Keldyn's Birthday!

Keldyn is turning 8 on Saturday.  I am going to take this time to be like most moms and talk about him a little ....just because I can.  Keldyn was not our original name, we had several picked out but really liked Caden, so forever it was Caden Reece.  Well, if you follow Stacy's blog, you know that her 2nd boy, who just celebrated a birthday is named Caden as well.  We didn't want there to be too many Caden's running around so we played with some more names.  David liked the name Kelvin, but i did not. So like what we've done with all of our kiddos names is we played with the ending and wholah! Keldyn it is! And it fits him to a tee!  Keldyn was our flood baby.  The summer before he was born, David and I both worked the Camp Bandina Church Camp. This was July so i was 6-7 months prego.  Well, it started raining, and it rained and rained and rained and it didn't stop. The river that you cross to get to camp rose 50 feet.  Trialer houses floated down the river and you could hear it roaring past the camp site from the top of the hill.  I was scared and more than ready to get out of there (plus i had a 1.5 yr old at my parents, not with me so that made it worse).  Well, we ended up walking two miles through pastures and woods to catch school buses that took all of us campers to a local church. Except someone felt bad for me and they let us crash at their house, loaned us thier car the next day to go pick up Bryson and then offered to let us stay there again.  We were blessed!  Once school started, i had been re-assigned to junior high volleyball and it was nothing for me to be out there playing with the girls diving around digging up volleyballs (that may be why Keldyn is daring.) Also i went skiing for the first time ever in my life while prego with him.  The boy is fearless! He climbs any and everything he can get a small grasp on.  He's not big but boy is he tough!!A little scary bc i think one day he's really going to get hurt and not know it!  He is FUNNY! and smart and very fast! He's shy at times but warms up rather quickly. He is 100% boy, he likes animals and dirt and video games and superheroes and all that boy stuff; but he also loves his brother and his sister to the ends of the earth.  HE wouldn't tell you that but he does.  Every night before bed he jumps on Bryson and tells him goodnight.  If Rielyn is in danger of being hurt, he's the first one there to save her.  He is really good with babies and is going to make an awesome dad one day!  Oh, and for his birthday, we asked him what he wanted to do.  His response, go to the Olive Garden with the family.  Not a party, not ChuckECheese ,but Olive Garden.  I asked him if he was turning 30:???   Keldyn, i love you and hope you have a fantastic 8th birthday!

Running!

Ok, so I ran a 5.2 mile race this past saturday...all i know is that a lady with a jogging stroller beat me and i did not like it one bit.  I ran ok, got 3rd in my age group and 25th overall, however, I DO NOT LIKE LOSING!  I am determined to get faster.  I am going to workout with my atheltic girls for a while and see if that doesn't help.  I may smell like a goat for the remainder of the day, but i am determined to win one sometime! 
We had a good weekend.  David had a fishing tournament and we camped out at Mom and Dad's. They spoiled us rotten, like always!:) It's good to get away to the country sometimes.  Thanks mom and dad!
Have a great week!

Funny story & pics

We have two new visitors at our house lately.  Not the wood ducks who come in the winter but whistling tree ducks.  their markings are so distinct and beautiful.  they are not skittish either, they don't bother us but they don't mind us being around either!  Here are the more finished pics of the kitchen.  i still have to tile the back splash and i do plan on painting but for now it will do.  i like how it turned out!
The Texas Flag is a project Bryson worked on.  He came home saying for GT they are making a Texas History Museum and they needed a flag.  He came up with on his own to make it out of old jeans and t-shirts.  He designed it and cut it all i did was sewed it for him.  He is so creative it blows me away.  Our 7th grade Texas history teacher said she was stealing his idea :)
And here's the turtle....the story goes like this, David found it in the driveway and decided to let the kids keep it.  so that afternoon, i headed to the store to get a container, the big clear bucket.  That evening the kids were outside playing and Rielyn was packing that turtle (and cage) all over the yard. we went on a boat ride and Rielyn put the turtle and cage back in the house.  when we got back, an hour later, there was no turtle in the cage.  all of the adults started saying  How did he get out of that bucket, there's no way he got out of that.  after a few minutes rielyn said how did he climb over that man?  She had put the turtle in the lego truck that Keldyn had made for him!  great, so now there's a turtle on the loose...in my house!!! i start looking in cabinets, under cabinets, everywhere!  and pappy says you'll smell him pretty soon! oh great.  Then David says - well here he is.  that little turtle had made it across the living room and into the purple room!!!OMG! it was too funny.  the last pic is of my fishing boys and of our new hummingbird feeder that has had several occupants since we put it up.  It is amazing to watch those little birds fly around!  have  a great rest of the weekend!

first day of school & kitchen

just wanted to post pics from the kids first day of school, the boys were not too excited about me taking their picture..i believe their exact words were "Mom, really, you do this every year? it's not our first day!"  also, i have some of the kitchen progress.  i have more pics and a funny story about a turtle but those pics are at home on my camera...so you'll just have to wait! (who else busted out into the 80's song, oh you can't hurry love, no you'll just have to wait....maybe just me!HE HE)

the new kitchen counter tops also included, new stove top, new microwave and new sink.  i moved a picture that Sarah gave me for Christmas to over the sink and bought dark brown wicker baskets for snack foods and such.  i am now thinking i need to paint it tan.  i also moved the blue curtains out and put in the brown ones.  a lot of readjusting but i really like it!! hope you have a great week! love to all!

The Lunchbox Saga (s)

This has been the week of the lunchbox!!!  On Monday, Rileyn forgot her lunch box at school.  She thought she had left it in the gym and just didn't grab it on her way out the door.  So, Tuesday morning we check, no lunchbox.  She was a little upset bc this was hers and it has a sandwich plastic holder thingy and also bc she had to carry a star wars one bc that's all we had.  On top of thought, i am making bryson's lunch on Tuesday morning and i notice the silverware isn't some that we have.  i think, oh he probably just traded someone for it...he does that alot....but then his sandwich plastic holder thingy wasn't in there nor was his Gatorade bottle...turns out he'd grabbed the wrong one.  we did not retrieve it until yesterday...a sixth grade girl had grabbed his on accident (all parts of the lunchbox were returned)  we are trying to be a little greener with our lunches...plastic sandwich holder thing that is re-usable and washable; gladware storage for chips and snacks, etc, etc.  trying to not use so much disposable plastic.  Now, though we have another saga.  Keldyn and rielyn come home with notices from the cafeteria saying they owe money!  I SEND THEIR LUNCH EVERYDAY!  I email the principal and I'm thinking someone is using their number on accident.  David thinks it is breakfast.  I've asked them both...did you eat in the the tray line...and both have said no.  so now we ask about breakfast.  we'll see what happens. 
I don't think that i have ever been so tired before...it seems like i go, go go and have no time, to even do the things i need to do...like grade papers. this is going to be a long year. pray for me!