day 93 - never again

...will I let myself get so far behind.

I have been updating this blog for 2.5 hours.

What a waste of all that time I mentioned in day 89.

day 92 - reading

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M reading...her new hobby.

day 91 - cayo hueso

A picture from long ago...pre-kids.

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Good times in Key West.

day 90 - first day

of pre-k

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of first grade

day 89 - life as i know it

...is about to change.

I am going to be the mom of two school age children beginning tomorrow morning.

M and G will both be going to school.

Monday thru Friday.

8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

What will I do with all this time on my hands?

Note: I already have a long list of projects and several volunteer opportunities lined up, but I sure am going to miss my days of roaming around the zoo and hanging out at the park.

day 88 - 40 + 1

Today my parents celebrated "40 +1" years of marriage at Harmonie Hall in Shelby, Texas.

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Wow.

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Thanks, Mama and Daddy, for loving one another for such a long time.

day 87 - really?

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I have to label each individual crayon, marker and pencil?

day 86 - school supplies

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There's just something so wonderful about a bunch of freshly sharpened #2 pencils and empty notebooks.

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School is right around the corner.

day 85 - she kept her word

The Twinkle Toe plan worked.

day 84 - 1981

The David Luedeker family

day 83 - an oldie but a goodie

There's a warning on the bottom of zhu zhu pets that says, "Keep away from hair. Serious entanglement may occur."

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Yes indeed...we learned that the hard way.

day 82 - twinkle toes

So, you know that trip to the mall I mentioned in day 75...well, these are what we went to get.

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You cannot fully appreciate the awesome tackiness of the Twinkle Toes from this picture.

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Please close you eyes and picture this with me: in addition to the neon color, the glitter and the rhinestones, they light up. Yes, that's right...these shoes are totally over the top.

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BUT - M swore she would learn how to tie her own shoes if we got them.

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We'll see how that works out...in the meantime, they are kind of cute. The kind of shoes every little girl wants.

day 81 - silly uncle shane

day 80 - that darn tooth fairy

She (or he, in this case) forgot to come the first night after M's two teeth were pulled by the dentist.

I suggested that perhaps she was planning something special for while we were at the beach.

...and apparently I was right!

day 79 - oops

Guess I missed a spot with the sunscreen!

day 78 - vamos a la playa

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...again.

This time with Chad's brother and family.

day 77 - heartbroken

I am so sad today.

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We have to take Lou back to the breeder.

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When the kids and I took her to "the doctor" (my Dad) he found that her bottom jaw is very short.

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In all likelihood she wouldn't be able to retrieve for Chad. So, quite literally - "that dog won't hunt."

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Which is a problem since we're looking a for a dog that is equal parts pet and hunting dog.

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I'm not sure what is more heartbreaking though: having to say good-bye to sweet Lou or realizing that my kids feel safe in their own home for the first time in several days.

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They were so happy when Chad left with her.

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Boo hoo.

day 76 - thirteen

13 years and counting...I love this man!

day 75 - see day 65

I have no picture today.

Bribery did not work at the mall...it wasn't pretty.

Thank goodness my Mom is taking the kids for a couple of days.

I need a break.

day 74 - pool party

Our sweet friends E and EK had their birthday party tonight.

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POOL + PIZZA + CUPCAKES = PERFECT PARTY

day 73 - front porch

This is exactly what a front porch is for.

What you don't see are the 3 dogs and 4 kids playing in the baby pool in the front yard.

Good times. Good times.

day 72 - riding into the sunset

M, G and I happened to find ourselves in the car as the sun was setting tonight.

M decided that we should be like cowboys and ride off into the sunset. G agreed.

So we did...so fun, chasing a sunset with two of my very favorite people in the whole wide world.

This is what slowing down is all about!

day 71 - cleaning

At a church-wide Bible Study, I lost G...no surprise there really. When I found him this is what he was doing.

"Hey G. What are you doing?" (Look Mommy, I'm cleaning the church. Everyone is going to be so excited.)

"You think?" (Yeah. I'm working really hard.)

"Thanks G. I'm sure everyone will really appreciate it."

day 70 - no dogs allowed

G made this sign to post at the bottom of the stairs leading upstairs (to their bedroom and playroom).

Translation: NO DOGS ALLOWED!

I haven't quit!!

I'm just a little behind.

If you know me you're probably not that surprised.

Love,

Laura

day 69 - wasted

We did it!

We managed to exhaust a puppy.

I knew if anyone could do it - we could.

day 68 - life with a puppy

Everyone says that having a puppy is like having a newborn.

Sure, if your newborn has sharp teeth, can jump and terrorizes your older children.

Let's just say that M and G are having a little trouble adjusting to the idea of having a puppy in the house.

day 67 - puppy love

Well we've done it - we've lost our minds.

We have a puppy.

Meet Lou (short for Emmylou) - 10.5 weeks old.

note: so I really liked the name Emmylou for our beautiful girl. However, Chad said he just couldn't see himself standing in the middle of a field huting ducks yelling "Emmylou." Thus the name...Lou. It actually fits her quite nicely.

day 66 - weapon storage

What? Your son doesn't have a weapons bin?

I'm not sure what I find most disturbing...the fact that G has a "weapons bin." or the fact that there's a chainsaw in said "weapons bin."

day 65 - bribery

Bribery in its most simple form.

You behave at the mall - you get ice cream.

Works every time...sort of.

day 64 - what happens when I turn around

This is what happens when I let these guys out of my sight for more than 60 seconds. The mud is from our "garden."

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Seriously?

Although getting clean was just as fun as getting dirty...check it out!

day 63 - fun times

At the reunion, M just had to have the girls over to "her place" for a movie.

Have I mentioned before that she's a little party planner?

day 62 - wow

That's a real live butterfly sitting on her fingers.

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Amazing experience! I'm not sure who was more exicted...me or M.

day 61 - a great way to start the day

Bass fishing with your brother in the beautiful Texas Hill Country...enough said.

day 60 - Charge!

I just loved this picture of Chad and G.

I can't belive he's already 4.

All too soon he'll be too heavy to fit on our shoulders...

day 59 - the cave with no name

A trip to "The Cave With No Name" in Boerne, TX marked the beginning of the bi-annual Hesters' family reunion.

The name of the cave, "The Cave With No Name" was very perplexing for M and her other 6 year old cousins. It was interesting that the kids over 7 "got it" and the kids under 6 didn't seem to care. Really makes me appreciate M's 6 year old brain.

Note: My photog skills are not sufficient to capture the majesty and splenor that we encountered in this cave. It is beautiful down there! My trip underground was a gentle (and cool) reminder that our Creator is amazing and all-powerful.

day 58 - a comfortable spot

M found this comfortable (?) spot. It is her favorite place to read. (In case you can't tell - she's under our kitchen table. Who knows what is under there!)

S0 weird...but then I realized - I also like to find an out of the way spot to curl up and read a good book.