The flu, Timesteps and the pumpkin patch.....OH MY!

We have had an eventful week at the Green House. We started the week with Lily getting sick on Sunday night. Then, Monday morning about 9:45, the nurse from Hanna's school called me to come and get her. By Tuesday, those two ended up testing positive for the flu. They were home for the week! Tuesday night, Seth started coughing and running a fever. We were in the middle of theatre week for Emma's encore, rocking performance of "Timesteps....Rock of the Ages".....and by Tuesday night, I had to go pull her off of stage! She had a fever. Wednesday and Thursday are all a blur. All four kids sick makes for a tired mom. Emma got to participate in the final dress rehearsal on Thursday night and Friday came quickly! Opening Night! Somehow, it all fell into place! (Thank you for the prayers! You know who you are!)

We are total ROCKERS! :) 50's Record Party! "Baby Love"!

Emma....2nd from left....in "The Girls"....."These Boots Were Made for Walkin"......

...and, one of my favorites.............."Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" !

Another favorite from my era......Michael Jackson's "Thriller"!




RAVE ON.....It's a crazy feeling!

Three great shows......one fine tribute to the music that grew us....or we grew up to! Goodbye to "Timesteps", for now! A bittersweet ending to a fabulous show!

So, the weekend was long.....and fun.....and over quickly! We took Sunday to rest and spend some much needed family time!

We all slept in and then made our way out to Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm. It is just outside of Canyon, and is a fun and festive place to spend a fall afternoon. I love pumpkin patches.....I love everything about fall.......I love the smell of it.....I love the crisp air......I love the taste of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, yummmmmmmm........oh.........back to the pumpkin patch.....somehow, I get so sidetracked there!

Here are some pics from our fun trip there! YEAH, Fall! Thank you for falling on us!

A hayride out to the pumpkin patch....

and the corn maze

Our fearless leader, finally gets us through it.......

Now, we get to pick our pumpkins! I don't know if there is anything cuter than my Pumpkins picking pumpkins................................ Of course, Lily found a pink pumpkin! (Seth actually found if for her!)

Happy Fall!

Wait for it........it's here!

This is dedicated to you, Grandma! A new blog! YIPPPEEEE! I can't believe it has been since May since I blogged last. Wow! Time does fly when you're having fun!










The summer was joyous! We loved it and can't wait for it to be here again! Much needed rest and relaxation!



School began. Four kids. Four schools. Enough said!





(I do need to mention, I have a pre-schooler and a Freshman in high school! How?!!!!)







So, it brings me to today. A wonderfully dreary fall day. I am in love with the season that brings crisp mornings, cool evenings, football games, pumpkins in the patch and Pumpkin Spice Latte in my cup! YES!


In our life lately, it has been busy. FULL! Blessed.





Emma is dancing her heart out, getting ready for "Timesteps: Rock of Ages". It's the rockin' production that LSB put on in the Spring and is bringing back again. Do not miss it if you are in our area. IT ROCKS! She also will be in the upcoming Nutcracker, Dec. 12-14th. She has five rolls. One of most favorite being the dancing Columbine Doll that comes out of the box at the party in scene one. So beautiful! so.....here we go again!



Hanna is playing tournament softball with her beloved Storm team. And league play, too. It has been so much fun watching this little team turn into a big event! They are ones to watch.....and fear. They finished league play 10-0. I am so proud of her team and her ability to keep them all pumped up! She is my cheerleader! Oh, more than you know!!! Hanna will also be in The Nutcracker in Dec. as an ice-skater!


Lily Hope. The princess. She started dancing again with Lone Star Ballet. She just wanted to be in The Nutcracker, like her sisters. That's all. So, she is doing classes there now and auditioned in August......and MADE IT! She is debuting in her first Nutcracker as a Snow Angel and a little pink lamb in Merliton. She is so excited! So am I! (Pictures to follow very soon!) Pray for me!



And, then there is the boy! Momma's Boy! Seth started pre-school this fall. He was excited, at first. Now, not so much. He just doesn't want me to leave him. He'd be happy to just be with me, no matter what we are doing. I pulled up to school one day, and noticed a very sad face in my rear-view mirror. I said, "Buddy, you LOVE school! What is the matter?" He said, very matter-of-factly, "But, I LOVE YOU!" Hmm. Now how do you argue that point? Seth is not in The Nutcracker. Not yet. :)







Sean and I are just holding on for the ride in all of this fun and excitement! We tag-team most days. Quite nicely, I might add. Sean is our biggest fan and my best supporter. He stays so busy at work and is on board for whatever is happening when he gets home. We couldn't do it without him. It's football season, too, which makes him a happy man!







I have turned over a new leaf in the world of running. I have been training since August and have loved it. I am an adict. I ran in my first 5K for the Susan G Komen foundation on Sept. 26th. It was awesome and I was just so proud to finally make it there. And that it was for such a good cause, more awesome! I also started teaching dance at Lone Star Ballet. I am so glad to be back at it. I am teaching little ones. Mommy and me classes for 18-24 months and then 3-4 year olds. I am also going to be teaching at the pre-school program at Seth's school. Maybe he will get to dance, afterall!





