Glenney Party of Five

Scottsdale, Arizona - a breath of fresh air

2011-03-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

we stayed at the Camelback Inn Resort - ooh la la!!

I loved walking through the resort just taking deep breaths and being amazed that God had created such an amazing place

I spent at least an hour by the pool daily!!

Piestewa Peak - we climbed/hiked/suffered/laughed

the entire way up - whew!!

2 hours of heart pumping fun

Famous American Day

Caleb wore this when he was four as Neil Armstrong.

Josh wore this when he was four as Alan Sheppard.

Kate was Sally Ride, the first American woman to go in space.

2011-03-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Chris and Kate went to a Father-Daughter dance and had a blast!!!

Daddy has retained some kind of "hero status" from this date .

watching yet another basketball game (insert football, baseball, etc.)

Ice Skating at Winterfest at preschool

Tacky Day at school

my friend (who is a Texas fan) thought of Kate wearing this ... her teacher who is a huge Aggie fan like us laughed and loved it!!

Fun at Home

2011-03-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Smores, fire pit, silly faces

I love my family!!

my main squeeze

the cutest fifth graders I know

my munchkins

We were blessed to have several days of snow this year ... snowmen, snow ice cream, hot chocolate, good use of our ski wear, sledding on trash can lids, snow wars with neighbors,

snow much fun!!

Christmas and New Years

2011-03-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

fun times

Josh with cousin Luke ... I think they look alike

our fancy New Year's Eve crowns

a perfect to match to our pajamas

the girls in Aggieland

the guys in Aggieland

December

2011-03-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Kate got "Ruthie" from Santa ... love at first hug!!

Josh got a Texas A&M helmet, pads, etc. He wears it like real clothing for hours! We force him to change before leaving the house!!!

Caleb got an iPod touch ... his first real I'm-a-pre-teen gift!!

Josh was one of the Three Kings in the Christmas play.

They stole the show!!

my Aggies!

and in comes October

2010-10-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

Kate and the Rose Queen at her first Queen's Tea ... she was thrilled beyond belief!!

Kate with one of the duchesses ... our Grace football buddy was caught looking down in the back.
a wonderful family weekend at Great Wolf Lodge ... Kate loved the story time and the water park and the boys loved the MagiQuest game throughout the hotel
first football game of the season
Kate is loving dance again this year. She smiles for the entire hour!!
Time has flown by the last few months ... to fun and family and laughter!

September Aggie games

2010-10-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

We got to go to the first couple of Aggie games at home ... our family has so much fun on campus, at the game, on the field after the game pretending to make touchdowns ... it is truly our "happy place" on earth!!

on the field after a big win
the J-Train was at the game - Josh's football hero!! Josh had him sign his 12th Man towel, his hat, his ticket ... it was a little embarrassing!!
Pre-game fun on the third deck in the Zone
fun with all of our cousins before the game

the end of August

2010-10-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Caleb turned 11!! Crazy ... eleven years old ... so stinkin' proud of him! He hasn't hit the pre-adolescent-talking-back-phase yet and we are enjoying him so much. He is funny, smart and most of all strong enough to stand by his convictions. Caleb was faithful, loyal and not scared to stand up for God in the Bible ... we continue to see these very traits in our own Caleb.

The kids (and adults) had so much fun this summer with the Bryans family home. The boys are sporting their new Ecuador World Cup soccer shirts.
Kate's first day of Pre-K ... she is upstairs with all of the big kids. Every week she goes on and on about school ... the letters, the songs, learning to write, her beloved teacher who is an Aggie ... she absolutely loves school!!
The boys had their first day of school. Josh is a third grader and Caleb is in the fifth grade. We love their teachers and their school so so much!!
A little dancing because sometimes you just need to find an 80s song on your iPod and dance. Notice the flower over my ear from Kate!!

Beach 2010

2010-08-17T09:53:00.001-07:00

Four families (and another down the road at a nearby beach) ... eleven children ... four cars LOADED down with beach chairs, umbrellas, sunscreen, food and enough beach toys to supply Toys R Us ... lots and lots of laughter, squealing, eating, bike riding, boogie boarding, play watching in the amphitheater, game playing, shopping, staying up late, rocking the pool and Frost Bites sno-cone eating -- whew! We had an amazing time Seaside, Florida.

2010-08-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

Big kids were helping the little kids

eating at the Back Porch on our Destin night before riding the wooden go-cart roller coaster

the boys had to carry their stuff this year -woo hoo

Caleb got a skimmer and much to our surprise he rocked it!!

The parents? not so much!

Josh loved building sand castles!

Beach 2010

2010-08-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Crab Hunting at night on the beach

gettting ready for a 6 mile bike ride

to the beach, sunglasses, sunscreen and friends ...

Katie-bug is Four!!

2010-07-11T19:23:00.001-07:00

FYI: These are so out of order. Scroll down to the Six Flags pics and read "up" if you are one of those types that need order :). It's summer so I am just glad I got them all on here ...

We had fun swimming with Kate's friends to celebrate the big 4! The Bryans and the Mainords joined us from out of town making our weekend complete -- why don't you guys move back so we can do this more often?!

the Adams, the Mainords and the Glenneys

friends since birth

Caleb, Luke and Jake (also friends since birth)

Best of Buddies - miles cannot separate how much they love each other

fun girls

the first cake for one of my kids that I did NOT make ...

poor third child

MoMo (Molly) and Kate

They wore these pajamas the last time they were together two years ago - they were laughing that they could still wear them.

Kate has prayed for Molly living in Ecuador for two years and said the other night "I CANNOT believe I am playing with Molly IN MY HOUSE!" It has been so fun and so sweet to have the Bryans family home for a few weeks.

Summer Fun

2010-07-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Katie-bug is four!! My "little buddy" is growing up so quickly. On the morning of her birthday Chris pulled out her American Girl doll (given to her by grandparents ;) ) and left a note inviting her to lunch at the American Girl store. So, away we went while the boys went to Pine Cove for the day.

breakfast of donuts (pink ones, too)

Kit, Kate and Daddy in the bistro

check out her lemonade smoothy -huge!

ice cream that tasted JUST LIKE cake - seriously weird

a wonderful afternoon

Summer Adventures

2010-07-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

at the kids park inside the Rangers game

Caleb pitching

Kate at Bass Pro Shops

Josh

Caleb

lots of family fun...

Summer Adventures

2010-07-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

the boys on Cravens Field where Chris played high school football

Uncle David and precious AUdrey joined us for the Rangers game

all geared up for the game

the last Six Flags ride of the night -we went on it several times without even getting off

SOAKED

Kate taking pictures

Summer Adventures

2010-07-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

We took an extra long weekend and ventured to Six Flags, to a Rangers game, to run on the football field Chris played on in high school (and ooh and awe over the football trophies they won during that time) and of course a quick visit to Bass Pro Shop. We have been to the lake to tube and ski. Kate has turned 4 with a trip for lunch at the American Girl store (her Daddy's idea) and a swim party with friends. Summer has been a blast but is flying too quickly ...

Six Flags

at the end of the Judge Roy Scream -Caleb and Josh in front of me

We rode the Runaway Mine train about five times in a row - there were NO lines that day - amazing!!

the Batwing - I loved how Kate always crossed her legs in the ride

the boys won Kate this cute pink bear and Chris got to carry it all over the park

Summer

2010-06-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

We have been enjoying our summer but can already feel it flying by ... the first month has disappeared! We've had our very first lemonade stand, swimming lessons for the little one, an adult night out to Cattle Barons, a couple trips to the lake to tube and ski, trips to the library, Grace football camp and lots of swimming!

made some cash thanks to our generous neighbors :)

Cattle Barons with my girls

Cattle Barons - a treat to see Josh Foster in COWBOY boots

Daddy took Kate dancing and I tagged along

Kate had swimming lessons from a teacher who did not ever smile and whose first words to us when we walked up were "Do you want her happy or swimming?" My friend mumbled "swimming" because I was too shocked to answer! That was at 3:00 p.m. I am serious that at 3:08 my 3 year old SWAM across her pool!!! So, we might not have "had the time of our lives" at lessons this year but we only needed two and we are officially a swimmer!!!

Way to go, Kate!

to summer, to swimming, to being with my kids all day ... love it!!

The Championship Game

2010-06-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Chris and the boys before the Championship game

Josh with his trophy

some of the boys after the game

taken right before he got the last out of the game

the Cardinals!

After months and months of hitting (BP), fielding, washing uniforms daily, vacuuming red dirt (that miraculously follows everyone who has been within a 100 yards of the baseball field even when they leave their shoes outside), eating sno cones that count as dinner, etc. baseball ended on Saturday! I don't think we quite know what to do with the time ... evenings having dinner together (what is that?), Saturdays together without practices all day?, no extra batting practice with Dad? Who are these people that have claimed to be living in my house for the past 4 months? I seem to only recognize them in uniform!!

