Archive for the 'Julie' Category



04
Aug
11

quips not to forget

I am pretty good at documenting family photos, but I’ve been slacking in the past year with documenting funny things my kids say and/or where I used my cell phone camera.  I’ve used facebook to record these things, and facebook isn’t permanent.  My blog is more permanent to me, so I finally am recording some of past facebook statuses that I don’t want to forget!

Asher’s way to keep cool on this 108 degree day? Spit his milk in a fan to blowback all over his face. Refreshing!
Every once in awhile your windows need a good wet sand scrub, ya know,to get rid of all those unwanted blemishes.
This can’t be my son…trying to potty train him STILL, so leaving him naked today.He pees on our backyard porch and then steps in it?!? Ewww!
Love this. “Mommy, she looks just like me!” Ella saidwhen she got this new doll in her happy meal tonight.

I need to make my oldest bored more often. She told me, “I just want something to organize mom!”

Ella picked out a green wrapped (sour apple) lollipop for dessert tonight and asked me, “Is this flavor called grass or salad?”

Being the younger sister is hard enough, (I wouldn’t know, but I’ve just heard…), but when you pair that with Rilyn having a friend over, and Ella not…you get Ella telling me that Rilyn and her friend are playing “superstars” and Ella is their servant. At least she doesn’t mind. I caught her massaging their feet.

Ella hands me a dime and says, “Here mom, save this so we can go to Disneyland.” (anytime the girls want something, I’ve been telling them we need to save our money for Disneyland this summer)

I’m not sure Rilyn quite understands “magic” shows. I just watched as Ella was stuck in a upside down large clear storage box and then Rilyn told me, “I will make her disappear now. Just close your eyes, plug your ears, and say “blah, blah, blah!” and then I will tell you when to stop.” Sure enough, Ella had “disappeared” when Rilyn let me open my eyes. 😉 pretty magical.

“Here mom. You can eat the rest of my jelly beans.”
“Wow, thanks Ella, that is really nice of you.”
“Some have hair on them because I dropped them on the floor.”

At one of the stores at the Austin rodeo, Rilyn reads a sign for sale that says, “raising children is like being pecked to death by chickens.”  The store clerk looks at me and says “sorry.”

I love this girly girl! Rilyn came home today with this story she wrote at school: “Once upon a time there was a princess named Ariana. Her hair was beautiful as a flower. When she was born her mother gave her a gift and it was love. The princess spent all her time drawing.”

My husband just bought a pull up bar to install in a door and Ella saw the box and said, “So, you have to be naked to do it?” (the man on the box had no shirt on…) 😉

My son walked in the house from the backyard and I just found him ‘cleaning’ his muddy face in the toilet bowl. It looked as gross as it sounds.

After telling the girls that my sour attitude was because of Asher’s behavior, I couldn’t be surprised when Rilyn left this note in my purse later, “Dear Mom, I’m sorry I made you mad. I just didn’t get enough sleep cause Ella woke me up, okay?” I had to apologize to her first on why I shouldn’t of blamed anyone else on my behavior, and then we talked about why she should take responsibility for her own behavior.

Ella’s bedtime prayer tonight: “Dear Jesus, thank you for helping me stay in the lines (coloring).” 🙂

My son really is influenced by his older sisters’ use of language. He just said, “Look at the helicopter mommy. It is beautiful.”

Counselor visit in Rilyn’s class today. She
came home singing a new little diddy, “Stop! Don’t
touch me there! This is my no-no square!” (she makes a square from the
top of her neck to the top of her knees.)

Boys vs. girls. Another example of how different they are! (I’m babysitting a 5 1/2 yr. old boy.) In her room, Rilyn says: “You want to see my diary?” Him: “Ewwww, you have diarrhea!!!!”

My 4 1/2 year old daughter said after getting dressed this morning, “I’m teenager ready!” What?!?!

