Texas Andersons

We did it again!  Five years and counting… we walked in the Race for the Cure and helped to raise money for breast cancer research, awareness, and treatment.

The weather was gorgeous.  The crowd was big.

Ben rode his scooter and did great.  And Evan rode in the stroller or on my shoulders or walked all by himself.  (And he was just tickled to do all that walking by himself!)

But Komen’s need is not over.  If anyone would still like to donate in our name in the next few weeks, you can still use this link to our page.

We will end breast cancer!

Since last time… we ran errands, we had fun, we took naps, we bathed Sophie, we cleaned house, I mowed, we walked, we scrubbed my truck.  And…

We met with a home builder!  Exciting and scary, all rolled into one! 

We spent a weekend at Thousand Trails on the Medina Lake with the Cub Scouts… and had a great time!

We had a fun pack meeting, where Ben got to bring his friend Reagan to introduce him to scouting.  (He’s really hoping that Reagan joins.)

The first graders had a field trip to the hike and bike trail, where we looked for the wildflowers that we spread earlier in the spring.  And a second field trip was to the Witte Museum, where Nathan and Ben got to explore, learn, and even dig for dinosaur bones.

We all went to the Movie in the Plaza event Friday night.  We watched Charlotte’s Web in the comfort of our camping chairs, under the stars with friends, all while enjoying snowcones and popcorn.  It was a wonderful evening.

I finally got Ben’s 7-year portraits done this weekend.  Yay!  It took all of 30 minutes, and we came away with several gorgeous images.

We attended KLRN’s Writers Contest celebration.  And although Ben did not win for his grade group, I am very proud of his cute story about Sophie the Pilot. 

My truck hit 100,000 miles!  Other than my marriage, she has been my longest relationship.  And she has been so good to me.  I love my Chevy Silverado!

And, in celebration of Lemonade Day, Ben had his first-ever lemonade stand this afternoon.  From making the sign, to setting up the table, to waving cars over, he did all the work.  In less than 2 hours he had sold three pitchers-full and made $6.75.  He was so excited!!!

It was a few big days for Ben and the scouts:

Saturday we headed out to Thousand Trails at Medina Lake for a family campout.  With everyone invited, we filled an entire campsite with probably a dozen tents and lots of parents and siblings for the whole weekend.  The boys got to play on the playground, go swimming, enjoy an ice cream social, go on a nature hike, and take part in three-legged and sack races.  We also walked the trails to do a clean-up.  And there was a fireside advancement ceremony…

All boys were honored for their achievements.  They all moved up in rank.  We got to present the boys with their new neckerchiefs, caps, belts, and handbooks.

Ben is now a Wolf Cub! 

And today was a pack meeting, with lots of fun and games.  Ben earned a couple of ribbons and a couple of new patches.  And he got to introduce his good friend Reagan who he brought along for Bring a Friend Night.

After the meeting we presented Ben with a blanket I had made for him, to congratulate him on his accomplishments.  It is a scout fabric, with all of the scout qualities listed on it: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, Reverent.  It’s stitched with a little Cub Scout boy along with Ben’s name and pack number.  And I added a bunch of patches that he’s earned.  He was really surprised! 

Usually Nathan and I are thrilled if people even remember our birthdays, if we have the money to just go out to eat.  Real celebrating and gifts are usually not in the cards for us.

But not this year, not for Nathan!  Still riding high on the excitement of purchasing our lot out by the Guadalupe River… I decided to buy us a canoe!

It all started a couple of weeks ago when I came up with the idea.  My parents and I carefully crafted the plan and got to work.  A large Old Town canoe was recommended for our family, life jackets were picked out, and a canoe trip was set.

On Thursday (his birthday) we surprised him with some homemade drawings and a card from the boys.  And I fried some venison backstrap along with some home-made mashed potatoes and corn.  He was excited about all of that, but he had no idea what was in store for him on Friday.

The next day, my parents showed up with the canoe, and I finally got to unveil the surprise to him (and Ben!).  Looks of astonishment and a few screams later… and a day of rain on Saturday… we finally got to take it to the lake today.

And what a fantastic day today was!!!  First, I got to sleep in until 8:30  (which I desperately needed).  Then we packed up and headed out to Boerne Lake.  We spent the next four hours canoeing around the lake, eating lunch along the shore, watching ducks and turtles, throwing rocks, and playing on the playground.  (Evan even got a nap in during our first lap of the lake!).  It was peaceful, it was fun, it was a great workout.  And I can’t wait to go out again!