We had two wonderful seasons. Josh had a winning season and lost in the first round of playoffs. He played most games at short stop and loved it. He is extremely tough and has the heart of an athlete. Caleb's team won the championship for his division. Caleb struggled batting this year but played incredible defense as the team's second baseman. In fact, in the championship game with bases loaded and two outs and two strikes he stopped a hard hit ball and threw the runner out at first. Game over ... what a win!! The score was 4-0.

I hate to admit that I am going to miss seeing all of my baseball friends and cheering for my kids every night... until next year that is.

Cardinals Baseball

2010-05-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Caleb's Minors team, the Cardinals, has had quite a season. They head into playoffs next week as the #2 team. They had the honor of sponsoring our local team, Tyler Junior College, in the Junior College World Series. The kids got to warm up on the field, go into the dug out, etc. with the team before their games. Sadly, TJC lost in the final game of the championship. Caleb's partner was the TJC second baseman. At the final game he called him over in the dug out and gave him a ball from the World Series (they are stitched a tad bit cooler and stamped with World Series) ... so sweet! Caleb is so proud of that ball and had so much fun meeting these guys!

That's Caleb stretching with them ...

Caleb is the second baseman for his team. In the last two games, however, they needed a catcher and he has gotten to do that for one of our pitchers and loved it! He also got to pitch once and struck out their final batter for the win ... so exciting for him! He came off the mound with the BIGGEST grin ever.

here he is warming up for his first time to pitch in a game ...

Josh's team is also headed to the playoffs next week ... pics from him coming soon!

to the playoffs and to fun at the ballpark ...

Katie-Bug

2010-05-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Katie-bug has grown up so much this year!! She had a wonderful year in preschool on Tues/Thurs mornings and loved dancing each week at Dance n Drill. She has gotten to be quite an athlete and wants to grow up to be a Major League baseball player - working on that right now. The only thing going for us in that conversation is her huge disappointment that the players cannot wear dresses - what about the uniform with her number and a tutu? No not even a tutu on the field, Kate!

precious Ms. Tisha on Splash Day

pizza on Splash Day

going to a 3D movie

taking kate to a the ballet The Princess and the Pea and to Cats

having fun at Ellie's bike party

Caleb

2010-05-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Caleb has had a wonderful year!! He is such a smart, sweet kid and a good friend to everyone! I am so proud of his many accomplishments and his growing sense of who he is!

before his recorder concert

all A Honor Roll for the year

Physical Fitness Award - 7 minute mile - woohoo!!!

Solar System project

the boys!!!!!

Josh

2010-05-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

Josh has had a wonderful year! He has made all As, got perfect attendance, and made many new, good friends! He is tender hearted, super creative, funny, and is growing in his faith ... what fun it has been this year to see him make decisions because of his convictions of faith and not because "that was what everyone was doing!" We are super-proud of him!!

with friends

practicing his science experiment

Josh worked very hard to earn the Presidential Fitness Award this year in P.E. The 3 1/2 minute half mile would have wiped me out!!

Where has April gone?!?!

2010-04-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

Texas Day. Baseball. Dance recital. Conference in Florida. Grandparents in town. School. Projects and research paper. Coaching baseball. Try throwing in some meals on the run and that is April in a nutshell. We are on the end of school countdown around here ... 13 more days.

2010-04-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

Kate had her precious dance recital at Caldwell Auditorium. She did every move and smiled and we could not have been more proud or happy for her. It was so sweet and she was so stinking proud of herself!! Caleb had his Spring Concert rocking to the recorder ... there is great relief that the days of recorder practice are complete. I had resorted to only allowing the recorder to be played on the back porch (sorry neighbors) ... one has to do what one has to do to try and keep some sanity in the home. We are in full baseball swing ... games during the week and practices during the weekend. The boys are both #12 and doing super. We are all looking forward to summer but enjoying seeing the fruits of our labor right now ...to baseball, to dance, to only 2 1/2 more weeks of school - yippee ...

Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Kate before recital pictures ...

Josh after his Grand Slam ...

Caleb pitched in his first scrimmage ...

my cuties on Easter ...

does anyone else remember getting to take a purse to church on Easter?!

precious Ellie with Kate at the Egg Hunt

We are going like crazy! The boys are both playing baseball and both play second base (most of the time). Caleb has enjoyed trying out some pitching this year and Josh plays at short stop some. In Josh's first scrimmage he got a Grand Slam ... lots of excitement around here that night. Opening Games are tomorrow and Kate is dancing away preparing for her first recital in two weeks. I look around and feel like Christmas just ended and I realize school is going to end before I know it!!

to Spring ...

Happy St. Patty's Day

2010-03-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patty's Day to everyone! We woke up to a pot o' gold (candy in gold wrappers) and were on a mission to find someone to pinch! Have a super green day!

to the Irish ... may we all have a wee bit o' extra fun today!

Dutch Mountain - Llano, Texas

2010-03-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Dutch Mountain

2010-03-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

We took a little break near Llano, Texas for a little relaxing, hiking, shooting, fishing, and biking. The lodge we stayed at was on around 1600 acres of gorgeous Hill Country. We found a cave that was a little spooky ... we went in and found a pile of bones and two fresh paw prints about the size of Caleb's hand. Needless to say, we vacated that cave quickly. We searched for arrowheads in the creek and saw many deer. Truly, it was beautiful and fun. Kind of a "guys" trip but Kate and I enjoyed it, too!!

to my sweet boys even if they do like to shoot a gun ...

Snow Much Fun

2010-02-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

It's not often you get to play in the snow in Texas.

It is really not often that you get to play in the kind of snow that is perfect for snowman-building, snowball-throwing, and snowangel-making in Texas.

We are having a blast! Last night the neighborhood our kids loved having the entire block to run and play and build forts and throw snowballs until many hours past bedtime! No cars, just laughter. In the dark! A kid's dream. Then, to wake up to 6-7 more inches! We have had "wars" with several neighbors ... one drove by in a truck and a load of kids popped up when they reached our house to ambush! Payback was great fun on that one. One neighbor has the endless huge pot of hot chocolate going for kids and adults right in her garage! I feel like a kid in a candy shop watching my kids play for hours and hours laughing, running, throwing, sliding, building, yelling, etc. Snow much fun!!!

Let it snow! Let it Snow!! Let it snow!!!

2010-02-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

2010 is Here!

2010-01-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

We are loving basketball season. Both boys are playing and having fun and making some points! Snapping a good shot has eluded me so here is my attempt ...

Caleb (in blue) plays awesome defense!

Josh hustles!!

Kate's new best friend/sister is a life-sized Barbie. Here names are "Kelly", "Tia", and "Calia". It depends upon the day. She eats with us, wears Kate's clothes, buckles into the car and often scares someone when they walk into a room and she is sitting there. I fully expect her to be in next year's Christmas card. A new member of the family. I just realized she is showing her undergarments in this pic. We are just thankful she has permanent undergarments!

to 2010 ...

December Fun

2010-01-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Cookies for Santa

Christmas Eve with cousins

Josh's school performance

Kate's class party

Caleb sang at a local nursing home

Christmas was fast and furious and fun! We celebrated Jesus's birth and enjoyed time with our families and friends. t0 2010 ...

Christmas Show and Tell at Dance

2009-12-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Kate loves dance! I love dance! Monday was her "show and tell". We got to sit inside the class and see eevrything they learned this semester.

Kate and her new friend, Olivia, got Perfect Attendance awards.

They had no idea what that meant!!

Daddy came from work to watch ... and she kept looking back to see him there!

And she kept talking to him during their performances.

And she kept smiling at him!

He is her favorite person on this earth ... mine, too!

Mrs. Lynn and Mrs. Jeanne are the most precious teachers!! We adore them!

to ballet, tap and tutus ...

Catchin' Up

2009-12-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Caleb was a carpenter from the 1700s in his living history project at school. He loved sharing with all of the classes about his trade.

We enjoyed a wonderful week away before Thanksgiving. We went to Austin for a few days, took Kate to her first Aggie game in College Station and enjoyed seeing family.

view from Mt. Bonnell in Austin

swimming at the hotel

room service for dinner - one of the kids favorite parts of the week

the State Capitol

Kate's first Aggie game with her cousins

our seats were above the birds - literally

Kate was in a Thanksgiving program - too cute! She kept pointing and winking at Chris - and mouthing "Hi Daddy! You're here!!" Yes, I was there also but ... well ... Dad rules in our house right now!

on to the holidays ...

Veteran's Day -Patrick Henry

2009-11-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

Caleb's class performed a Veteran's Day program for the entire school and a large group of veterans. He was Patrick Henry and did a super job.

Give me liberty or give me death ... way to go Caleb!

