January Fun

School is in full swing again.  Alan's Basketball team has won two district games and these are the first district wins in about five years for the ladies basketball team.

Wednesday was my birthday and Anna made a cheesecake for me and we went out to dinner at a local restaurant.  Friday we had an ice storm but we were the only school in our area that did not close or have a delay.  Then on Saturday we headed south to Corpus Christi to really celebrate my birthday.  No more ice and it was a beautiful day. 

We were going to go to the original Whataburger for lunch but the kids wanted to go to the two story Whataburger by the bay.  After lunch we drove down the coastal highway and Alan took me shopping to buy my birthday present.  He bought a Brighton necklace and matching bracelet and it is beautiful.  After that, we headed back toward a playground on the beach and enjoyed the water and some play time. 

We all decided that we should go check out the USS Lexington.  Andrew loved that!!!! He wants to design airplanes one day.  He could have stayed there all day and been happy.  He is already talking about going back to see it again.

We then had dinner on the water at Pier 99 and had some delicious seafood.  It was time to head home.  What a fun birthday celebration with my family.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

For Christmas we went to Midland to visit Alan's family.  Alan's family loves to hunt.  I am not a big advocate of guns at all.  My father-in-law has an official Red Ryder Carbine Action two hundred shot range model air rifle (BB Gun).  Yes just like the movie, The Christmas Story.  I had to laugh and both Andrew and Anna did really well shooting the target.  I even gave it a couple of tries.  Shocker!  I know.....

Andrew and Lego's

 

Andrew enjoys building with Legos and has for several years.  I believe he could build a little city with all the sets he has.  He asked for certain types for Christmas.  His creator house took him about five hours to complete.  His police station took him about an hour to complete.  I certainly do not have the patience to sit that long and build something.  It is one of the big reasons I could never get into knitting or crocheting.  He finds such joy in building and figuring out problems.  I am looking forward to seeing what God's plans for him are.

2013

It seems every year comes and goes faster and faster.  2013 brought our family to some new adventures.  I asked each member of our house for their favorite memory.

Andrew:  LTC, going to Austin with WCS, getting to see Wicked, Camping with Nana and Papa, winning in the Art show, going back to WCS Homecoming to see my friends, going to Oak Hills Church to hear Max Lucado preach.

Anna:  Winning the Art show both at school and district, Meeting Peter Pan (Cathy Rigby) getting to go to the American Girl Doll Store with my Mom, going camping,  going to see Wicked, going to the beach and going back to WCS homecoming to see my friends.

Alan:  Camping, Branson, Getting the Girls AD job.

Abigail: Getting the privilege to sing with the Praise Team at Oak Ridge almost every week, Meeting La Donna Gatlin, Cathy Rigby and Barry Williams. Getting to take my kids to see Wicked, going to New York City again, getting to go to Branson for free!, going to the beach, going to Fredericksburg with my friends.

Hmmm, not one of us said moving was our favorite memory. Ha! Ha!

I know 2014 will bring a whole new set of adventures and memories.  May God bless you and your family in 2014.

Christmas Around the World

Andrew and Anna are my students at school in music.  This is the first time other than bible class that I have taught both my children in a classroom setting.  On December 19, we had our Christmas program at school.  I did a play that I wrote the year Anna was born for another school program.  For everyone to be able to fit on stage and be a part of the program, we had the same play performed twice with different grade levels.  Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd (Anna's grade) performed in the morning and 3rd, 4th and 5th (Andrew's grade) performed in the afternoon.  Both of my kids were in the first and last scene.  Anna was kid one and Andrew was Kid 5 and he got to throw a football and run on stage.  It is funny how I wrote this play with no knowledge or even a thought that one day my own children would be in that very play.

Now anyone that knows me on the professional level, knows how meticulous I am when it comes to the final product.  For several weeks, I felt this was not going well and it just was not up to my standards.  I was quite frustrated and just wanted it to be over.  At the same time I could not let Andrew and Anna know my frustrations for they were doing their part really well for two shy kids. 

The day came and went.  Many of the teachers said it was the best they have ever seen.  My principal told me for the first time Facebook blew up with positive comments over how well behaved and how well the kids sounded.  Wow!  All of the stop and start over until it is done right did pay off after all.

Now speaking from a Mom's point of view.........I was proud of Anna and Andrew.  Anna spoke loudly and did her part as if she was really having a conversation with Uncle Bob and her cousins.  Andrew spoke clearly and loudly on his part and he made it through the whole play without coughing! Yes!!!!

Plans next?  The next few weeks will be some of favorite lessons about composers.  I actually dig deep and bring these composers to life so my students get to know them and appreciate their music.  I do different projects with them.  My favorite is "Who Murdered Mozart?"  This is a lesson that I have written and developed almost 20 years ago and it never gets old.

Special Agent Advent Angel

We have a new visitor in our house this Advent season.  The kids found a package at the front door yesterday and they found an angel in a box with her reason for being there and what she has planned for them.  She has a verse that we are to read and a activity.  I took it a step further and added a special assignment for the Andrew and Anna to complete during the day.  It could be something like paying a compliment to someone to helping someone in need out.

While I think the Elf on the Shelf is cute, I really wanted something that focused on the reason we celebrate this season and to give of ourselves everyday.  Andrew and Anna have enjoyed this new addition to the Advent season.

A Ladies Weekend!

Last weekend I met three other ladies from our church in Willow Park (yes we are still calling it our church even though we do not live in that area) in Fredericksburg for a weekend of fellowship, shopping, games, church and more shopping and of course FOOD.  It was really nice to reconnect with dear friends and catch up with each other. 

I only live 2 hours away but the other three beat me there.  I just have to love San Antonio traffic..........thus taking me four hours to get there.  We stayed in a cozy cottage and the king size beds were so comfortable.  When we woke up, I took a shower in a jacuzzi tub with a rain shower.  That was a first!  I step outside afterwards and felt like Snow White.  There were deer and elk everywhere on the property.  Wow!  It was so serene!  We eventually all were ready to head out and we had breakfast vouchers to certain restaurants in the area.  Both mornings we ate at the "Old German Bakery."  That must be the place to eat because it was packed.  It really was good and I was able to find something to eat easily with my diet. 

We then headed out to Trade Days and found several things for stocking stuffers for family.  I saw all kinds of ideas that I know I can make.  I hate buying something that I know I can make cheaper.  We all had fun finding little treasures and one of my favorite parts was one place sold ice tea with free refills for the whole day!  Yes!!!! It is the little things that make my day sweeter.  The other favorite part was I met a World War II Veteran that was a prisoner of war in Germany and he wrote a book about his experience.  I thought to myself, "Perfect for Alan's Christmas."  He was such an adorable man and I was reminded of my Granddad Adams who also served in WWII.  My friend Brenda offered to take a picture of us with the book that he signed for Alan.  I am sure Alan will not read this blog before Christmas...........at least I hope not.

Around 2:30 or 3:00 we headed back to main street to do more shopping and went to a German restaurant that evening.  Our music mininster's wife and I shared a rib eye because I am not a huge fan of German food.  We then returned to the cottage and played spades and talked about our church hunt adventures with laughter invovled.

The next morning we went to Oak Hills Fredericksburg Branch (Max Lucado's church) to church and it really was a sweet time with each other.  After church we went to do more shopping and ate at KBOBS and did even more shopping and parted ways around 5. I was a little mad at myself for spending so much money but then I realized I got a lot of Christmas bought so, then I wasn't so hard on myself.

Even though this move has been hard on me, weekends like this, make it easier.  It is good to know that I still have true friends that are still there for me and I am there for them.