she realized i wasnt going to make her sit on his lap. She would have stood at this fence and waved all day long if i let her!

Oh and Claire's was having a big ear piercing sale - sarah and i took all the girls to get their ears pierced - we are hoping their daddies don't notice.

Today is just too cold and windy to be out if we dont have to and guess what - we don't! Kate and I are staying in and doing laundry. I am making Beef Stroganoff for dinner. I know I have had it but i have never made it. It seems like I don't like it but it's simmering right now and it smells sooooo good! I love my job!

I have discovered something on my first day...

2009-03-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

it never ends! Things might be a little different if Jay weren't working late but he is. It is end of the month and is trying to close the months with a decent bonus - so far so good. Really can't complain. I promised myself i would try and blog more staying home although i expect many days there won't be anything to blog about. Today was one of those days but what the heck - i'm going to anyway.

Kate and I posed for a picture on our first day!We are in the playroom aka my new office!

We spent the morning paying bills, planning meals and i created this calendar for the refrigerator that has our daytime plans, evening plans, dinner menu and a weather forecast. Right before lunch we went to the grocery store. I stopped by McD so Kate could eat in her Car cart at the grocery store. Our pantry & freezer is stocked full! After lunch my sister and Lillie came by for a bit. Lillie had to show off her new walking skills - kate tried a little too hard to help. She is not exactly patient - she has been waiting 14 months for her to grow up so they could run & play. She is getting awfully close. They did take some time to enjoy a pretend picnic in the playroom.

I had just gotten Kate down for a nap and decided to start some laundry when i realized it was 3:00. Brooke was home 5 minutes later. So much for downtime! Brooke and i did a couple of homework lessons, talked about her day & shared a snack. Kate woke up and we decided it had turned in a beautiful day - too pretty to be inside. I have been wanting to clean out our front flowerbed. Since we moved in at the beginning of winter last year - we have taken anytime with it. It was sooooo bad. I call this the before!

You might have to wait a while for the after. We had a storm move through and it had a lot of rain.

My mom stopped by to show off pics of her new house and get my opinion on color schemes. She was also gracious enough to trim brooke's bangs and then her hair - she has spring pictures at school tomorrow. Kate BEGGED her to cut her hair too. She really did need it. She held so still for Nanna. I was proud of them both!

Sarah and I were planning on going to the zoo tomorrow but silly me scheduled an eye appt right in the middle of the day. with kate. at nap time. Hmmmmm not my smartest move. Anyway, not sure what tomorrow will bring but I know I am looking forward to it!

Snowy Saturday

2009-03-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Our ever astute weathermen here predicted 10+ inches of snow Friday night into Saturday. I had planned to take the girls sledding at our neighborhood park. It was going to be Kate's first time - very exciting! Instead, we woke up to what could barely be called a dusting. Brooke had spent the night with cheyenne so it was just me, jay and kate. Kate got up early as usual and wanted to watch Shrek. Somehow she convinced Gordie to watch it with her. Normally on weekend mornings she and Brooke get up, eat breakfast, and snuggle on the playroom couch - today Gordie subbed in. Guess he is a little more comfy than sissy because when i went to check on them, kate was sound asleep!

With the disappointment of no snow and no sledding, i decided to take Kate to swim class. Jay wanted to go too. We had a great time!

Guess what - when we came out of swim class - it was snowing!!!!! Here is Jay putting Kate in the Jeep!

yay! We went to pick up Brooke - jay has been anxiously awaiting the opening of the new Shoe Carnival in Norman. Do NOT ask me why? Dude has a serious shoe problem. It worked out ok - they had some great deals and i got some new walking shoes - yay! We also got a great deal on jay some tennis shoes and brooke some new Easter/Church sandals. Oh and we won 3 t-shirts! Jay won because he drove further than anyone else there to shop in Norman (yes, really) - Brooke won for helping with a drawing and I answered the question - Where is Shoe Carnival Headquartered. Only Kate walked away empty handed.

Since we were already South, we decided to visit Nan & Pop. We had a great time. It was still snowy and the hot tub was just perfect so the 4 of us took a quick dip in the jacuzzi. There is just nothing better than that! It was Kate's first time - she loved it! Both girls got to show off new bathing suits - brooke is trying to teach kate how to pose.

Look at these spolied little cuties!

We were planning on buying our pool today but just never got around to it. We ended up ordering pizza and watching Twilight. It was a great night. Today it is church & laundry. Tomorrow - the adventure officially begins!

Beginning my new adventure...