Happy Fall, Ya'll!

May Madness......SuperMom to the rescue!

I just posted a real quick run-down of March thru half of May. However, it would not do my SuperMom SuperPowers any justice if I didn't include these activities, too! I joke about the days when I have to pull my cape out of the closet, and lately, it has been out too often!

Being a mom is nice, quaint, lovely.......but, being a SUPERMOM is fierce! I am a passionate person! Why would this role in my life be any less! No one would expect it. I would surely hate to disappoint!

So, I say, "Put up your dukes.....Let's get down to it!"

Hanna was selected to participate "Reflections", an art program that is throughout the entire school district. This is her with one of her entrie. She entered two pastels and won awards for both.....she loves art!

We have also been doing softball! Hanna still plays on the tournament team, Amarillo Lightning Storm! They are an awesome bunch of little softball players! They are small but mighty! This was one of our first tourneys this year, in Lubbock. I took all 3 kids by myself and stayed with our dear friends, The Woods! We always have so much fun going and supporting our Hanna! She rocks!

Hanna's slide into home! Whew! Makes me so nervous.....and she LOVES it!

And, here's the only pic you will see of Emma. Here, she is a cheerleader for her sister! That is about the last time we saw her, too. They are working on their Lone Star Ballet Academy Spring Recital. She has been at the studio for class and rehearsal everyday and evening. Her dedication to dance is really something to be mentioned! And, don't forget her driver! Me! Dedication! There will be more on her soon.....stay tuned!

Seth and one of our kittens. We have 4. I don't have time for this......so, I call it an unexpected pleasure?!

Hanna at her Field Day! She is awesome fast! She got 1st in the softball throw and 2nd in the 200. Her mile relay team finished 2nd, too. I'm so proud of her!

Seth got to do "little kickers" this year! Oh, my goodness, this produced MANY belly laughs from the stands! These little guys have been sitting on the bleachers, watching big brothers and sisters for years.....and NOW....it's their turn! I don't know if they are having as much fun out there as we are watching them!

Seth was on "bandanas" when they scrimmaged! Nice outfit! I love that they only want comfort at this age! It was cold!

This is the best! They all just did what they learned.....kick the ball and run after the ball. And they kept kicking and running, past the goal, clear out to the pasture. The coaches decided they better run after them....because they were almost out of shouting range! LOL! We were rolling in the stands! This brings a whole new meaning to "out of bounds"!!!!

Lily walked/ran in the Eaglethon at her school. This is their fundraiser! I love that! No cookie dough sales! :) They raised money by amount of laps or the amount of minutes walked/ran. I pledged to pay her $1 per minute. Her Daddy pledged to pay her $1 per lap. She made 7 laps in 20 minutes! Hmmmmm.... No comments from the peanut gallery......Seth participating in Eaglethon! ARGH!The Crestview Cookout to celebrate Eaglethon: Notice the difference in the weather. Same week! Different Day! We can't do anything in one day! No, let's spread the event over the W-H-O-L-E week, because nobody has anything else to do! Really, this was a fun day. Same day as Hanna's Field Day....did I mention SUPERMOM???!!!

And, this is Lily's favorite place in the soccer game.....on the coach's lap! She loves soccer! She's just not into running for an hour. Who is, really?! I have enjoyed watching her participate in a team sport. She is a sweet encourager. And a team player. But, if the wind is blowing her hair and her pony tail isn't tight enough, all bets are off! She is DONE! (And the hair will be fixed right in the middle of the field of play!)Lily does play.....she loves to throw it in from the sidelines! :)

And, here's to the SuperMom on Mother's Day! My day! Awwwww, this day makes it all worth while! At 7am, I heard footsteps, then, "DAD, I'm ready to get up!!!!" DAD?! There must have been some training behind that statement! So, I pretended not to hear and at 9AM, I heard more footsteps.....this time, they were carrying breakfast! Yay for Mother's Day!!! My sweet boy.......he loves his momma so much!My blessings! This is why I do what I do. Why I drive and I cheer and I yell and I get sunburned and why I put my heart on the line everyday! They are the reason I drag my tired self to bed at midnight and why I drag my tired self out of bed at 6:30am every day! Their smiles are why I put on my SuperMom cape on the tough days and just get by the best I can! Somehow, I make it to every event....or at least have someone there to take the pictures.....and somehow I make each of them feel special and wanted and loved! These are the reasons why....... Emma, Hanna, Lily and Seth..........Thank you for making each day a journey and the road a total joy!

DISCLAIMER: This could not have been done without my sidekick, SuperDad. He is my partner in crime....we divide and conquer many, many days! Thanks, honey! And, thank you for even taking the camera!!! We love you!

WHAT THE HECK?!