Trick or Treat

2009-11-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

The entire family enjoyed a pumpkin carving party and neighborhood trick or treating! We had Mattie the dog-ballerina, Josh the Aggie football player (wearing the same helmet his Dad trick or treated in as a child), Caleb the hunter(and yes, I let him put on some scars as if attacked by a bear) and Kate the angel.

We were blessed to have both set of parents come in for Grandparents Day at our school!
to Fall!

Eight Years Old

2009-10-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago today our family was blessed by the birth of Joshua Matthew. We would have never guessed how funny, how tender-hearted, how dramatic, how smart he would be ... I thank God for him and for the joy he has brought to us! Happy Birthday, Josh!

We had a flag football with our classmate, Tyler! They had a blast.

Happy Birthday to the JTrain! We love you!

October ... already?!?

2009-10-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Kate got her face painted before an Aggie game.

Josh running out for a pass.

Caleb at quarterback.

with my boys on Game Day

Kate and Champ (her favorite part of the Grace games)

We have been so busy with school, flag football, dance, preschool, Aggie games, Cougar games and lots of volunteering lately. I had a blast meeting Dominique Dawes (Olympic gold medal gymnast) who was very inspiring and cute as a bug! The boys love football. Caleb plays quarterback for half of the game and loves it! Josh is loving defense and making tackles (pulling flags). They both claim they are ready for tackle football next year ... don't think so!!! Kate is thriving in school and dance! She loves dance more than anything she has ever done ... she is so obedient and pays attention to every move the teacher makes. So far we have learned to tick-tock (shuffle) in tap, a few positions and point in ballet and to bear crawl and roll in the tumbling portion. They have fun songs and extras like the parachute or bean bags during each class ... it is adorable!

to cooler weather and football season and family ...

Dance

2009-09-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Kate loves, loves, loves her dance class. Most of the pics are blurry because I take them through a glass window ... here is our trying everything on picture. She ended up wearing pink tights (instead of the nude tights) with this little purple dress because "it's pretty and matches!" I don't know about the matching portion but we had fun!!

Kate is the one in purple with her back to the camera ... a natural!!
She puts on "pretend" glue to keep her hands on her hips.
This sweet little class brought tears to my eyes ... these girls were so excited and tried so hard. I was really impressed by all that they can learn in 45 minutes!!
to tutus, to tap shoes, to ballet, to purple and to pink ... to all things Kate!!!

Aggieland

2009-09-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Caleb and Josh in the end zone after the game.

after the game fun

John David Crow (won the Heisman at A&M)

the Aggies never lose a halftime

before the game ... Kate bawled when she found out that she wasn't going to see the Aggies. She'll be there next time!!!!

We love football season and obsess over, adore, root for, cry for, pray for the Aggies! I know, I know ... we might be considered extreme fans! This past Saturday was the opening game! We have our traditions ... we wake up and march out the Aggie flag in our pajamas with Chris's Dad, we eat a huge meal before the game and everyone wears maroon from head to toe! Then, we leave for the game at least 2 hours early to watch the band march in, to get our face painted, to try and get on the Jumbotron (Caleb did last year), to watch the team warm up and sing the Spirit song with the Twelfth man (students) ... we reminisce our college days, our dates, we kiss on every touchdown (the kids already do this), we pile way too many people in our car and we pick up chips and queso for the after game celebration at the Glenney's house that lasts well into the night. We rarely have "visitors" outside our family group of 12 that goes together to the games. That makes for like-minded Aggie-loving fun!! After the game, some of us saw John David Crow (who won the Heisman trophy when he was at A&M) and took our pic with him. We also play on the field after the game and the boys love pretending to run the game winning touchdown into the end zone. Anyway, to one of my favorite places on earth and to my family who is just as brainwashed as I am about the Aggies ... Gig 'em!!

Catching Up

2009-09-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Homework Break at the Park after school

Caleb had a little sleepover. 10 year olds can eat!

4 dozen doughnuts were demolished!

What a precious crew!

Kate started preschool again and loves her new teacher!

She came home the first day singing "Today is Tuesday!" and "The Wheels on the Bus". And finally - there were no tears this year just smiles and hugs goodbye!!

Happy 10th, Caleb!

2009-08-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

"real" cake to come at his party this weekend

Words do not express how much we love this guy! 10 years have flown. We wish we could just stop time because this is the perfect age! Independent in many ways but still loving Mom and Dad! Caleb's obedient heart, humble attitude, and love for others melt us every day! He is honoring God with his life and we could not be more excited and proud of him. I cannot wait to see what God has planned for him for the next ten years ...

New Dance Shoes

2009-08-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

The boys had gone for the first day of school and Kate and I were a bit lonely in the quiet-for-the-first-time-in-three-months house ... so ... we went shopping! Kate needed her first pair of tap and ballet shoes. She starts a ballet/tap/tumbling class in a few weeks and is soooo excited. She even told the checker at the grocery store about it! I remember when the boys were 3 and started their first season of soccer ... they were just as excited about the shin guards, socks, cleats, and uniforms. When we got to the dance studio, I realized that I could outfit a soccer player, a baseball player, a basketball player and a football player from head to toe but had no idea where to start with dance attire!!! I was lost! Thanks to the precious Rameys and an excited little girl who was more than happy to try on shoes and outfits and to twirl and sing, we came home with new tap shoes, new ballet shoes, a new little leotard with a tutu (purple) and a new leotard with a little flower at the top (pink). She tried on her new attire for Daddy when he got home and stayed in it the rest of the night. The shiny black tap shoes already have scuffs around the toe ... you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl!!

to a new adventure in dancing, tutus, tap shoes, and more ...

Kate was thrilled to try on her new ballet shoes!

She could not even close her mouth she got o excited ... here she was literally oohing and ahhing!

First Day of School

2009-08-18T07:55:00.001-07:00

I always feel a little weepy on the first day of school ... it just forces me to realize that time is flying by and my kids are getting older. The boys both have wonderful teachers and I know they will grow by leaps and bounds this year! I still get weepy, though! Why can't summer last forever? swimming, sleeping late, family bike rides, vacation, reading books ... I love summer and spending quality time together as a family. I know this happens during the school year, too ... but teachers, coaches, and homework seem to get a massive chunk of that quality time!

Kate tried to sneak off with the boys lunch ...

Josh sporting the Spiderman lunchbox this year for 2nd grade.

Caleb went with the Transformer lunchbox for 4th grade.

Here's to a new year ...

Beach 09

2009-08-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

I took over 500 pictures ... really! I had to randomly choose a few ...

in Seaside after dinner

Caleb

me and the kiddos

Josh

crab hunting at night

loaded down at 4 a.m. ready to go

ice cream before watching the play "The Stone that Sings" in the Seaside amphitheater

our little slice of beach heaven

always gotta have a muscle pic

the most beautiful water with fish nipping at your toes

our "Home Away from Home"

our favorite treat in Seaside ... mmm, wish I had a Frostbite right now

the Taco Bar in Seaside - food was so-so but atmosphere and drinks were a perfect 10

the mamas about to show their boys how to ride a wave

my fam

on our morning bike ride

at the amphitheater in Watercolor watching "Go Dog Go" by Dr. Suess

at the Back Porch in Destin ... the view overlooked the ocean and the food was YUMMY

our bike ride for breakfast at FlipFlops -beignets that make my mouth water just thinking of them (think funnel cakes for breakfast)

a gorgeous sunset on the beach

the Adams - great travel buddies (lots of laughing, staying up late, kids playing, and more)

could not have dreamed of all of these kids getting along so perfectly for a week

Trent and Josh on the last day -worn out

Beach Buddies

more Beach Buddies

and more Beach Buddies

We had the best family vacation ever in Seagrove, Florida with the Adams family. We went to the beach, to plays in the amphitheater at night, to the wooden go-carts in Destin, to some fantastic restaurants, did some shopping, enjoyed some cooking in our place, swimming, played tennis, relaxed on the front porch swing, ate homemade (thanks Chris) ice cream, went crab hunting, went bike riding, did a little jogging (not enough to equalize the food intake), stayed up late talking and laughing, built sand castles (and oohed and awed over the really good ones down the beach), caught many waves on the boogie boards, snorkled and saw fish (very happy that was all we saw), watched firworks, kept our kids up until midnight at an amusement park, woke up with the bright beach sun every morning (yup, 6 a.m.) .... I feel like it cannot be put into words. It was beautiful. It was relaxing. It was fun. I am very thankful and very blessed.

to the beach...

Swim, Bike, Run ... the boys' triathlon

2009-07-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

We had fun cheering for Josh and Caleb in their triathlon this morning. They are learning that perseverance and a little sweat is worth it in the end! They swam 70 meters, biked 2 miles and ran a 1/2 mile. Tough but fun!

