Girl Scout Camp 2012

From January until March every year we hassle everyone we know to buy Girl Scout Cookies from Makayla. The last two years it has really paid off. In 2011 she sold over 600 boxes and this year over 400 earning her lots of prizes and a paid 4 days of camp!
She chose a horse riding camp this year and had a blast! We dropped her off on Sunday and picked her up on Wednesday. Her horse's name was Jitterbug. She did crafts, had a cook-out, sang silly songs, swam, and most of all enjoyed being a kid! Thank you to everyone who buys cookies from us it really does pay off!
Here she is when we dropped her off and then when we picked her up. Notice the hair difference. Ha!

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Makayla is 10 1/2 and was the first grandchild and great-grandchild on either side of the family. Since then, we have had two boys, my brother James has had a son and my brother Jacob has had three sons! We recently found out that Jacob and Amber are expecting their 4th little boy! 5 nephews!!
   James' sister is in college so it will be a long while before the chances of a girl pop up on that side. Don't get me wrong I love my nephews and sons but a little girl to spoil would be nice. I am the only girl with two brothers as well as Makayla. I did have female cousins but Makayla has had no luck. She has always wanted a sister (which is no longer a biological possibility) and this got me thinking about sisters in general.
   I always wanted a sister growing up and maybe that is why I crave female friendships and girl's night out,that special girlfriend/friend relationship you see in movies. Someone to shop with, laugh with, tell girl stuff to. My hubby is my very best friend but there is just somethings I can tell him that He would rather not know! Since having girl's in this family was not part of God's plan for mine or Makayla's lives we will continue being blessed and being the princess' in the family! We do love our guys and I love being an aunt!
   Value your sisters and girlfriends they are irreplaceable!
    

Amarillo Sox Game

Since Makayla is at Girl Scout Camp it is just me and my guys! Last night we went to an Amarillo Sox Game! It was so fun. Our boys were the loudest in the ballpark, of course it was a Tuesday night game in Amarillo so it was not a packed house by any means. James Henry must have yelled "strike him out" a million times. He also yelled "Go Rangers!" a few times!
Christopher ate 2 hot dogs, ice cream and peanuts last night! I am not looking forward to my grocery bill in their teenage years.
We had a great time, we shared lots of laughs and spent some quality time together plus, we love baseball!

4th of July 2012

I love Independence Day! It means so much to me and my family after all my hubby is a veteran and my dad, my father-in-law, James' uncle and my grandfather. Our son is named after a friend who died in Iraq.
I remember the 4th of July when James was in Iraq and how emotional it was. We went to the big celebration & fireworks show on base. It was really amped up since all our guys were at war. That is the year I learned and felt
the true meaning of Independence Day.
This year we had some close friends over and we grilled and did fireworks and really enjoyed the night with some great people. When it was dark and the fireworks were going off and the wind was blowing I couldn't help but think of the 4th of July in CA when James was in Iraq.
I think God that I am blessed to live in this Country.
Some pictures from this year....

"Ta-Da"

I am so excited to unveil my new blog makeover! I am so in love with it and can't stop looking at it. I have been successfully blogging for over a year now and decided that I really wanted a custom look. My new blog is courtesy of Mary at Bright Sunshine Designs. She was awesome and so affordable. There was no stress involved for me and she catered to my every question and thought and the outcome is amazing. I think the new look really suits me!

There's no place like Home

Last week we went "back home" to Louisiana. Although we have lived in Amarillo for four years, we are still struggling to call it home. The fact of the matter is that while we were both born and raised in the same town in Louisiana, we really have never lived there together. James left for the Marine Corp at 17 and two years later I joined him at his first duty station. Well, that was eleven years and all of our adult lives ago.
    We moved around to various duty stations for the first 6 years of marriage and only lived in Louisiana together for less than a year waiting his job here to start. Then we moved here in 2008.
Amarillo has alot to offer that our hometown does not such as, our church family, better schools, less crime, its where James Henry was born and has always been, it's the longest our older kids have ever lived in one spot. Still, it's not "home".
      We spent last week at the lake in La(Amarillo has no water)with our nephews, my brother and sis-in-law, our parents and our grandparents, aunts and uncles. I spent time last week with the oldest friends I have, one that I've known since the 1st grade and one that Ive known for a better part of 13 years. Friends who know me inside and out, good and bad, maid of honors at each other weddings, so on and so on. The two friends I see every time I come into town and the friends who I may not talk to everyday but will always answer my call.
      Sitting at this spot on the lake and soaking in the view is where I refelected on how much I love these people and how blessed I am.....

Last week I lived laughed and loved life with my favorite people.They say home is where the heart is well a piece of this girl's heart is sitting on the Bayou.

Father's Day 2012

My poor hubby pretty much missed out on Father's Day this year. He worked until almost midnight and walked in the door and talked and loved us for a few minutes and then we hopped in the van and drove the 9 hours to Louisiana.
   Even at midnight he stopped and went thru his loot. This year, we made him a grilling basket and inside was a custom platter and apron we made for him along with lots of stuff the kids picked out.
We are so thankful and blessed by James. He is irreplacable!