Our trees, plants, herbs, and veggies are growing beautifully!  And the bluebonnets?  Gorgeous!  It is a thrill to be outside enjoying God’s handywork and all of my hard work.

We have already found catepillars on the fennel and dill.  And one has been brought into the house to make himself at home in our butterfly habitat.  We have also been alerted by noisy chirping to three new baby birds in one of our bird houses.

And thanks to the beautiful days and a new jogging stroller, we’ve been able to go for a walk around the neighborhood just about every evening.  It feels great to get out and get excercise.  It feels even better to see my numbers on the scale dropping! 

(With blog are some favorite pics- of Ben and Evan in our bluebonnets and my weight chart on the wii fit plus!  That’s right.  I’m posting it. I’m finally proud of it.)

 What’s been going on with the boys?  Evan and I enjoyed a MOPS playdate at the park last week.  And he is now counting, recognizes lots of letters, and is constantly talking.  (He is quite a chatter-box on his phone, saying “Hi.  Hello.  How doin’?”)    Ben just spent this past weekend in Corpus to spend the night on the USS Lexington and to visit my grandparents.  And he’s busy reading, building with his legos, and playing the wii.  He also just wrote and illustrated a short story for klrn’s writing contest.  They both really love to drive around the backyard in the power wheels, swing on the swings, or play “swords” with their light sabers. 

And Nathan and I are busy taking notes on home builders and what we’re looking for in our new home.  What a scary and exciting process!!!

Things we want to start noting, to share with possible builders…

EXTERIOR/ STRUCTURE/ LAYOUT:
one story
must be over 1600 square feet (we just don’t fit in this current house!!!); maybe up to 3000
rock, siding, or a combo of both; with several dimensions, not a flat front
tin roof’; with several different pitches, not flat
rain catchment system
lots of windows (for great breezes!)
sky lights for rooms that don’t have windows?
french doors (dark wood) and large porch in the front
french doors from both our bedroom and a living space to the backyard/ patio or deck
driveway- nothing decided
garage on west side (so that is the hottest spot in the afternoon)
walk into kitchen/dining from garage (so that it’s easy to get groceries from vehicles to pantry and fridge)
living space in center
bedrooms, bathrooms, etc on east side
washer/dryer room near bedrooms (so I don’t have to carry laundry through entire house)
studio room somewhere in the mix

INTERIOR:
Garage- much bigger so that we can fit both of our vehicles; room for Nathan’s workshop; garage door facing the side of the house, not the front
Kitchen- white cabinets, yellow walls, silver appliances; bigger than we have now; lots more cabinet and counter space; island with sink (making area easy to clean); large pantry; desk area?
Dining room- yellow walls; larger than we have now
Living room- brown walls; fireplace; larger than we have now
Entry way- bigger closet than we have now
Ben’s bedroom- I think he wants UT orange walls!    about the same size he has now
Evan’s bedroom- blue walls; about the same size he has now
Little girl’s?/guest bedroom/office- ?????
Main bathroom- sage green walls, white cabinets and details; much bigger than current bathroom; need a linen closet!
Playroom (which we’ve never had before!!!)- ? walls; plenty of room for shelves of toys, wii play, and treadmill?
Utility room- must bigger than we have now (room for washer/dryer, storage, cleaning supplies, etc
Our bedroom- ? walls; just a little bigger than our current
Our bathroom- turquoise walls, white cabinets and details; free-standing tub; tiled shower; separate toilet area; BIG closet!!!
Studio- white walls; bigger than current (20′x20′); must have own bathroom
Hard wood throughout; tile in bathrooms and utility room

So, do you have a builder you were thrilled with in the Boerne area?  Do you love or hate a certain feature of your home?  Please recommend, make suggestions.  We’d appreciate any input that will make this process go smoothly and will result in the perfect home for us. 

More pics and notes… click here.

What a wonderful Easter holiday!

Friday, we started off with Evan’s gymnastics class.  He jumped on the trampoline, he swung on the rings, he played on the slide, he walked the balance beam… all while talking, singing, and having a blast.  Then we headed to Fiesta Texas for a trip on the train and to enjoy a few other rides.  Both boys had a great time but couldn’t wait for our next stop.  Because we were then off to pick up the Easter bunnies for portraits.  (there was giggling and squealing all the way home as Ben held a bunny in his lap for both of them to pet!)

Yesterday I worked non-stop (Shutter-Happy offered FREE Easter sessions every half hour)!  It was exhausting, but it was so much fun to work with so many adorable kids in their Easter best!