Josh running

Josh running again (I thought I had put Caleb in here ... oops)

Caleb on his bike

Josh on his bike

Caleb finishing the swim

Josh ready to start

Josh's transition station

Caleb's transition station

before the race

We love the Kids Only triathlon and the month we spend preparing for it as a family. We bike several times a week and run as a family. Many lessons about perseverance, endurance, discipline, fitness, laughing, sweating, etc. are worked through together ... what I love most of all is the joy of setting a goal and working hard and accomplishing that goal! to swimming, biking, and running ... way to go, boys!!

Ellie Can Dance

2009-07-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the boys had friends over to "make movies". The boys made a work out movie, a baseball movie, and two Star Wars light saber fighting movies. The girls did not want to miss out on the fun so they dressed up and came out to perform. Turn off my music and listen closely ... my Kate is singing. She repeats over and over "Ellie can dance!" and then she ends it up with "Ellie can do anything!" This is just a tiny glimpse into her adoration of Ellie who is 9 weeks older and so deserving of the love!

to summertime fun and good friends...

Summer Swimming

2009-07-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

We have had fun swimming this summer and loading up on the sunscreen! With temps over 100 every day, what else can you do for exercise with kids?! I have been so thankful for these fun times ...

to friends, summer and swimming ...

Three

2009-07-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Katiebug turned three today. We woke up at the lakehouse with cousins, grandparents, uncles, aunts and second cousins. She told everyone "I'm not two!!!" Then, she'd show her three fingers. Kate has no idea what three means but she is happy to finally be there!

We all have grown with Kate this year. Daddy met Barbie. Caleb and Josh and I have learned the names of every Princess and what songs they sing. We have all watched "Stinking Booty" (aka Sleeping Beauty) more times than we care to count. We have grown in our patience, learned to slow down and smell the roses every now and then, and most of all have grown as a family of five ... with each other and God as our focus we have security, smiles, and love!

Happy Birthday, Princess Kate!! You have enriched our lives and our family; you keep us young and on our toes; you light up a room; you are our ray of sunshine, little one!

to cake and pizza in the same day, to family, to birthdays, to presents, to Kate ...

Kate's 3rd Birthday Party

2009-06-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

Our little Aggie wanted a "princess-mermaid-bounce house-cinderella-Ariel-Barbie-plus" birthday party. I kept asking and wondering what we could do because her theme changed daily and I admit I love a good party theme! Chris thought of an ice cream party! It was perfect for her ... filled the backyard with splash pools, made homemade ice cream with all of the toppings, and had a blast with her little girlfriends from school, friends from church, sweet neighbors and all of her cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents.

munchkins - Jordan, Kate, Ellie, Adeline, Cayden and Camden

the sweet Adams family

hugs goodbye

Meme, Lalee, and Aunt Amy ... afterwards with the family for lunch

We were blessed to have both of our brothers and their wives and their six children and both sets of grandparents in town this weekend for the party. We have a close family that travels often to be together - and we are so thankful for them all. Kate had a wonderful day of fun with all of her friends and family and cake and ice cream. I cannot believe she is turning 3 ... I mean, I love the fact that we no longer have diapers and sippy cups in this home, that she can go to school and the church nursery without a complete and total meltdown, that she can wear floaties and function on her own in a swimming pool, that she can put her hair in pig-tails, that she can pedal her big wheel bike, that she can make us laugh on purpose ... and more ...but three years have flown by... I sometimes wish it would just s-l-o-w down :).

to being 3 ...

Drummin' Up Some Sympathy

2009-06-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Seriously, this precious boy can ask just about anything of me right now ... he feels just fine ... can run and swim and do yard-work ... but seriously ... that cheek looks pathetic!!!! He was on the verge of tears when we left my workout place ... he said,"The kids were making fun of me without saying anything ... I could tell by the way they stared!" It broke my heart, but I hope and pray it is something he'll always remember and be sensitive to ... many people look very different from us, sound very different from us, believe very different from us ... but each person was created by God and is loved by God just like Josh!

Surgery Complete!!

2009-06-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

Our precious Josh had surgery this morning to remove a tumor growing into his cheek. He was so excited and so sweet to all of the wonderful nurses, doctors and staff at Mother Frances. We got up at 4 a.m. and he was ready!! Here he is in Pre-Op. He was so embarassed to take a picture because he only had on a gown and Spiderman underwear!

Here he is in Post-Op ... broke my heart to hear him trying to talk when he woke up ... he seemed so fragile and I just praised God that I have had healthy children. I cannot imagine the weight carried by mothers of children with severe illness.
Here is our room ... he just looked so tiny in that big bed! I crawled up with him because that bed was more comfortable than any other spot in the room and I just wanted to be really close to him (not that I could do anything medically to help him). The tumor was easily and completely removed - done, finished, yippee!!
Here is his big high five (Dame tu Cinco, Bryans)! He will have a swollen cheek for several days and look funny but will feel normal later today. God is so good and so faithful.
to my precious Josh - May the Lord bless you and keep you; and may His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace! We love you!!

My baby is back home!!!

2009-06-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Pine Cove Rocks! Caleb got home today from his first week of overnight camp. Just talking all day about his week and watching him interact with his younger siblings ... well, it was so obvious that he has grown up a little. I guess an entire week of independence with a college kid (who was AWESOME) in charge does that to you. I teared up several times during the day when I caught something a little different in his actions ... time is going at breakneck speed and I just don't want to miss a minute of it! I hung onto every word about the discussions they had, the games they played, the friends he met ... wanting to be a part of it all! I asked if he got homesick and he said "No, not at all ... until I saw you and Daddy and Josh and Kate walk in this morning to camp and I knew I wanted to go home!" How perfect -- a wonderful week full of excitement, learning, new opportunities, independence, etc. but a safe, secure home to come back to ... I pray for him that he will always find comfort and joy in home but be courageous enough to have fun when away from it!

Josh got a letter from Caleb this week ... my favorite line "P.S. Let me see your Superman!" All of you Pine Covers will know that one ...
Caleb's counselor was "Good Knight That Was A Close One". He had a tremendous amount of energy and love for these boys ... what an amazing role model he is.

Caleb's Cabinmates ... from Dallas, Austin and Tyler. All of the boys are going into the fourth grade and had a blast together. To the most awesome camp in the nation ... Pine Cove!!

Lost Tooth and Farewell for Camp

2009-06-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

Last night Josh finally lost another tooth! He has a growing tumor in his cheek (having surgery to remove next week) that has prevented his permanent teeth from moving out his baby teeth. He finally wiggled this long enough that it came out ... his first concern "Do I still get surgery?" He can't wait to go to "Daddy's hospital" for surgery! He even asked if Daddy was going to do the surgery ... I wanted to say "Well, your survival rate tends to be higher when a SURGEON performs surgery so NO!" Throughout the years Josh has given his Dad credit for being the pilot of the Flight for Life helicopter, performing surgery, cooking the food for the patients, etc. In his mind Daddy can do anything!!

On Sunday we dropped Caleb off for a week of overnight camp at Pine Cove. He is in Cabin #6 and his counselor is "Good Knight" and an Aggie ... what more could we ask for?!
Here are a few cabin mates ...
We pimped, I mean "camped", our ride before making the trek out to Pine Cove! The kids and I laughed because this was very hard for hubby to do ... paint on the car goes against everything in him ... he did end up painting and decorating himself by the end! In fact, after seeing some of the awesome camped-out rides, he claimed we might need a better window paint next time to make it even better- woohoo!!
We miss you Caleb but know you are having the most awesome week of the year!

to camp, to new friendships, to summer, to the Tooth Fairy and most of all to Saturday (when we get our precious Caleb back) ...

Father/Son Camping/Canoe Trip

2009-06-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Chris and Caleb went on a 5 day camping/canoe trip. There were about nine boys on the trip with their Dads. They canoed a total of 33 miles, camping as they went down the Buffalo river. They had a blast and talk about going again. Here is Caleb in their canoe loaded with food, tent, chairs, stove, water, clothes ... everything!!!

Caleb at one their first camping site ... the only one with grass ... the rest were on the rocks on the shore!!

the crew

Caleb and Chris - I am so thankful to have a husband who desires to really get to know and have fun with our children... he is a blessing to all of us!!!

to male bonding ... :)

A Month In Pictures

2009-05-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Every year we celebrate the last day of school as "Kids Day"! This year we surprised the boys with a new mask/snorkel set and a tiny note reading "Let's try out your new goggles at the Indoor Waterpark after school today!" They had a blast.

Kate's last day of preschool ended with Splash Day. Her picture also made it into the newspaper in her duck towel!

Josh was practicing for his Science experiment. He made a tornado in a bottle.

Josh at Grace's Races!

Spending the night in the bunkhouse at Papa and Meme's!

We are so happy school is out and summer is here! to sleeping in, staying up later, swimming, biking, and enjoying lots of time together ... to summer!

Texas Day at Kids Kaleidoscope

2009-04-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Stacey, for coming in the heat to watch the girls sing (or not sing)!

