New Beginnings

I have not blogged in a while.  I have been busy or just wanting to spend some quality time with my kiddos although I don't have them right now.  My sister-in-law came and got them yesterday.  She wanted to spend some time with them before school starts.  My girls absolutely love their aunt Tina.  They would move in with her if I would let them.  She is just as much of a kid as they are.  She gets in the floor and plays barbies with them and just focuses all of her time on them while they are there.  

Tomorrow will be the first day of school and I am full of all different kinds of emotions:  Nervous, excited, sad, etc.!!  Kenleigh will start to preschool.  She is 3 and has never been in a day-care or preschool.  She has always either been with me, my mom or my mother-in-law.  So I am nervous about her starting to school although I know she will do fine.  She is very excited.  She has already been to the preschool and visited for a few hours and absolutely loved it and wanted to go back.  Kaitlyn will be a big 2nd grader.  I cannot believe she is already in the 2nd grade.  It just doesn't seem possible.  I will be starting a new job at the same school where my children will be which is great!!  I am so excited but I am nervous.  I have been praying for this for a long time now.  I worked at a medical center for 7.5 years as a medical transcriptionist and then lost my job there and came home to be a in-home medical transcriptionist, which everyone thinks is great right?  Not exactly.  I lost all my benefits, retirement etc.  So I have been trying to get a job at the school for the last couple of years now.  I even took some courses last semester in order to get my CDA (Child Development Associate) that way I would have a better chance of getting hired in the preschool or in elementary if something became available.  I believe good things come to those who wait.  I have been waiting for a long time, but I am still a little nervous but so looking forward to tomorrow.   I am going to be a teacher's aide in the elementary school.  

I have the girls' backpacks and first day of school clothes laid out as well as mine.  We are going to have a back to school party as we always do but this year will be extra special since Kenleigh and mommy will both be going to school.  I will post pictures from that later.  I hope everyone has a great first day of school and please say a prayer for me and my kiddos.  God is good...................All the time!!  

LORI

Branson Vacation July 2010

We headed out on a Friday morning and we basically drove straight through to Branson which is around 3.5 hours from our house.  We stopped a couple of times for potty breaks and gas.  We had intended on stopping at a place that I absolutely love to eat called Ferguson's Country Store and Restaurant in St. Joe, Arkansas, but we had stopped at McDonald's that morning to get a small breakfast.  As a matter of fact we just went through the drive-thru, didn't even go in.  All I got was a egg mcmuffin.  Trying to stay on Weight Watchers as best I can while on vacation. So by the time we got to St. Joe, I nor was anyone else all that hungry.  So I hated to waist money and food if I wasn't actually hungry.  So we arrived at Branson around 1 in the afternoon and our room was not ready yet, so by this time we were starving!!  So we went down to the Branson Landing and found a place my brother-in-law and sister-in-law had told us about, Texas Land and Cattle.  It was a steak house and it was a really neat place. 

Here are the girls at Texas Land and Cattle. 









Kenleigh is trying on my sunglasses.

This was right outside from where we sat.  Loved the view.  

Kenny and I.

Here are the girls at the Landing.  They found a rock they wanted to have their picture made on.  

Kenleigh liked walking down the sidewalk at the Landing and seeing the ducks, boats, etc. 

Next stop was the Bass Pro Shop, which is not near as the big as the one in Springfield, but it was still nice.  We got some really good candy there and took back to the motel.  

I love this picture of the girls.  It is in front of a big fish tank.

Here they are on a bench that looks like a fish behind them.  I thought this was pretty neat.  

This was inside the Bass Pro.  

The girls had to go to the bathroom of course and I just thought this was neat so I made them stop for a picture.  It doesn't take much to amuse me.  Ha!!

Kenleigh wanted her picture made by this fake tree stump at the Bass Pro.  

So that was the end to our first day.  Kenleigh went right on to her pull out bed that her and Kaitlyn slept in.  I did not sleep good both nights as I don't sleep well away from home plus I was afraid Kenleigh would fall out of the bed and she did the second night because Kaitlyn pushed her out in her sleep.  She was fine though and so was I after I put her in bed with me.  

The next day we got up and headed to a breakfast buffet because we were going to be going to the Dixie Stampede that night and if you have ever been there then you know, you get lots and lots of food, so I told everyone we would not be eating any lunch, so we ate a big breakfast and then headed to some bumper boats and go carts.  Kaitlyn drove her own, Kenny and Kenleigh rode in one and I rode in one.  

When it was time to come back, Kaitlyn couldn't seem to find her way back, bless her heart.  I had a little trouble too, so I could sympathize with her.

Now we are ready to ride the go carts although Kaitlyn and Kenleigh both were mad because they couldn't drive.  

Kenleigh and I are ready to take off!!

Next back to the motel for some swimming and relaxing before our big show.  

Last, but certainly not least was our big show to the Dixie Stampede.  If you have never been, you should really go.  I recommend the Christmas show.  It is really the best.  This was the first time for Kenleigh and the third time for Kaitlyn and I and Kenny's second time.  You get lots of food and the entertainment is great and we had front row.  Kaitlyn had a rose thrown to her by one of the actors. 

