Girls' weekend

Last weekend, Frank took Frankie on a special camping trip to Sky Ranch with a group from our church.  They had a wonderful time!  While they were gone, I got to spend a great weekend with Lily.  We had such a good weekend, filled with a lot of quality time together.  I was worried that Lily would miss her Bubba, but, to be honest, I think she was thrilled to be alone and getting all of Mommy's attention!  She was happy and agreeable all weekend.  She slept all night every night they were gone, took great naps during the day, and seriously did not cry or whine at all the entire weekend.  We spent a lot of time outside including a trip to Parr Park and a trip up to Southlake town center for the country music festival Saturday night.  I took her on our very first ice cream date (she loved it!), we went shopping, and we also spent a lot of quality time with Auntie Allison and baby Rylie.  I think it is so important for us as parents to make sure we spend quality one-on-one time with both kids.

Bluebonnets 2015

Last weekend I met Allison, Rylie, and Casey at a bluebonnet patch with my kids to get some pictures. I tried to bribe Frankie with candy, but neither kid really wanted to cooperate.  When Lily is playing, she smiles all the time.  But when you are trying to get her to smile for a picture, it is nearly impossible! So, this is the best we could do.

Easter 2015

We celebrated Easter all week long this year, from egg hunts and Easter parties at Frankie's school to a big egg hunt and Easter festival at our church and then finishing off Easter week at Nana and Papa's house in Houston.  Frankie loved all of the egg hunts and Easter celebrating.  I went to his Easter party at school, and I am so thrilled that my new job allows the flexibility for me to attend all of his school functions.   We went to the big Easter celebration at my parents' country club in Houston, and I think the kids had a great time, even though I left totally exhausted after chasing after Lily the whole time :)  Allison and Rylie also came to Sugar Land, and it was really nice to get to spend some extra time with Rylie.  She is the cutest, happiest baby, and she is usually very low key, but Allison said she sees a feisty side developing lately!  I can't wait until she is old enough to play with my kids.

Spring pictures

My beautiful little tomboy

As much as I try to dress her up, buy her baby dolls, and let her wear my jewelry, this little girl is much happier playing in the dirt.  She loves being outside, loves getting dirty, and loves all balls.  She prefers playing with cars and trucks to playing with dolls, and she always has scrapes on her knees from running around trying to catch her big brother.  Last week we were playing outside and Frankie was giving Lily a ride in his jeep.  Frankie got out to go put on his helmet, and Lily decided to drive the jeep herself.  She can barely reach the pedal, but she stretched out, as far as she could, leaning back and holding on to the rails, and put her foot on the gas and cracked up.  She laughed and laughed as Frankie chased her.  It was hilarious.  I think this girl is going to be trouble!!

Eight year anniversary and Seaside spring break trip

Frank and I celebrated our 8-year anniversary last week, and we celebrated with a family trip to Seaside.  I never imagined that we would be the kind of family that would go to the same place every year on vacation, but we simply love Seaside and plan to go there every year.  Now that my parents own a condo there, it makes taking the trip easier than ever.  We were so excited to get to visit the condo, which is in such an amazing location directly on the beach, and to make memories there as a family.  Frankie was SO EXCITED to go to the beach.  We told him that we were going to leave in the middle of the night, and he woke up around 3:00 a.m. two nights in a row, asking, "are we going to Florida?"  We have flown to Florida the previous three years, but Frank really wanted to drive this year (I was very against it, because it is such a short, easy flight!).  In all honesty, the drive sucked.  It was longer than we expected, and we left later than we planned, so we basically missed out on a whole day of vacation.  That was a bummer, but the kids actually did so well, and I know it could have been so much worse.  It was nice having our car and getting to bring Katy with us, but I am not sure I would drive straight through again.  Maybe if we stopped halfway and split the trip into two 6-hour stretches.  Otherwise, Frank can drive and I will fly with the kids and meet him there!

Our trip was wonderful.  Frank and I celebrated our anniversary with a wonderful dinner out, and we brought Kiersten with us again to help out with the kids.  The weather was fair at best, but we did have a gorgeous sunny day on the Saturday before we left, and we still got to enjoy plenty of beach time.  Lily has grown and changed so much since last time we went, which was only 7 months ago.  She is truly a beach girl, and she loved running around and playing in the sand.  Both kids loved going to Seaside and running around in the square.  I hope we are able to continue making this trip as our kids grow up.

Frank surprised me before we left with a gorgeous bracelet and earrings for my anniversary gift.  I am so proud and happy that Frank is my husband.  We have had some struggles in the last couple of years, and we feel like we are constantly playing catch up, but there is no one else I would rather share this crazy life with.  I could not be the mommy or the lawyer I am without having him by my side.  He can drive me crazy, but he can also make me smile, make me laugh, and warm my heart.  I am so excited to make memories with him and our kids in our new home.

Here are a ton of pictures of our wonderful vacation.  Do you see how curly Lily's hair is???  It may be the cutest thing I have ever seen.