-OUR NEW HOME-

It's OFFICIAL....We own our own HOME!!!  It has been 1 year and 5 months, 2 rental homes, and now this will be our 3rd move since we moved to Texas.  It is so WONDERFUL to be in our OWN HOME and it has only been a couple of hours!!!  I have to keep pinching myself that this is OUR HOME!!

Moving is so stressful, but even more this time since we only had a couple of days to be out of our rental.  We couldn't have done it without our WONDERFUL friends!!

I had friends loading their cars with our stuff, picking up kids and getting them where they were supposed to be, keeping the kids while we made trips back and forth, making kids lunches for the next day, bringing lunch and hanging out to keep me company, and at the end of the day taking loads of sheets to wash so everyone could go to sleep on clean sheets the first night in our NEW HOME!!

I am so BLESSED to have such great friends and I enjoy every minute with them!!  THANKS GIRLS...XOXO:)

-OUR AMAZING FAMILY VACATION-

We were able to take an amazing trip to Disney World and go on the Disney Dream Cruise Ship.  We had a wonderful family vacation.  We loved every minute of it and the kids were great on the trip.  Too bad we can't live on vacation.... especially with teenagers:) 

 Here is a bit of our experience:

DAY 1

The Harry Potter Land was AMAZING at Universal Orlando.  

We even found a Land for Josh as well (The Grinch)... 

it's an inside joke with our family...  Whenever you ask him 

if something was fun he always says "It was OK."  We can NEVER get him to admit anything was AMAZING or even GREAT...It took A LOT of work to get his picture at HIS GRINCH LAND, but we did it:)

We ended the day enjoying the pool

DAY 2 & 4

The next couple of days we enjoyed the Magic Kingdom, 

Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.

We spent A LOT of time on splash mountain and enjoyed our some of our other favorites (Buzz, Toy Story, and of course Tower of Terror).  It was Addie's first time on some of the rides and she LOVED every minute of it!!  She would giggle and scream and hold her hands up
the entire time on the rides:) 

Addie and I had breakfast with all the Princesses... 

She was in HEAVEN

We closed the park both nights.... the kids were a little worn out:)

The Castle on our last night.... So sad to say goodbye!!

DAY 5

We were able to board the ship early and enjoy figuring out where everything was. The girls had their hair braided and then we partied it up at the Sailing Away party.

DAY 6

First stop.... Nassau, Bahamas and the Atlantis Resort. 

We enjoyed the dig and then spent the day at the amazing water park.  

 DAY 7

Second stop--- Day at Sea.  We were able to Celebrate our 16th Anniversary!!  So wonderful to wake up in the morning and see the beautiful ocean from my bed!!  We enjoyed a nice dinner at the adults only restaurant.  It is hard to believe it has been 16 years!!  I am so blessed to have married such a WONDERFUL man!!  I am so THANKFUL that I have been able to spend the last 16 years with my best friend and love of my life and get to be with him FOREVER.... 

SO WONDERFUL!!!

Day at Sea- We danced with the Characters on the ship, watched a movie, swam, went to the pirate celebration, and ended the night with FIREWORKS!!!  

DAY 8

Third Stop--  Castaway Cay.  We enjoyed feeding and snorkeling with the stingrays, the water slides, the sun,the sand, and the beautiful water.  What a relaxing and wonderful day!!

The last night-- Ashley partied in the teen club until after 1am, Josh and Addie partied in their different kids club until midnight, and poor Mason got a little worn out and body started to fight back with a fever and he was sick in bed at 7:00pm.

 DAY 9

Our last day- we said goodbye to the ship and headed to customs!!  So So Sad!! I was already having withdrawals standing in the customs line.... Mason's body decided it had enough and ended up throwing up in the customs line ... lets just say we got through

 the customs line in record time:)

Such a WONDERFUL trip and I am so glad our entire little family was able to go.  I will cherish this trip we had together and the wonderful memories we made!!.... The countdown for our next adventure is on!!  We have less the 4 days to be out of our rental and into our

  NEW HOME!!  BRING IT ON!!

-THE HOUSE-

We went by the house on our way out of town... The count down is on!!!  When we get back from vacation.... we will have a HOME:)

-HALLOWEEN FUN-

This Halloween we had-

An 80's Girl

 An Angel

 A Morph Man

 A Great White Shark

Our Halloween Festivities Started With:

 Lantana Monster Mile

Carving Pumpkins

And Ended With:

Trick-or-Treating

We had a fun night of dinner with friends and off to Trick-0r-Treat.