This morning we headed out to the lot for play time, a picnic, and an Easter egg hunt.  The boys hunted for 100+ eggs filled with candy and the big prize (a big chocolate rabbit!).  Then we headed home for another egg hunt since the Easter bunny had forgotten to hide the cascarones out at the lot.    After the confetti subsided, we had a great bbq steak dinner… and that chocolate rabbit for dessert!

Saturday morning started with a HUGE Easter event at Rainbow Play Systems.  I set up a booth for Shutter-Happy at 9:30 and was bombarded with families until 2:00!  Emily (my new publicity/marketing lady) and I handed out eggs filled with candy and our logo’d balloons; we stuck cute Shutter-Happy stickers on every child there; we had parents sign up for our mailing list to win some awesome prizes.

And while I was working, Nathan was busy with the boys playing putt-putt and letting them enjoy the playgrounds and bounce houses.

And then Nathan and I were off to the Boerne Education Foundation’s fundraising gala.  This year, we purchased a table and had a great place to sit and hang out with Alice (my consultant) and her husband Don.  The food was incredible; our auction item raised quite a bit of money for our schools; the band was great!

Today I was once again up-and-at-em, heading into San Antonio for a portrait session.  Then we made the trip out to the city park for the city Easter egg hunt and play time on the playground.  Then another session.  And it ended with a walk through some of our future neighborhood.

Busy, busy, busy!  Might need an early bedtime tonight to catch up on sleep that I missed out on.  And I sure hope the scale is good to me tomorrow since I barely had time to have a decent meal. 

We were surprised and disappointed with the weather yesterday.  Rain, cold, and high winds ruined our plans of having an outdoor party, of having a moonbounce.  Oh well… we had a blast!!!

The “outerspace” party started with food- bbq sandwiches, hot dogs, meatballs, chips, fruit, astronaut ice cream, etc.  Yum!

Then we moved on to games.  The kids competed to drop the most clothes pins into a milk bottle.  The studio was filled with loud pops and giggles as the kids tried to bust dozens of blown balloons.  Then the race was on to find the most eggs in our Easter egg hunt throughout the house.  After, we brought the kids back into the studio for a round of musical chairs.

Then cake (another gorgeous and yummy cake from Nadler’s).  And then Ben got to open presents.  He was thrilled with every gift and spent last night and today going through each toy, game, and book that he got. 

For those of you who were here celebrating with us, THANKS SO MUCH for joining us and making last night such a wonderful time!!!  And thank you for the great gifts!!

Slideshow I made of his last seven years…

Awesome activities, happy kids, and beautiful weather!!!  What more could one ask for?

Day One- Planting, watering, playing in the backyard.  And Nathan and Ben headed out to camp on our lot.  While there, they got invited to a neighbor’s get-together… bonfire, food, s’mores, and new friends.  They had a great time!

Day Two- Mulching, watering, playing in the backyard, and bbq.

Day Three- La Cantera:  Stride Rite for new shoes and sandals, Gymboree for spring clothes, Build-a-Bear so Ben could get an outfit for his dog, ice cream at Marble Slab, and the playground for fun.  Wheeeee!  And the day got better as we pulled off the freeway here in Boerne and ended up at the light, right behind my parents, who were on their way to our house for a visit. 

Day Four- Workout at the YMCA and lunch and playtime at the Burger King (where we were surprised by friends Morgan and Landon showing up!!!).  And wiiiiiiii!!!!!

Day Five- Took the boys’ portraits; played on the swings and in the sand box; fed the ducks; enjoyed the first snowcones of the year; took a walk through the neighborhood.

Day Six- Spent the day and night out at our lot.  We jumped on the trampoline, played on the swings, ate a great dinner, went for a walk, sat around the fire; the boys drove their tractor.  The stars were bright and the quiet was peaceful.  Aaaaahhhhh…

Day Seven- Errands in San Antonio, fun in the backyard, and dancing in the living room.  Mowing, edging, and ice cream!

We have pretty bright kids, but I can’t say they’re smarter than everyone else’s.  I certainly can’t say ours are the sweetest or most thoughtful children.  In fact, sometimes they can be rotten.  And they’re not the fastest, most athletic, most social, or cutest (although they’re pretty darn cute!).

But I can say that Evan must be the happiest baby around.  Squeals, screams, and giggles just constantly abound from his mouth, right from his belly.  Strangers constantly comment on how silly he’s being, how happy he is.  By all observation, he really must be having an awesome childhood and is simply just enjoying life.