Texas Day at Kids Kaleidoscope

2009-04-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

Texas Day is one of the cutest, always hot, most fun day during preschool. The kids are dressed up and they have tons of things to do like face painting, ride horses, gold mining, cooking by a "fire", etc. Then the entire school performs some really cute cowboy songs. I was excited for Kate to perform. The night before she sang "I'm a Little Cowboy" loud and clear with all of the hand motions and even "galloped" away on her horse! She woke up FIRED UP for her day to wear "piggy" tails and her pink boots! We did have a blast; she rode a horse for the first time ever; sweet Stacey came to see Kate and Ellie perform even when she did not have kids there; she mined for gold, cooked by the pretend fire and more BUT she did NOT perform! Not one word! Not one hand motion! Nothing but tears until that part was over ... then completely back to normal! Oh well ... there is always next year!

Above is Ms. Teresa, Ellie and Kate

the Long Tall Texan

Kate on her first horse

I have no idea what she is eating that could be green!

Precious Ellie and Kate!

Check out those pink boots ... they blinked when she walked! I know, that is awful, but I just HAD to have boots for Texas Day and did not have a fortune to spend on them :) so I sacrificed my fashion values and well, she blinked when she walked! to my little cowgirl...

Turkey Hunting

2009-04-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

The boys went turkey hunting in West Texas and had a blast! It was a boys only trip and they did not bathe (washed their hands and faces in some kind of a large well), did not have a bathroom (except the outdoors), shot a rabbit and a snake that was eating a horned toad, saw turkeys taller than they are, walked for about 10 miles in 2 days exploring and hunting, ate corny dogs and burritos in the same meal, shot 22s, found arrowheads and cool rocks (and brought all of them home for me in their pockets), and just enjoyed being boys!

Yes, this is a snake and no, Josh did not really shoot it.

my hunters

As for my "girl" weekend with Kate ... well, she is 2! Better times ahead :). One day we will be having our pedicures, shopping, etc. but for now ... I had fun on Friday night with girlfriends and Kate had fun with her babysitter!! We did spend Saturday evening together curled up with all of her favorite books in my bed! to weekends and new adventures ...

Easter Egg Hunting

2009-04-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Kate had her Easter Egg Hunt at preschool today ...

This is her sweet friend, Ellie, who was twirling in her "twirly" dress!!
This is Brooks. We hear about everything Brooks does at school - I feel like Kate stalks the poor boy!
She went from tired and pouty when I showed up at school to thrilled ... chocolate does that to you!!

Opening Day of Baseball Season

2009-04-05T12:09:00.001-07:00

Opening Day of baseball season --- a success! Caleb played his first game in the Minors and had the only hit on his team off the best pitcher in the League :)!! Josh played his first game in 5 Pitch and hit a homerun!! I struggle with the "bragging" when it comes to baseball. I get so nervous for the boys, worry about their being too much pressure, worry that they aren't having fun, etc. and they love it every year and are good at it, too! We had two games in a row on Saturday. The boys are both at batting practice before their games so we spent from 2:15 - 7:30 p.m. at the baseball field. Sounds long, huh? But, we all love it. It was relaxing (shock), a beautiful day, and both boys were smiling and having so much fun. Caleb plays second base this year and loves that position. Josh plays center field and is so focused and determined nothing is going by him :)!!

here is our Slugger

before the homerun

yes, he's #12 - for the Aggies

Caleb at bat - he prevented a "no hitter" from a kid who prefers to throw

no-hitters every time he pitches :)

to a little boasting about my boys ... so proud of them, their hard work at practice, their "hustle" on the field, and most of all their desire to bring God glory through their attitude in this sport ... way to go Caleb and Josh!

Johnny Apppleseed

2009-04-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

The entire third grade class researched and wrote a short exciting summary about a Famous American of their choice. Caleb chose Johnny Appleseed. They memorized their summary and performed for the entire school at chapel yesterday. It was the cutest group of Famous Americans I have ever seen! Caleb spoke so confidently ... we were so proud of him. My knees would have been knocking in front of a crowd like that but he just seemed to love it!

to John Chapman "Johnny Appleseed" who shared hundreds of seeds and trees with the poor as he walked over 100,000 square miles ... and to my Caleb who said "I picked him because he knows that those seeds were really God's not his and he just helped spread them around!"

Rodeo Day

2009-03-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

I love having an excuse to spend one-on-one time with just one kiddo. My excuse last week was Rodeo Day with Josh! We had fun playing games at all of the stations, eating a cowboy lunch, talking with friends, and making some memories without the siblings :). Josh has a very tender heart and is so sweet to all of his friends at school. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?!?

cowboy lunch

waiting in line to play some horseshoes

roping a cow

to Rodeo Day, Wrangler jeans and boots, and to an afternoon with my cowboy Josh ...

Wearing o' the Green

2009-03-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Did you know that Patrick was a slave in Ireland who later came back to Ireland to teach the very people who had enslaved him about Jesus? At least that is what Josh told me today ... pretty cool, huh?! We enjoyed Lucky Charm cereal and green eggs, pots of gold (gold wrapped candy), rainbow glow sticks, and new green shirts today. Here's to my 3 little leprechauns ...

Spring Break

2009-03-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

We went down to the Hill Country to relax for a few days over Spring Break. We stayed in a log cabin built in 1852 (thanks to an update we had over 3000 square feet, modern conveniences, and more). The kids had fun running, playing in a huge tree house, canoeing, seeing lots of deer, playing basketball, staying up very late to play games, and much more. It was a beautiful area and a nice way to sit back and relax.

our place

the tree house and some cousins

canoeing the Guadalupe River

the family (minus Uncle Sam taking the picture)

to Spring Break and only nine more weeks of school ...

He is Just a Little Boy

2009-03-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

He stands at the plate

with his heart pounding fast.

The bases are loaded,

the die has been cast.

Mom and Dad cannot help him,

he stands all alone.

A hit at this moment,

would send the team home.

The ball meets the plate,

he swings and he misses.

There's a groan from the crowd,

with some boos and some hisses.

A thoughtless voice cries,

"Strike out the bum."

Tears fill his eyes,

the game's no longer fun.

So open your heart and give him a break,

For it's moments like this,

a man you can make.

Please keep this in mind,

when you hear someone forget,

He is just a little boy ... and not a man yet.

Here's to the start of baseball season, bumping up to the Minors with Caleb and to 5 Pitch with Josh, where did those t-ball days go???

Little Boy Blue

2009-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

Little Boy Blue, Come Blow your Horn, the Sheep in the Meadow , the Cow in the Corn ... something like that!

Josh was Little Boy Blue in his first grade play, Little Bo Peep. He did a great job and had lots of fun performing for our Branches food ministry, an Assisted Living group, the entire school at chapel, and an evening performance for friends and family. We were blessed to have both sets of grandparents come in to see him. He never forgot a line!! I am biased but he was cute! Josh's final line of the show was so sweet ... "You're right! Jesus really does love us!"

the Grandparents

the Adams -thanks for coming

Humpty Dumpty

Little Bo Peep and Little Boy Blue

to another fun play and to a wonderful school that continues to teach my boys so much more than just the academics ... and they do a super job at that, too!!

Our Little Photographer

2009-02-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

I don't have any new pictures of Josh ... because he has been taking the pictures lately. The boys love having the freedom to take pictures of anything ... I have over a dozen Star Wars pics. Each figure was posed and got their picture taken ... EACH figure (Yoda, Luke, Hans Solo, Darth, etc.). I have over a dozen pictures of Mattie's tail ... she is fast like a bullet and hard to capture! But, a few were fantastic and will update on how we are right now ...

Mattie - always in pink

Caleb -always moving

Kate - ALWAYS in this dance outfit (thanks, Lauren)

Here's to life right now ... running, smiling, falling and getting back up, and catching it all on film!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day. This is one of my favorite mornings of the year ... we always have pancakes and chocolate covered strawberries for breakfast and open small gifts from each other ... Caleb made coupons this year offering to wash all of the rooms, clean the dishes, etc. Josh made cards in Spanish for all of us ... Dios es amor ... so sweet. Kate ... well, she slept until 8 - quite a gift. I woke up to an "I Love You" balloon, a dozen beautiful roses, a new piece of luggage that rocks and lots of chocolate. I am definitely feeling loved and like I need to go run a few miles :).

Kate's Valentine party at school

Caleb's party at school ... he let Kate share all of his candy and cookies

Valentine morning fun

to all of my sweets - Chris, Caleb, Josh and Kate and to a day dedicated to love (and chocolate and coffee) ...