So maybe I went back to bed after I gave Asher breakfast and maybe he made me pay for it by waking up to black (washable, thank goodness) marker all over our refrigerator, table, chairs, floors, toys, and windows. He really worked hard to show mommy what he thinks of me sleeping in.-October 2010

trying to ‘sleep in’ on this rainy morning! Apparently Asher didn’t get the memo, so he decided it would be a good morning to draw with purple marker all over his sisters’ white bunk beds, sheets, and comforter.-Sept. 2010

Ella talks NON-STOP in the car to me every single time we drive anywhere. It is usually about the most random things. Today was, “Mommy, I look so cute when I’m falling asleep. You should really take a picture next time.” 😉

After Ella told me I was the best mommy ever, I told her she is the best ‘Ella’ ever, to which she replied, “That’s because I can always smell poopy diapers first.”

Materialism rears it’s ugly head. Rilyn: “Mom, just let me die here!!!” We were at Claire’s.

November 2011 from Ella’s K teacher:  We read a book today about a momma bear and a baby bear. We were comparing things that adults can do that children can’t. Ella’s example- “sometimes my mom grows hair on her legs and has to cut off and kids can’t do that.”

E-mail from Ella’s teacher: We were talking about “things we can smell” today and I asked each student to tell me one thing they liked to smell and one thing they do not like to smell. Ella told us she loves the smell of gas stations and does not like the smell of “man stink.”

Random thoughts from Ella today at lunch while eating with her in the cafeteria. “Mama, is that cleaning lady old?” “No, not that old.” “Well, her face is all crumbled.”
“Mama, do ants go to heaven?” “No.” “Awesome! They go to hell!”

oh my Ella bella! She came home from school and told me she got a bloody nose. I looked at the nurse’s note and it said “Advised to not pick her nose.” Proud mommy. 😛

19
Jul
11

water park fun

We drove to my mom’s house yesterday to treat the kids to a morning at the local water park.  It was actually overcast, so the crowds were away, and it was a little cooler than our normal 100 degree temps as of late.

being silly

Can you see Rilyn and Ella underneath the play structure getting poured on? (Asher was scared of this and wouldn’t go near it!)

down pour!

Rilyn and I got to race down these slides together! It’s fun having a child who is tall enough now to do more rides!

last year Rilyn was too short to go down these

Here is grandma duck with her little grandducklings (Ella was probably floating away in the lazy river somewhere!)

The kids loved this splash pad because you could “breathe” under the water fountains! 😉

a rare picture of all three looking at the camera AND smiling!
ella
asher
rilyn

Ella relaxing after a fun morning!

Thanks Grandma!

17
Jul
11

I got my sunset pictures!

Our good friends from college, Kim and Ryan, came in town this past weekend.  We rented a pontoon boat with the Richardsons, and took a 4 hour cruise on Lake Travis.  James caught his first fish, (and his second, and his third!)  They were all just perches, but none the less, he can now say he has caught a fish!  And I finally got my sunset pictures (in Kauai, our sunsets were covered either by clouds or mountains.)

Jen, me, and Kim

With the expert help from Ryan, (he works for the Boy Scouts, so you know he is legit!), James caught and held up his first fish!

Then he tried to get me to touch it. NO WAY. I will draw the line at anything to do with fish and (flying) birds. GROSS.

keep that nasty thing away!
sun is starting to set

For some reason the guys thought it was hilarious to try and sink the boat by hitting wakes at just the right time and having a wall of water splash inside. You can tell by James’ shirt, they were very successful!

whoosh!
sweet
final shot before the sun sets
15
Jul
11

fashion misses-bangs cut by a non-professional

Hope you enjoyed my little “fashion misses” series.  Today is the last day, although, sadly, I probably could of done another week long worth of bad pictures!

My mom cut my bangs for awhile.  It’s very obvious when you see the following pictures.  😦

This is me in second grade, same age as Rilyn will be soon!
first grade
kindergarten
third grade
14
Jul
11

fashion misses-shoulder pads

Unfortunately I was a victim of shoulder pads.  The kind that made my shoulders look like they went on for miles…

I know ties can be in fashion at times, but when you are wearing a tie and your brother is wearing a tie in the same picture? Not working. And the shoulder pads just make it even worse.