After the show we went back to our room and rested for a bit and then we walked down to the Landing and Kaitlyn got a new backpack for school from the Disney store and then we listened to a live band and just walked around.  We left early the next morning heading back home as we had a birthday party to get to that afternoon.  I always have a great time on vacation but always look forward to getting back home in my own bed.

LORI

Swimming Lessons

And we are off to swimming lessons...........although Kenleigh didn't take swimming lessons, she was always excited about going to watch her big sister Kaitlyn.  

She has got her woggle goggles on as she calls them from the show Imagination Movers.  

This was Kaitlyn's 3rd year to do the beginners swimming lessons.  We did the mom and me class when she was a baby. 

This is one of the friends she made while at swimming lessons, Emily!!  

Kaitlyn posing for me.  

Here she is trying to dive off the diving board although I am not quite sure what this is??  LOL!!  

This was after she jumped, dove off the diving board.  

Her daddy and I feel it is very important to take swimming lessons.  Next year Kenleigh will get to start.  

I just want to apologize for my last post.  It was long and messed up.  I couldn't get all the pictures and the captions straight and I was tired of messing with it.  I had been working on that post for two days, so I was ready to post it.  

Next post will be about our summer vacation to Branson, stay tuned..............

LORI

We Have Been Very Busy................

I have not blogged in a month!! I will do good for a while and then get behind. July was a very, very busy month for us. We had VBS, swimming lessons, vacation, etc. So I will try to bring you up to date if I can, but I am warning you my memory is terrible. I am going to go by my pictures.  This will be a very, very long post.  I apologize in advance.

This first picture is of Kaitlyn and her daddy before going on a fishing trip in daddy's boat.  I tried to get him to take the camera with him but he didn't want to lose it, so I just snapped a picture of them before they left.  I packed her a bag with snacks and drinks in it.  Looking out for my babies (yes Kenny too!)  Ha!!  Kaitlyn caught two fish that day.  Just imagine them since I don't have a picture.

One accomplishment Kenleigh has made this summer is using her arm floaties to swim with.  My brother-in-law and sister-in-law have a pool and she loves swimming in their pool with her arm floaties all by herself. 

 

Next, was the 4th of July.  We had a cookout at my house and then after we all ate, we went to my brother-in-law and sister-in-laws house to swim.  Here are the girls with my best friends daughter Karlie enjoying the rotel dip!!

Here is Papaw after getting his belly full!!

Then we all went swimming!!  This is Melinda and Brian, my husbands cousin and her husband. 

My sister-in-law Angela taking a breaking from the pool to get a snack. 

My mother-in-law and one of her sister's Pam.

Kaitlyn trying to get a hold of the swim board. 

Me with my BFF Kim. 

My brother-in-law Johnny!!

Kaitlyn and Karlie posing.  

 

This is Kaitlyn and I before the Patriotic Program at church July 4th.  

Kaitlyn and Kenleigh before the program.

Jaden and Kenleigh before the program.

 

Jaden and Kenleigh during the program.            Kaitlyn during the program.

Kaitlyn and Kenleigh marching during the program.  They were so cute.

Sarah, Kaitlyn, Kenleigh and Jaden

Cousins!!

Kenleigh with daddy at Higgison before the fireworks.  She was so excited.  I think this was the first fireworks we had ever taken her to.  I don't have any pictures of Kaitlyn due to she freaked out on us.  She had a panic attack.  She didn't like the fireworks.  It was awful.  She was shaking, just a mess.  I guess next time we will leave her with someone else.  

Here is Kenleigh helping daddy one day on trying to get the dryer leveled out.  She loves to work on things.  

Here is my 2 and 3 year old class at Saddle Ridge Ranch VBS.  Notice my Kenleigh is giving the peace sign!!  

This was my 4 and 5-year-old class from VBS.  

Here are my kindergartners.

 

Kenleigh and Kaitlyn during the night of the closing program of VBS.  

My aunt Pam came to visit sometime during the month of July and we went to eat at Cracker Barrel, one of my favorite places to eat and the girls wanted to sit in the little rocking chairs. 

Now we go into Kaitlyn's softball party where her entire team received trophies from their coach.  This was at the Pizza Pro and there was man there that made the girls something out of a balloon.  Kenleigh picked out a ladybug wrist balloon.  This is Kenleigh with her friend that she made at the ballpark this year Jaylen.    Kaitlyn played ball with her older sister.

Kaitlyn with her trophy and her turtle wrist balloon and her BFF Karlea since they were 18 months old. 

Jazmine and Kaitlyn.

Taryn and Kaitlyn and then Kaitlyn with Olivia.

  

Kaitlyn with her team and with coaches Dewayne and Bobby.  We had such a great year. 

Karlie, Taryn, Kaitlyn, and Haven.

Heather and I (Karlea's Mom). 

This is all for now.  I will have to do the rest another night.  I have been working on this post for two nights.  We still have swimming lessons and vacation.  

LORI