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

2009-02-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Excited is not an exciting enough word to describe Kate when we got ready to go see a local high school play, Snow White. She was thrilled!! Throughout the play she was disturbed by the mean Queen and the mirror on the wall who was "caaary" ... that is scary in Kate-language. Kate did notice that Snow White had on a pink dress instead of the red, yellow and blue Disney version ... I don't think she understood us when we explained this was the Grimm's Brothers fairy tale version ... oh well, English Lit comes later in life. She loved the play, though. And she sat and watched it totally captivated. SO fun!! Kate has sat through endless sporting events for each big brother - soccer, tball, baseball, flag football, etc. and we thought it only fitting that her big brothers attended the play with her. And lucky for them, Daddy bought "golden tickets" that gave us special entrance into a Snow White tea party after the performance! Here is Kate with Snow White ...

at the tea party the drinks (green potion) had a small piece of dry ice in them ... everytime you took a drink steam came out ... (even the boys had to admit that was cool)
One of the dwarves that served their food
We are now REALLY into the whole "princess" thing. Every day Kate reminds us that she "is a Princess, the boys are Princes, Mommy is the Queen, and Daddy is the King!" She dresses up in her dresses, shoes, plastic earrings, bracelets, crowns, etc. several times a day. BUT the best news to come out of this cute play is ... drum roll ... she hates the idea of getting her princess panties wet!!! Yes, she potty-trained herself. Unless, of course, you make the mistake of putting on the Dora panties because that is old news and doesn't seem to matter as much! Note taken ... Dora is out and the Princesses (Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty) are IN!!

100th Day of School and Legos and more - a BIG week for Josh!

2009-02-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

On the 100th day of school the first graders celebrate in many ways ... one thing they do at home is create a project using 100 items ... it was easy for Josh to choose Legos as his medium. Caleb was hovering giving direction and supervision like all big brothers do ... obviously jealous that he was not taking Legos to school.

Kate joined in and made her first Lego creation. Check out her concentration...
Daddy was on hand to monitor the counting of the pieces ...
After the 100th day, Josh competed in the Speech Meet and advanced to the District Meet. And then he found out he is going to be Little Boy Blue (the part he tried out for) in his school play in a few weeks ... he was so excited by Friday afternoon, we thought he might pop!
Way to go, Josh! We are proud of you!

Winter Festival

2009-01-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

Winter Festival at Kate's school is adorable ... the entire gym is transformed into a Winter Wonderland. Winter games, snow cones, snowball fights (with socks), ice fishing, etc. make for a fun event with the kiddos and their parents.

"popping the bubbles"

snow cone with Daddy

snow cone with Mommy

dressing up some snowmen

After "catching" her fish, we cooked it up ...

the funny thing about the Winter Festival ... it was 70 degrees when we left ... only in Texas!

Welcome Home, Mattie!!

2009-01-17T18:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we evened the teams in the Glenney home ... 3 boys and 3 girls! We added a 4 month old Yorkshire Terrier. Yes, my team may be a little weak - a dog and a 2 year old - but it is the first time in our marriage that the numbers are even! As we thought of names we started listing cities we loved and the kids said "Matamoras" because that is where we go in Mexico and stay at a Children's Home every summer for a week. We laughed at the thought of naming her "Matamoras" until someone shortened it and said "Mattie". Then, everyone agreed immediately and she was named! Yes, we are now potty-training a dog and a human. Yes, we have plenty of kids to take care of already. BUT ... she is already

teaching our children about responsibility, love, and care of another. And it has only been a day! A puppy is like bringing a newborn home ... lots of work, potty schedules and potty accidents, feeding, etc. but I watched the kids giggling with her in the backyard and knew it was all worth it!

moments after arriving

"Really??? She's ours? To keep??"

Caleb taught her to sit using treats the first day - seriously.

Josh teared up and said "thank you so much" the first night.

Kate adores Mattie and likes to "boss" her around. I think she has found someone with less authority than her for once. She tells her to "come" and "to eat her dinner" with her hands on her hips... I seriously don't know where she gets that from ...

Running

2009-01-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

Caleb took this fantastic picture of Kate a few days ago -- running! It captured the phase of life we are in right now -- sports, family time, school and homework, daily piano practice, working out, cooking, cleaning, laundry (every single day we keep wearing clothes for some reason), dentist and doctor appointments, haircuts, laughing -- lots of laughing lately ... it seems as though my feet don't touch the ground very much :)!!

Traveling Family Fun

2009-01-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed the last 2 weeks of the year with both of our families. We traveled to Tomball for several days with Chris's family, to College Station for an Aggie basketball game, to the lakehouse for several days with my family, and to Abilene for a family wedding. The boys were out of school for 16 days and we spent all but a few out of town. We are glad to be home sleeping in our own bed but are so thankful for our precious families and the sweet time relaxing and laughing with them.

Aggie Basketball - we won!!

Crazy picture with cousins in Tomball

Boys with Papa and Meme at the lake

"Princess" cousins in their new bling

at our family wedding ... the boys were the ring bearers!

to family, to laughter, to low gas prices, and to a break from laundry and school...

Happy New Year!

Six Flags Holiday in the Park

2008-12-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

W had a blast doing Holiday in the Park with both sets of Grandparents ... we are blessed that both sets of our parents enjoy each other and are willing to go on crazy excursions with us like this one ...

Getting ready to go in the park

Yes, both boys rode the Shock Wave along with my parents --- I had forgotten how scary it was. I was sitting with my mom and a few not-so-nice things came out of mouth. I wondered how in the world I had let my kids get on this crazy thing ... well, we got off and they had LOVED it!!

Josh attempting to hold his arms up for an entire ride with Meme!

The Cave ride that the entire family enjoyed, even Kate. She loved the Looney Toons section with rides for her, too.

My Mom and I also rode the Rockin Rocket ... a rocket that goes up and down until you spin completely upside down ... not so good for your heart I am sure. We were sore from holding our muscles so tightly from the tension of the ride ... my mom is the only Grandma I know that would do that one with me ... by the way, the hubby said "No Way!!" and my kids were scared to death for me ... probably not so good for their heart, too!

to SIx Flags with no lines and Christmas carols and lights and to family whom we dearly love ...

The First Leon

2008-12-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

Caleb starred as "Leon" in his school musical "The First Leon". It was one of the sweetest plays I had ever seen with a precious story line ... a boy named Leon (who happened to be quite naive, shy and uncool) wanted a part in the school pageant ... he tries out for every part and gets the part of understudy to the innkeeper. That means he only has 2 words to learn "no room" and will most likely not even get to perform those because he is the understudy. Well, he does get to perform and is caught up in the moment and after saying "no room" to Joseph and Mary and instead says "Wait, you can have my room." Really, it was the cutest ... and, of course, I am very biased because I happen to know the cute kid playing Leon pretty well :). We were so blessed to have the most awesome group of friends there to support him - thanks to all of them.

Opening scene: Leon is singing the The First Noel (his name spelled backward).

A little celebration afterward with cake and Grandparents.

Some buddies in the play with him.

You were super, Caleb, and we are so proud of you.

I pray that we all will "make room" in our hearts, like Leon did, f

or the true reason for the season, Jesus.

Christmas Party of the Year

2008-12-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

Last night we enjoyed one of our favorite nights of the year. Our annual Christmas party with friends. Two families were sorely missed (Bryans and Mainords) but we all had fun. The Foster's home was decorated beautifully with candles everywhere and music playing and lights dimmed ... the food was superb ... the games were funny ... the white elephant gifts were the best ever... we came home in the holiday spirit :)!! I always get sad when the night is done ... and I realize I have to wait another year. To friends, to Christmas, to laughter ...

the Reason for the Season

2008-12-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we braved the snow flurries and voyaged to see Santa. We all expected Kate to want NOTHING to do with a big man in a red suit wanting to take a picture with her ... I mean both boys cried until they were 4 at the mere thought of sitting on Santa's lap.

BUT ... Santa pulled out the Ace card ... a peppermint candy cane. She looked at me and I said "After you take a picture with Santa and tell him what you want for Christmas, he will give you a candy cane." The fear went out of her face and she smiled and waved at him and proceeded to tell him exactly what she wanted - a kitchen - and that she wanted him to come to her house and to leave it in her room! She waved "bye" and blew kisses and said "Come to my house, Santa!" as we left. And there was NO line - quite miraculous I think!

After we left Santa, we proceeded to a local drive-thru live nativity that we love every year and were reminded of the true miracle of Christmas. It is awesome ... they have a little area set up like Bethlehem and you travel through and see people trading their wares, buying blankets or food and then Herod's men calling for you to come and pay your taxes. At the end of the hustle and bustle you turn the corner and a modest manger (with live donkeys) is holding Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. All 3 kids were silent as we went through and we were all so quickly touched by the birth of Jesus. Yes, Santa is fun but I pray that all may know the reason for the season and may know Him well - Happy Birthday, sweet Jesus! And thank you, God, for sending your Son to earth in order to save us - knowing we don't deserve it.

To candy canes, to family times, to memories, to snow flurries in Texas and most of all to Jesus's birthday - Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight!!