2009-03-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

these beautiful flowers are from my sweet dad on my last day!

So yesterday was my last day at work. It was bittersweet. This is something Jay and i have worked for since kate was born. Most everyone was in a meeting yesterday so didn't really get to say goodbye liked i hope but in this crazy world, i am sure our paths will cross again. About 2pm I turned off my office light for the last time, grabbed my last year in a box and headed home.
I don't really know what to expect. I have always said that I am a better working mom. I know this will be a challenge and there will be sacrifices along the way but in the end, this is truly what is best for my family. I plan on taking my communication, organization and creative skills and becoming the best stay at home i can be. afterall, when i put my mind to something, there is nothing I can't do!

Take your daughter to work day....

2009-03-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

Brooke got home from Missouri last night - yay! She spent the week in Branson with Aunt Leah and her family. She had a great time - swimming everyday, shopping and playing. It was so good for her to have a break! We ended up picking her up late last night - we missed her so much. Today was the last day of Spring Break so Brooke went to work with me. I think she had a great time. We stopped at Starbucks this morning!

We got settled in and she went to hang out in the conference room while mommy worked. I went to check on her and she was playing school. Check out "Mrs. Lacy"

The next time i went to check on her she was sitting on the floor. Because she was all alone, she had to play both teacher and student. I thought this was so funny so i HAD to share it with my co-workers. Guess Mrs. Lacy wasn't too happy about this because the next time I checked on her this is what i found.

In case you can't read it, it says "go away people." Nice, huh?

She finally settled into her role as receptionist for the day! I think she had a great time and i loved having her with me. Later in the afternoon she went in for her 9 yr check-up. We learned all kinds of interesting things, she got one booster shot and a clean bill of health - Yay Brooke!

Since this has turned into a total brooke brag blog, let me just add, my little girl scout is just 64 boxes from hitting the prestigous 650 club! That right folks - we have sold nearly 600 boxes of cookies with 2 days to go! Thanks to all of you for your support and those who haven't bought - call us.......quickly!

Lillie and Kate

2009-03-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Before deciding for sure i wanted to try my hand at being a stay at home mom, i took a practice day last Friday! Kate and I met Bootsy and Lillie at the zoo. We had a great time! After that, we went to try a new cupcake place, Sara Sara Cupcakes. I know everyday won't be zoo animals and cupcakes but there will be some like this and isn't a few days like this worth everything!

See No Evil!

Share and...

Share alike!

Ride 'em Turtlegirl!!!

The best of friends!

Mmmmm...

Should I eat another bite?

Sleeping like a lion....

Say What???

The domestication of Jennifer Lacy

2009-03-09T18:53:00.001-07:00

These beautiful homemade banana nut muffins are my first act of domestication since......i decided to stay at home with the girls. Yep, in the next month or so i will be officially a full time stay at home mom!!! I can't believe this day has come. Jay and I have fought, cried, prayed about this decision. Jay has always wanted this for me and i have been in constant conflict about it. But each day i see Kate grow and time is slipping away from me. My goal, if i dont bankrupt us, is to stay at home until kate gets into pre-k next year. We are taking it one step at a time, we will re-evaluate the situation at the end of the summer. My hope is that I can find some contract at home work to help supplement my income. Ulitmately, i want to appreciate this gift i have been given and enjoy each day to the fullest - it is a chance in a lifetime and i don't intend on taking it for granted!

My Bargains!

2009-02-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

I might just have to go back Sunday for the half price sale! Sarah???

Winter Carnival and Updates

2009-02-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

It's been another crazy week - first, i got sick and stayed sick all week.I don't know what is was, started with a fever and chills and then just yuck! Everyone says it allergies but not sure. i have been doing some serious medicating all week and have spent most of it in a fog and not in a good way!

We had Brooke's parent teacher conference on Thursday - i had to go alone since jay had soccer. Her teacher had lots of good things to say. What remarkable improvements this child has made! We also hired a tutor to help on some math - actually it's my dad, Brooke's Papa! He is the best! She will be a math genius is no time!

Kate has just been Kate - cute as ever! Tomorrow my mom is taking Draven and Brooke to the Oklahoma Aquarium so Jay and I are going to have a family day with just Kate. NOt sure what we are going to do but we want to make it special!

Today at lunch, my friend Michelle and I went to the annual Sweet Repeats Sale - I love it. It's consignment kids clothes but they are high end stores and boutique clothes only! Both girls got a handful of things and I only spent $62.50 - WooHoo! I love bargains and remember......there's only one more shopping day until tomorrow!!

