Memorial Weekend

It was a busy Memorial Weekend for us. (I know, so what's new?)

Addison had a weekend long pageant in Houston. I picked the kids up from school and then Addison and I had to pack the car and hit the road. She was required to check in on Friday night so we were doing our best to get there before 9:00. I think we got there at about 8:45!!

The competition was on Saturday morning and then there was a party for the pageant contestants on Saturday night. The party was a really great thing to do for the girls that were there because it put them all into a social situation where they got to know each other outside of competing. They also all had to bring goodie bags that they then went around and exchanged with each other. What a great way to break the ice! What's better than giving someone a gift?

I wanted to take a picture of her in her formal wear and asked her to go stand in the corner in our room (that's about the only place that the light made much difference) and I got this:

and then this....

I think I accidentally got this picture since it turned out to be rather good.

 

 

The pageant results were announced on Sunday. She didn't win, but we both learned a lot for competing in the pageants put on by this company. They're all different in what their expectations are. And, she wasn't terribly disappointed since she did her best and some of the stuff we learned at the last minute and had to adjust on the fly.

 

We got home on Sunday in time to hit the Memorial Rodeo which is kind of a tradition. Well, at least for Dax and I.  We feel like it's a tradition but we were down to only two kids going with us this year. Oh well, we had fun......see.....

 

 

 

Look at all the kids out there for the calf scramble!! But they all had smiles on their faces!!

 

 

The kids were off from school on Monday, but they had to spend most of it studying for finals. I don't think they were loving high school at that point.

 

Just stopping and taking a deep breath

It's been a busy last couple of weeks. The past week has been crazy busy and emotionally draining. Some days it seems like I need to be in fifteen different places all at the same time. But, I guess that's the life of parent, right?

Addison was in another pageant at the end of February. She was supposed to play in a soccer game in a town several hours away, but that got cancelled. She would have hated to just stay home and let us take it easy for a change, so she went ahead and registered for a pageant.

I guess that was a good thing since she won!

With this win, she will once again be doing a year of service and volunteering. Can't complain about that.

Kirsten is in show choir and was busy with that during the week too. They will be participating in a festival the first weekend in April so she had practice during the week. The group also did a two-day 'camp' for elementary age school children where they taught them a few numbers which they later performed in a show for their parents. She loved it! She enjoys the choir and she really likes working with the younger children.

When I was dropping her off for the camp, Wyatt and Addison were doing this:

(lunch money shake down.....or two smart alecs)

 

They're such rule breakers!

 

In other news, my Dad had surgery last week to remove a cancerous prostate. We had planned to be there for the operation, but the weather caused the highway that we would be traveling one to be closed. However, there were some complications and he had to go back into the hospital (where he still is) so three of the kids and I went late Saturday and came back home late last night.

 

Dax's Mom has a surgery scheduled for later this week, so he'll be heading to Houston to be there with her.

 

The concern for those we love coupled with the busy-ness of daily life is enough to be exhausting. But then add to that some emotional hurts inflicted by family members that are selfish and uncaring, and it just made for an overwhelming week. I guess the time has come to put some people behind us and move forward. There can only be better things in our future when we let go of those that hold us back and drag us down.

 

 

 

 

Busy, busy, busy

It's just crazy that it seems like we're always so busy, but I doubt we're busy doing anything that people are interested in reading about here.

The kids are so busy with high school. They've spent the last couple of weeks in small groups writing plays for their English classes and there are plenty of other projects being worked on (all the time) it seems.

Addison was in another pageant last weekend. She won the title of Queen for her age division. But, I think she was most excited for winning the photo contest for 'Daddy & Me'.  She got a cute crown for that too.

Here's her entry.

(They don't look much alike, do they? Ha!)

 

Props to Abigail for her mad photography skills. She went to the pageant with us and was also thrilled that the picture she took was the winner.

 

Soccer practice continues. The first game is next weekend. Kind of looking forward to watching Addison out there playing again.

 

Kirsten has been busy painting a pair of sneakers. It's hard to see, but she zentangled them with a white paint pen. They turned out really cute and she spent hours doing it.

 

 

Besides her award winning photography, Abigail has also spent some time in the kitchen. She made some trail mix to take to school with her the other day.

 

 

 

I don't know what trail she's going to use that on. Did you notice that there isn't a single thing in there that's healthy? She didn't even bother to throw in one lonely peanut!

 

Wyatt has been busy mastering his gaming skills in his free time. Go figure! A teenage boy that likes to play video games. Who would have guessed that?

 

It's tax time so things have picked up at the office and that keeps Dax and I VERY busy.

Back to the Real World

We've been pretty busy since we got back from vacation. I guess that's sort of obvious since it took me over a month to get the vacation posted about.


Since we've gotten home, the kids did go and spend a couple of weeks in Houston with their grandparents, which is always a lot of fun for them.

We've done some geocache searches, there has been some golf and tennis played, and we've had a few trips for ice cream or sno-cones.

(Wyatt is looking more and more like his dad.)

Addison was in another pageant and won her age division. For this one she will compete in a State Pageant next year in May or June.

Dax and I got invited to attend an event for retired Texas Rangers law officers. We had a nice time. It was on a beautiful ranch along the river, with good food and good company.

 This was my date for the evening. Isn't he handsome?

 

 Then, the very next week, we attended an awards luncheon where Dax received an award for all the volunteer work that he does in connection with the Hays County Sheriff's Department. He had received a regional award earlier, but this one was a state level award. We are all so proud of him and all that he does.

I took the girls to do some back to school shopping. Even though their grandparents had taken them already.

 

A little touch of glamour on her eyes.....

But, I guess the biggest (and most traumatic for me) thing that has happened is that school started. And I have high schoolers!!!

(Addison, Abigail, Wyatt, & Kirsten)

 

I am just not ready for them to be this grown up. I had to fight back the tears when they got out of the car on the first day of school. They all have pretty tough schedules this year because their mean parents made them take the harder classes, but they're off to a good start.

Another Pageant

Addison participated in another pageant in Austin.

Getting ready:

She was in a different age group for this one. I think she was the only one in her normal age group so they combined her with the group that was older. She was by far smaller than the other girls.

She didn't win. She got a Princess title and trophy, but she had fun anyway and that's what it's supposed to be about.

Pageant

Addison participated in another pageant on Saturday.

Here she is waiting for her turn on stage.

I'm not ready for her to be looking this grown up!

Thank goodness she usually just keeps her hair in a pony tail with a t-shirt and jeans on.

Beauty Princess

I would say beauty queen, but she didn't win that title.

Addison did another pageant over the weekend. This one had a masquerade theme.

 She got 2nd place in her division which is a Princess title. She also got Prettiest Eyes and Prettiest Hair. She was really mad that she didn't win at first and swore she was never doing another pageant with this venue again. But, by the time we got home she was already making plans for the next one. HA!

It was really hard to get good pictures. She moves too fast, so this is what most of my pictures look like.

Maybe I should contract with the pageant to do the contestant photographs?