Care Group Christmas Party

2008-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

We had fun eating, drinking cider, singing Christmas songs and exchanging white elephant gifts. We missed you, Boerger family!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

2008-12-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

The trees are up - all 5, the lights are on the house, about 30 Santas are proudly displayed, a nativity or 2 or 3 sits in every room, presents are wrapped, the cards are getting close (way behind on that this year), the train is up and so far Kate has not broken it, bathroom towels all display a Santa or Snowman or some holly, and 7 wreaths proudly hang, and I have been kissed under the mistletoe at least 3 times --- whew!! We love Christmas and all of the decor and even the hustle and bustle because we do all of this with one thing on our mind - IT"S JESUS' BIRTHDAY PARTY!! Happy Birthday and Thank you, God, for the gift of your Son!!

Tree #1

Tree #2 and Train

Kate's pink tree #3

Caleb's tree #4

Josh's tree #5

Merry Christmas to you all!

Cutie Cousins

2008-12-01T06:11:00.000-08:00

Aren't these some cuties?! I love seeing my family over Thanksgiving ... it is very crowded and the stories that are told are often repeats, but it is a perfect gathering. A TON of good food, football, late night games, Aggie/tu game, funny stories, sleeping in the bunk house, one shower, lots of kids, laughter, and more. I think we had over 50 people stay at my parents' lakehouse. Yes, for 3 or 4 days! And we enjoy each other!! I laugh harder over those few days than the rest of the year. There were many kids that I had not seen since the 4th of July and one born just 8 weeks ago ... they are all so cute and nice ... no fighting; just playing. I had not seen my brother's kids in a while and they are a breath of fresh of air. I mean ADORABLE!! The oldest is the smartest, most polite 4 year old ever ... the twins make you smile instantly. I truly think they would win the Pottery Barn Cutest Baby contest!! And I am being humble ... but, seriously, I might have the best nieces and nephew ever. My kids love them, too. The morning after we got home Kate summed it up with " I want my cubbins (cousins)! We gonna play!"

Feast #2

2008-11-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

Last year at Josh's Thanksgiving Feast ...

Do you see my sweet boy on the far right end? Yes, the ONLY one in jeans (and yes they had holes)?? And, yes, the only one in a handmade, no sew top made out of some cheap Walmart fabric?? Well ... lesson learned. Check out this year's feast attire ...

We fit in much better this year :). Thanks to a little brown felt and an online costume center and $14 ... worth every penny!! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pocahontas ... or maybe Squanto

2008-11-20T19:39:00.000-08:00

It was a big day ... Kate's first Kids Kaleidoscope Thanksgiving Program and Feast. She had a couple of songs and sang them proudly last night as we all talked up her big approaching performance. Now, my boys barely sang at any of their 8 years worth of KK Feasts but we had high hopes for our dancing little performer! And then, she walked into the room with around 300 people, saw me, and broke down crying! Her teacher had a small cup of Skittles which quickly convinced her to take the stage along with her classmates to sing. She stood frozen for the first few lines and then moved her mouth some and actually did several motions at the end of her songs! She clapped for herself at the end of each song and was just a cutie-pie! But ... look at the first picture.

Is it really Pocahontas or is that a boy, maybe Squanto?? Chris and I got the giggles because she looked JUST LIKE Caleb did but she had on a dress. As precious and beautiful as that sweet girl is ... she looked like a sweet little BOY!!! too funny

Once she sat down, she gave us a few waves and even a grin. She was so excited that Mommy and Daddy were at her school. She loved the turkey, sweet potatoes, grapes, some congealed salad (the thought makes me ill) and refused all things green. Her favorite part was, of course, dessert!

Kate, you are growing up so quickly. You love, love, love your friends at school and adore Ms. Teresa. We were so proud of you today and enjoyed having a lunch especially for you. My favorite part of the entire day was showing the boys (who were at school during her feast) the video of her performance and watching her stand by the TV and sing EVERY SINGLE word to all of her songs!!! I guess she prefers a smaller crowd ...

To Thanksgiving, to turkey, to my family, to our little Pocahontas ...

Weekend Fun

2008-11-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

We went to College Station for the weekend ...

Josh enjoyed his homemade cake by Lalee ... carrot cake, his very favorite!
We met friends in Waco for our annual Baylor vs. A&M game. Good to see the friends; as for the game, well, we don't need to go there!!
the boys were both honored at chapel today. Caleb received the award for the character quality of respect, treating everyone as valuable and deserving of honor. It is based on the verse 1 peter 2:17 "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the King." Josh received the award for faith, knowing God will do what He says even before we can see it. It is based on the verse Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Smores - Glenney style

2008-11-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

Kate absolutely loved smores. She ate all of it and wanted more ...
Caleb enjoyed the whole "playing with fire" part ...
Josh announced that he wanted this to be a new Friday night family tradition ...
To siblings, to the backyard, to chocolate with a graham and marshmellow, to a cold night, to a little Alan Jackson playing in the background, and to lots of laughter and fun ... Friday Night Family Smore Night ... sounds like a good tradition to me!!

Caleb's Touchdown

2008-10-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

Our Caleb caught his first touchdown last weekend! Look out Cowboys. With recent market performance, professional football is our best retirement strategy! Posted by Chris

Costume Parade and Carnivals

2008-10-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Kate loved the cookies and candy at her KK Costume Parade and Party yesterday. In fact, I do not think there has ever been a cookie she has not loved!!!!!
Superman, Indiana Jones and Supergirl getting ready to go to our church's Block party carnival. Yes, I finally had a girl that could wear a princess costume, Snow White, Tinkerbell, fairies, cheerleader, etc. I mean the list of girlie things is long but NO ... the boys had her completely convinced that Supergirl was the "most awesome" costume ever ... I negotiated the pink one instead of the blue one for a sucker!!! To brothers ...

Backyard Movie Night

2008-10-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Josh turned SEVEN yesterday. We had a backyard movie night party. Fourteen boys ate hot dogs, cake, busted a pinata and more before watching The Return of the Jedi on a big screen in the backyard. It was so much fun. Darth Vader (thank you, Papa) made a special appearance and took pictures with all of the kids!

Here are seven of the many million things I love about Josh ...

1. He loves his family. Even at 7, Josh is still a snuggler!!! And we love it!

2. He tries his very best at school ... I mean what mom does not enjoy hearing such great things when she picks up her kiddo at school.

3. He is funny ... at all times ... even when you are wishing he wasn't (like potty humor in front of the grandparents)!!

4. He loves to talk ... just like is mom!!!

5. He loves Texas A&M and decided to decorate his entire room in Aggie fan memorabilia.

6. He smiles A Lot!!

7. He loves Jesus!!

Field Trip Fun

2008-10-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

I went with Josh's first grade class to Moore Farms. It was a beautiful day and we celebrated Josh's birthday with our snacks. Josh was so sweet and sat with me on the hayride ... some of the kids are starting to not want to do that anymore!
I went with Caleb's third grade class to the zoo. What a sweet group I had ... we had a safari hunt to complete and the kids were super. I was amazed at just how smart they are ... glad I am not competing with this group to go to college!!

To field trips with my boys, beautiful weather, and a few breaks from the 2 year old (that we love very much) ...

Sixteen years ago today ...

2008-10-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

I know the picture is a little hard to see (I took a picture of a picture). On this day, October 22, sixteen years ago my sweetie asked me out on our first date. We went to a movie, The Last of the Mohicans, and had hamburgers at the Chicken Oil Company. Then, he dropped me off at my dorm bright and early. I loved him instantly but could never have guessed that night when I went in to tell my roommate about my date that he was going to take care of me for the next sixteen years like he has. He is the father I dreamed of for my children but even more than that he is still my "knight in shining armor". I have no idea why God has blessed me so with the gift of him but I am so so thankful for it. Still making me laugh after all of these years ... I love you!!!!

It's been a week ...

2008-10-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, one week ago our dear friends left for Quito, Ecuador as missionaries for a boy's home.

The leaving was gut-wrenching hard.

Our hopes and prayers for them are so genuine. As much as we will miss them living a minute away, we truly can't wait to see the impact God makes through them.

Josh went to school the morning after saying bye and had the biggest, puffy eyes because he cried himself to sleep saying "Why? Why can't they tell people in Tyler about God???"

He is our dramatic one!

Caleb got sad and quiet. Then, he started drawings and notes for his buddy

which made him feel much better.

The one that gets my heart the most is Kate.

She cannot figure out where her buddy went ... everytime we drive by their house she calls her friend's name. We went into their empty house and she ran through it calling her name looking for her. I said calmly for the 100th time

"Remember, she moved to Ecuador."

I guess Kate got it a little bit more because she stamped her foot and said,"NO ECUDOOR!!!" and then she started crying and would not leave my side until we left.

Then, we set up Skype.