Where did April and half of May go? And, how did I skip Easter??? This life is flying by....I guess we are having fun! So, here you go Grandma, the missing links to our last few months......

Life is fun! It really can't get any better than this.....

Time Steps happened! It was a brilliant show with the ROCK of the Ages....from the 50's to now!! The music rocked and so did the dancers! Way to go, Emma! You are sooo groovy!

2 generations of ROCK! LOVE IT!

An outreach performance at the elementary school in Hereford. The dancers did a little sampling of "Timesteps"! Emma rocked!

Then, on April the 7th, I turned 37! WOW! Life is good! I love this age!

One of my favorite gifts from my girls! The Jonas Brothers ROCK!

Easter 2009

Always a fun holiday at the Green House! We all LOVE to color eggs! Somehow, I only got to do one out of the 4 dozen that were boiled! We love Easter morning, Easter service at church and all of what Easter means to us! Thank you, Jesus! You rock!

California Dreamin....

We didn't have to dream anymore! Our trip to California was so relaxing and fulfilling! We went for Lily's Cochlear Celebration.....which was at Disneyland! The girls had been to Disneyworld and Seth was in-utero the last time we went....so this was his first experience! And none of us had been to DisneyLand! It was a blast! We stopped off in Hollywood first to see the sights and spend the afternoon with Jason Brunk, a friend from our home town. We checked in to our fabulous hotel and were pampered from there on out! My 2nd cousin, Todd, works at the Disneyland Hotel and he set us up with the Royal Treatment! He put us in the Princess Suite....quite fitting....and the place was dream! The girls gushed and fell right into the part....Seth said, "where am I gonna sleep?" The theme of the resort was Peter Pan, so the rest fit him fine! Among other sweet comments, one of my favorite was, "Can we stay here forever?!" That pretty much summed it up! Disney is just magical! Everything is perfectly happy and surreal! I really think they pump something into your room at night so you forget what you are spending, too. I love to look at the trees that are sculted like characters, the beauty of the flowers and the trees. I love the way it smells! Like cotton candy and flowering blooms! At night, everything sparkles! The parades and the fireworks and the castle! I love it!

After 3 sunny days at Disneyland, we made our way to Newport Beach and spent our last day there. It was overcast and 70 and the water was cool, but the ocean was breathtaking! and the kids had so much fun splashing in the water (with their feet, mainly!) Lily took an early dive, so her time was spent cuddled up with Daddy on the blanket! I love watching the ocean. I love seeing how small my kids look by the ocean and how small I feel there. It is truly a picture of how big God's love for us is and how it swallows us up! I LOVE that! We spent the day in Newport with Sean's best friend from High School, Jeff Stewart. They hadn't seen each other in 12 years. It was fun to watch them fall back in to the same comfortable conversation the way old friends do.......

Our vacation was glorious and Lily's

Cochlear Celebration was enlightening.

It was fun seeing others with "hooties"

and Lily was not really interested in that.

She knew she was there to celebrate HER and

her "hootie"!
















"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean. Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens. Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance. And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance"

Happy Spring......and the stuff we are doin'!

HAPPY SPRING! My favorite season! I love the new flowers and their happy colors that are poking through the dry ground...... and the green grass that is springing up in places that are rock hard! How do they do that?! Amazes me! The flowering trees are glorious! They are like candy to my soul! The sun is warm and makes me so happy when it shines on my face! I love Spring! Maybe it's because it's my birthday season, too. Just sayin'!

Kite flyin' and sidewalk chalkin'.....

And, yes, we did have a beautiful snow shower the first day of Spring Break! CRAZY!

Along with our fun times, we have also been busy! I have gotten many appts. for pictures, as people and kids are wanting to get out of hibernation. Senior pictures are also on my agenda! And, my kids have their things starting back up.....soccer for Lily and Seth, softball for Hanna and as always, dance for Emma. Everything is in full-swing!

Here are some pics from the last few weeks' activities.....Enjoy! And, be happy.....It's SPRING!

Spring Break fun at the bowling alley.....

The Lone Star Ballet outreach show at the Mall........

S and S photo shoot.......pure preciousness!!!!

K's Sr. shoot

An unexpected trip......a forever blessing!

Well, as many of you know, Sean's mother, Bea Hemry, passed away late last Monday. It was definitely not expected, but she had heart and lung trouble for the last few years. She went to the doctor for shortness of breath and died later that evening. She was 60. As the trip was so sad, it was also a good time of reflection. Yes, we went back to Kansas last week to attend services and be with the family, but it was also a great time of reminiscing and time to remind ourselves just how important family and friends really are! We know Grandma Bea is rejoicing over us in Heaven. We will see her again someday!

We got to spend some time with dear friends and visit some places that warm our hearts while we were in Manhattan. It was a beautiful week! Here are some pics from our time there...










Patty and Dixie are Bea's sisters. Suzy is her niece and Katie and Beth are her nieces.....all from Georgia.





Fun pics
on G'pa
Larry's
Farm.....