-PUMPKIN PATCH-

Our annual visit to the Pumpkin Patch

We enjoyed the pumpkins, the hayride, 

the bounce houses, and the maze.

-THE HOUSE-

We have enjoyed watching everything come together!!  

The outside is done and the inside is coming little by little.

Zoie is already enjoying her doggie door:)

-CALIFORNIA GETAWAY-

I was able to sneak away with Kevin to California for a couple of days.  While Kevin was in classes I met Lisa (so nice that she had just moved to Cali the week before) and played with her and the boys!!  

-CRAZINESS OF SEPTEMBER-

A recap of September!!

The kids sports are in full swing and the house is looking great:)

Ashley

Made the competition soccer team, competition diving team,

 and school athletics volleyball team

Josh

 Made the competition soccer team

Mason

Fall soccer and flag football started

ADDIE

playing around watching the games

THE HOUSE

The house is coming along!! 

 The cabinetry is in and the brick is almost done:)

-A LITTLE SUMMER NIGHT SCARE-

We had a little bit of a scare last week!! (8/23) 

One night after dinner we decided to go see the progress on the house.  Kevin decided he was going to jog to the house on the jogging trail in the neighborhood.  Mason wanted to  go with Kevin and ride his bike.  I was going to wait for Josh to get home from tending and drive up and meet them.

(One of the bridges on the trail)

Kevin and Mason left on the trail (all wooded with bridges and streams) around 7:00 and when Josh came home he decided he wanted to run on the trail.  I  watched Josh head into the trail and I drove up the main street.  I arrived at the house around 7:20 and Kevin was there, but Mason was not.  Kevin said he went ahead on the trail and told him to stop at the top.  He didn't.   He thought he would be at the house.....HE WAS NOT!!  The last place he saw him was the first bridge on the trail.

(a few miles up the trail where Mason was supposed to stop)

We didn't worry because Josh was on the trail and if he ran into Mason they would both make it to the house.  WELL...we were in the house and looking out the upstairs window and we see Josh jogging.... NO MASON!!  We asked Josh if he saw Mason and he said NO...

We immediately left the house... Kevin and Josh went back down the bike trail and I drove home looking for Mason on the main streets.  I got to the house and NO MASON.... I started walking up the trail and when I saw Kevin and Josh... NO MASON!!  We started to PANIC!!

I picked up my phone and called Heather and Shanna because they live close to our new house.  Mason had been to Shanna's before and I had just taught Mason how to get to Heathers from our new house.   HE WAS NOT THERE!!!  The panic really set in and Heather, Rusty, Shanna, and Aaron got on their bikes and in their cars.  They made calls to friends in the neighborhood and the SEARCH WAS ON!!

A little before 9:00 when the sun was setting and the darkness was coming I called the police and the SEARCH was REALLY on!!  They had me go back to the trail to the bridge... the last point we saw him... so they could GPS the location.  I had to give a description of him.... and just WAIT!!

As the darkness settled in and the cops came to the house I got a call from Shanna and all I heard was WE FOUND HIM!  WE HAVE HIM! WE ARE ON OUR WAY HOME!!!

Mason had taken a wrong turn at the top of the bike trail and headed down the main neighborhood road  (3 miles).  He rode his bike until the sidewalk stopped...just before the busy road... and decided to turn around.  When he was on his way back up a nice couple out for a walk noticed he looked lost and asked him if he needed help....My little, shy, nervous boy said YES!!  We had just moved to a different place in the neighborhood and so he couldn't tell them exactly where we lived, but could tell him the name of the place in the neighborhood.  So they were walking to the neighborhood and that is where Shanna and Aaron found them and drove Mason home!!  The police came and checked him out and he was back HOME!! SAFE!!

I went to bed that night so THANKFUL!!  THANKFUL that my little boy was home safe. THANKFUL my prayers were heard and answered.  THANKFUL for people I had never met that trusted their instincts to ask a little boy if he was ok.  THANKFUL for WONDERFUL friends that were out looking, calling around, and concerned!!  THANKFUL even though I am far from home I AM NOT ALONE!!  I AM SO THANKFUL!! 

I AM SO THANKFUL for this little guy!!

          (school picture 9/12)

-AUGUST FUN-

August was a busy month with being gone for 1/2 of it and then school starting!!  We were able to spend some time with friends and watch the house come together:)  Fun summer days!!

The house is coming alone:)