This sweater I borrowed from my mom (I hope!), but the shoulder pads and the length?…a sad story.  Oh, and the bun holder that I was wearing in my hair…sigh.

Then there is this dress…technically not shoulder pads, but there is definitely a “growth” on the shoulders!

13
Jul
11

fashion misses-trucker style

No explanation needed.  I just can’t believe I ever stepped out in this outfit.

I promise I had an undershirt on under my jean vest.  James says

it looks like I have a mullet under my hat!

Check out my trucker style shades!  Yikes!

0
I love the USA!  😉
12
Jul
11

fashion misses-the home perm

You know this series of posts are humbling…I’m so thankful that God sees us for who we are in our heart rather than our appearances!  🙂

So, somewhere around elementary school age, I decided that my mom needed to perm my hair.  I remember sitting on a chair in the kitchen while my mom rolled my hair!

sporting my LA Gears!
showing off my loot from my birthday
11
Jul
11

fashion misses-channeling blossom

This week, I’ll be doing a little series I’d like to call “fashion misses”.  This past weekend, I organized my mom’s closet that was FULL of old photos.  I had so much fun and really hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time.  It makes me wonder if my kids will be saying the same thing as they scroll through my blog or look at their scrapbooks…I really have tried hard to not dress them in silly trends, but when they get into jr. high?  I know that terrain is rocky, and I will have to loosen my rein in some degree.  So today’s post is called “Channeling Blossom (the TV series)” for a reason. You will probably figure it out right away if you watched that show.   And, yes, I definitely was in jr. high.

I look like summer, but indeed, it was Christmas, and I was putting out decorations!
my Jr. High graduation picture
I remember “making” this hat and I was so proud…ugh.
the girl who started it all
07
Jul
11

29 years later

29 years later we are still praying for each other, loving each other, taking turns visiting each other.  Kristy and I met in preschool where we started the “kissy club” and ran around at recess time trying to kiss boys.  Having so many memories with someone is like having a sister, only you don’t fight!  😉  Here is a picture of us with our best friend necklaces.  We have had several throughout the early years, and unfortunately, we each lost different ones.  But Kristy will always be “Be Fri” and I am “st ends”!

Whenever we visit each other, we go through all our old pictures together. This time we found a picture that we wanted to try and copy now! Unfortunately my head is cocked the wrong way, but you get the idea!

I did fore-go the scrunchies in my hair this time!  And yes I had a bad perm then!

Some other fun pics of us growing up:
1983

we were 4 years old!

Matching outfits of course!

anyone else rock the kool-ots?

I always thought I was short until Kristy moved away to Idaho! She is 6 feet and I am 5’8″!

chuck-e-cheese!

Us in college!

at Northwest Nazarene University
05
Jul
11

“austin-y” things

We have done plenty of “Austin-y” things while Kristy and Bill are here from Idaho.  I took advantage of having another couple with us on South Congress to take the picture of James and I against this wall.

Jo’s coffee

We also went to Stubbs BBQ, Home Slice, and Hey Cupcake. Before cupcakes though, we watched the bats come out from under the bridge on South Congress!

You can see the bats in the sky too.  I guess all those boaters don’t mind bat guano!
yummy dessert
Bill and Kristy with their goodies!

On Saturday we remembered the Alamo. 😉

me and the girls

Again, I took advantage of having adults with us to take pictures for me with the kids. I realized I don’t have too many! Here is me and my Ella Bella eating at the Riverwalk.

On Sunday, I did a little photoshoot with Kristy and Bill at Mayfield Park. Click here to see those! Here is a peek:

playing with shadows

After church, Kristy and I went to a card-making class! I’ve decided that next time, I will bring my girls! I love that Kristy loves to scrapbook like me!

cell phone pic-sorry!  We made 4 cards in 3 hours!