Oh, how awesome is that. We chatted and saw them on the computer and the kids all pushed their way into the camera laughing - felt good!

So, if you have a moment, stop and pray for our friends and you might just pray for those who stayed behind, too!!! :)

We love you, Bryans family!!!

Toddler Fair

2008-10-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

Kate and Ellie going for a "ride" at the Toddler Fair.

Thanks Dads!!
When all of the fairs start in Texas, Kids Kaleidoscope has its very own Toddler Fair!

Chris and I came for the fun and lunch (thank goodness for the Adams who ate with us later at Heartland Ham because the mini corn dogs just didn't do it)!!

Kate and Ellie had fun eating cotton candy, dipping apples in caramel, entering the livestock show with their stuffed animals (and yes, her cow got a first place ribbon), making picture frames, and much more! Those are little tickets sticking out of Kate's overalls - each booth "cost" a few tickets - too cute. Here is Kate putting her tickets in to get some caramel apples.

Picnic with Mom and Dad

As we go through this with Kate, I can't help but think "Oh ... my last Toddler Fair ..." Time is flying by so quickly!

Flag Football Season

2008-10-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

Flag footballl season is here!

We are having a blast watching the boys play on Saturday mornings.

Even Kate has fun yelling "Go Josh!" and "Go Caleb!" and shaking her pom poms.

She got in front of the crowd last weekend and sang shake your "bo bo"...I have no idea where she gets that unladylike behavior!!! It was a little embarassing ...

Here is Josh ... who plays as hard as anyone! He concentrates, grits his teeth and runs with his fists clenched! He is not necessarily the fastest on the team but he tries hard :) !!

this is Caleb's favorite position ... rushing the passer ... I think that is what it is called ... anyway, he loves going after the QB!!!

And here is the cheerleader having fun!

We love football, cheerleaders, pom poms, Aggies, Cowboys

and that pigskin ball at our house ...fun times!!!

Simply the Best (or so I thought)

2008-09-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Tina Turner could not say it any better : Simply the Best!!
I dropped my littlest one off at preschool (no tears, just a high five) and went and got a Spa Pedicure today! Now, I added the "spa" part because I went for the upgrade version. I turned on my new Iphone which might be the most awesome, cool, handy, wonderful gadget I have ever had (thanks to the hubby who surprised me with it last week) and blasted Tina on my way to the salon. What could be better about this? All kiddos taken care of for a couple of hours!! I admit that I had no idea what the upgrade meant and I must share/warn all of you about it. It's wax ... poured on your feet at a temperature that I could not believe left my feet without at least second degree burns. The wax (poured on as a liquid) hardened around my tootsies and supposedly they are softer, etc. from it but I still cannot get over the heat!!! Oh the heat!! I have never, repeat never, had something that hot on my body and not quickly removed it. No, I sat there and smiled and started sweating. It took approximately 10 - 15 minutes for the liquid (my foot was in a plastic bag) to solidify. Now, think about when a candle melts ... think how quickly the wax hardens as it drips down the candle ... not on my feet ... no there was nothing quick about this expensive torture method ... oh the heat. I kept thinking the wax had to be getting harder ... surely this had to be ending ... but on the outside I just smiled and sweated. Why do we do that? Why didn't I say "What are you doing?? Take that off of my feet NOW!" My hubby would have. But not me ... I didn't want to hurt the feelings of the precious woman who was so proud to be giving me this special "spa" pedicure. She had raved about the wax treatment for the first thirty minutes!! Oh the heat ... so let this be a warning ... pedicures, Iphones, kids at school, etc are indeed simply the best but do not, do not try to go overboard with an upgrade ... be happy with a pedicure ... plain and simple ... no upgrade, no "spa" treatment, no heat!!!! Say no to wax!!

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Kate started preschool.

I cannot tell you what the boys wore on their first day but Kate had shoes that matched the top that matched the bow and if it weren't against the rules we would have brought the matching purse, too!!!! Girls!!! She loves her backpack. She loves the fact that it has her name on it! She loves her Dora lunchbox and loves even more that she eats what she wants out of it and nothing more :)!!!

Ready to go!!

She hung up her backpack when we arrived and then never stopped.

She ran to the centers to start playing and I could hardly get her to look at me to say "bye"!

to a few hours "off", to a brave teacher putting up with 2 year olds, and to growing up - they do it whether we are ready or not!!

Aggieland

2008-09-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

The first game ... whoop!!

Ok ... for those of you who do not like football or do not like A&M,

go ahead and exit because this is pretty sappy!!

We love Texas A&M - A LOT!!!!
We all (grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, kids...) went to the first game on Saturday and in Glenney style we had maroon from head to toe, got our faces painted, arrived several hours before kick-off just revel in the joy of the day, walked around the happiest place on earth (where everyone says "howdy"), took dozens of pictures, reminisced wonderful memories (yup, met the hubby there the first day of college) ...

anyway, there is no place like Aggieland! The flyover before the game was flown by this pilot (whom we met after the game).
Caleb stretching his leg over the end zone ... McGee only had that far to get a touchdown!!

How we felt about the score ...

But...

regardless of the score

here's to the Aggies, to a family fun day on Kyle Field, to sharing with our children our passion of A&M and football, and to kisses after the touchdown!!

The "tail" is gone ...

2008-08-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

Kate's "tail" as we lovingly call it would be perfect if ...

she was an 80's baby, was going for the mullet-look, wore a Swatch, chose between layering her multicolored socks or scrunching up her leg warmers, used hairspray and if she ran out just substituted with spray starch, wore blue mascara, had jeans with zippers, had a Members Only jacket (or even better got to wear someone else's), loved Esprit, must I go on????

The tail had to go ... she was born in 2006 and that stuff will be considered antique soon!!

So ... away we went to see Fontaine. My husband and I both go to him and Kate was ready to join in the whole haircutting experience (we are too cheap to let the boys go to him ... they had to settle on SuperCuts a couple of years ago).
Kate did not even move ... I don't even think she breathed the first few snips and then she sighed but her head did not turn, did not tilt, did not move up or down at all!!! She did not smile, did not cry, did not do ANYTHING but look straight into that mirror. Before sitting down in the chair, she took her purse put it down right beside mine. She was so pumped about getting "fancy" I think she was overcome by the whole experience.

Once she was done, he put some Smarties in her purse and took off her cape and

she came out of the still trance of waiting for beauty and ...

just grabbed him out of pure joy!

She knew she was beautiful and was so excited she could not contain herself.

We showed off her "no tail" look (and her purse full of Smarties) to his wife, Carrie, and all of the other precious people in the salon that day that stopped and oohed and aahed appropriately ...

Fun times with a two year old!!!

"The Homesick" virus

2008-08-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

After the second day of school last week, Josh told me he was afraid he might be getting sick.
ME : "What hurts? Why do you think you are getting sick?"
JOSH: "Well, my stomach felt funny and kind of hurt. It may be that virus."
ME: "What virus???"
JOSH: "You know, the homesick!"
At that very moment I felt my heart break yet I had to stifle laughter ... THE homesick!
ME: "Well, I think that will go away without medicine."
JOSH: "It went away during recess some!"
Of course!

Day 3 at pick up
ME: "How is your virus, the homesick? Do you still have it?"
JOSH: "Oh no, Mom, it went away fast!!! And I did not take any medicine for it!!"
ME: " I love you, sweet boy!!"

Nine Years Old

2008-08-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it! My firstborn, my baby, the one I rocked many hours to sleep, the one I worried the most over, the one who has a place so deep in my heart words cannot do it justice, the one I labored the longest with (let's not get into the three, yes three, times I got sent home from the hospital to wait a little longer) ... he is nine today! Everyone says time flies by and I can confirm that boldly today!! His new shoes are my size, he tells jokes that really make me laugh (without that fake-laugh-sound), he has the largest two front teeth that could possibly fit in that smile, he loves his friends and still adores his family and grandparents. Caleb ... you live up to your namesake as a faithful servant to God!! I love you!

We had an army party to celebrate ... each kid got a camo bandana, camo face paint, and dog tags. Then, they went with General Glenney (hubby) to build their forts (40 boxes, camo paint colors and duct tape).

After the building of the forts, my plan was eating hot dogs and then having a "war" with the forts. We had prepared water guns and over 200 water grenades (balloons) for the battle. This would be messy but I never imagined this before the forts could even be completed ...

It poured for 15 minutes and not just a little but POURED! I feared we had a ruined party on our hands because the forts no longer existed. Instead, we had the party that will always be remembered ... wet, muddy, grassy, wet, humid, wet ... did I mention that it poured on those kids?!? They ran, played, threw water balloons, squirted every ounce of water possible on each other with water guns and well, had a blast!! Then, the sun came back out!! It was surpisingly a lot of fun with the added rain.

The little cadets...
and of course, the cake ...

Happy Birthday, Caleb!