I will leave you with some pics from Winter Carnival!

What a busy week!

2009-02-19T19:53:00.000-08:00

Truth be told, i am happiest when i am busy so this has been a great week! Jay and I volunteered to help with the Winter Carnival at Brooke's school. We have all done so much - i think it will be a great event for all the Coronado families!
Brooke helped me bake our cake for the cake walk - we wanted to go rocker girl so it's an almost black cake with hot pink sprinkles and pink skull candies! Hopefully it will be a hit! Brooke did a great job helping!

My dad and sister graciously helped out and made cakes of their own! How sweet is that (pun intended)! My dad's looks delicious and Sarah's is so cute. Mine gets the crappiest vote but the truth is it was 9:30 when i got home. I had worked, been to soccer practive and then decorated the school. My patience for cake decorating was gone. I did have good intentions - which has to count for something. Oh wait a minute! My grandmother's voice just popped into my head (not a good sign i am now hearing voices - i must be really tired) Anyway, my grandmother always said the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Let me just say, i am not going down for some crappy decorated cake! :)
Here are the final products

AS I mentioned, we had our first soccer practice tonight. It was dark and very very cold - but it was still good to see everybody. I think it says a lot about our coach (my honey Jay) that every single girl from last season came back and we added 4 more - all referrals from other girls! Can't wait for another great season! Here is Brooke on her first day back!

Week Recap

2009-02-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

Well I have not been a very good blogger have I? I blame FaceBook. Why blog here when I can put everything on facebook? It's funny because I started keeping this blog so all of our friends and family could keep up with our adoption process now I like to keep it because it's fun for me to look back and see what all we have done and how much the girls have grown, etc.
Tuesday night was crazy around here. We had a tornado about 2 miles from the house and another one not much further from my office. I felt very ill-prepared - it's February for Goodness sakes! Waaay too early for tornadoes! My dad was the hero of the day, he ended up with both girls at his house for about 2 hours - it was nice to know they were truly being cared for (oh and spoiled!!!!)

That kinda threw our whole week off. Jay ended up working crazy hours this week. Luckily, Wednesday night, Sarah and Lillie stopped by to play for a bit - check out how big Lillie is now! Smart too! oh and kinda cute! heheh just kidding - she is seriously the happiest baby i have ever seen - never stops smiling!Kate took a little time to read to Lillie - what a sweet time!

Tonight we had a family Valentine's Night complete with heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's. The girls got to open their presents from mom and dad and i even got Jay a little something. Turns out, I'm not a mean wife, afterall!

Tomorrow night is the Addy's! It's the advertising industry's answer to the grammy's! I can NOT wait. It's downtown and the Cox Center and then After party at a hotel - jay and i have reservations across the street at a different hotel. Thanks, Priceline. Anyway, I can not wait to spend a night alone with my husband, drinking, dancing and most likely passing out around 10:30! :)

Kate's first real haircut!

2009-02-08T06:24:00.000-08:00

Brooke has been on a whirlwind of activities this weekend and last night it was just Me, Jay and Kate. We took Kate to the zoo to see the Oklahoma Experience, it was one place we didn't get to last year. Pretty cool and the weather was gorgeous! I will try and post some pics later.
After the zoo, we took Kate to get her first real hair cut. I was debating betweeen a trim and a Suri Cruise cut. It kinda ended up in between. The stylists said she really needed some of that fine baby hair off because it was a mess. I was afraid we were going to lose all of her sweet curls but by the time she trimmed it, it just got curlier! Kate did so well! Such a big girl!

Didn't snow days used to be fun?

2009-01-27T19:27:00.001-08:00

The girls were both out of school today not for snow but ice. The roads are awful and it is soooooooo cold. I hated not being at work since I was just out last week with RSV baby but what can you do? For me, submerse myself in guilt and plow forward. I did my best to work from home while keeping the girls occupied. They really did very well and I did get somethings done.
Kate was very sweet today, I actually snapped this picture while she was laying in my arms. My baby is getting so big.

She eventually fell asleep in my bed with Gordie but not before i took this pic!

I managed to keep the girls busy with arts and crafts. Here is a pic of the snowlady Brooke made!

Finally at the end of the day, I let them go outside. Of course, i bundled them in about 5 layers each. This was the first time Kate had been out in snow. She was NOT impressed!

School is out again tomorrow, Jay is staying home with the girls, it is REALLY bad timing for him but it is for me too! I am very lucky to have such a good husband - he is an excellent father to our girls, I am soooo lucky!