Take last Saturday- We spent the day at the Agricultural Heritage Museum for their Chuckwagon Cook-Off.  Evan enjoyed the kids’ area… dropping balls in buckets, throwing bean bags, laying ropes over PVC pipe (redneck golf), sitting on the tractors, etc.  He had a constant smile and squeal.  I’m really not sure he could have had any more fun.

And this week- We spent our days outside in the beautiful Texas spring weather.  We gardened, watered, played on the swings, and searched for bugs.  Ben and Evan even ran around the yard with Sophie making all kinds of noise.  I’m sure the neighbors wondered what was going on!

And today- Evan had a great time playing with his toys and then heading outside.  He even got to discover and splash in some puddles.  The excitement was contagious, as we all laughed at how much fun he was having and how dirty he was getting.  In the end, he was covered in mud and grass and had to go straight to the bath.

Good times! 

It was an exhausting day!!!

All of Curington’s first grade classes had a field trip to Main Plaza.  So Evan and I tagged along, photographed the event, and joined in on the fun.  It was something of a field day- they had a bean bag toss, hula hoop competitions, soccer ball dribbling, three-legged races, jump roping, washer toss, face painting, picnic lunch, etc.  The kids had a blast, and Ben got to share cookies to celebrate his big day.

Then we headed to Emerald Family Fun Center to try it out for the first time.  Indoors, they had a big train table, a dozen inflatable bounce castles and obstacle courses, an arcade, and a bowling alley.  Outdoors was a putt-putt golf course.  Evan was glued to the train table most of the time.  But the boys did enjoy the bounce houses, and we all got to bowl.

Then it was off to O’Brien’s for dinner and home for cake.  And Ben got to open his gift from us- a couple of Mr. Putter and Tabby books.  “Make a Wish” and “Bake a Cake” were both about giving gifts and birthdays, both suited perfectly for his day.

Almost a month since my last post…

Evan has really been enjoying his gymnastics class and is learning about a word a day!

We’ve spent a couple of wonderful days out at our lot jumping on the trampoline, driving the power wheel, and exploring… even found an old horse shoe on one of our walks!

We had an awesome playdate with Morgan, Landon, and Madison during a school vacation day.

Nathan, Ben, and Evan spent a weekend with Larry and Debbie in Ft. Worth, including a trip to the children’s museum where they all had a blast.

While they were gone, I had a ladies’ night. A bunch of friends showed up for appetizers, desserts, and margaritas! We had a great time shopping with Partylite and Premier Designs Jewelry and visiting with each other.

Then I got the wonderful gift of a week without Evan hanging off of me! Granmom Debbie and Papa Larry got to enjoy (and put up with ) the little guy while I… edited and ordered several clients’ orders, collected paperwork and inputed numbers for my taxes, ran errands by myself, took a couple of naps, caught up on some phone calls, made it to the dentist for the first time in years, etc.

We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon of snowfall.  It was fun and was a gorgeous sight, even though it didn’t stick around.

And we just had a great weekend with the family. On Saturday Debbie, Larry, Bobby, and Loretta joined us for the Cub Scout banquet. Hungry Horse supplied a yummy meal; the silent auction made lots of money for our pack; almost all of the boys in attendance earned their rank or an award. (Ben earned his full-fledge TIGER RANK, and I even received a plaque to thank me for all my volunteer hours). Then we spent some time visiting with ”Uncle” Myk, even got in an afternoon out at the lot to show him around, to talk and dream about the future development, and plan future tubing trips. (can’t wait!!!)

Ben earned his Bobcat badge a couple of weeks ago, meaning that he has finished all of the introductory steps to Cub Scouts (learned and recited the motto, promise, and law of the pack).

At that meeting he also earned a handful of new beltloops- weather, astronomy, hiking, collecting, and map and compass.  He has been busy!!!

Then he was able to build and race his own race car at the Pinewood Derby.  Racing four times, his camo-painted car came in 4th, 3rd, 3rd, and then 2nd… giving him a 7th place standing overall out of 14 boys.

And last week, he got to go on a stockshow and rodeo outing.  At the Boy Scouts’ area he got to learn more about the history of the group as well as take a mock rock climbing photo, acquire a new penny for his pressed penny collection, and participate in an obstacle course.  Then we toured several buildings and exhibits throughout the stockshow so that he could earn a new patch.

What fun he is having!  And he’s learning so much!

What could be better than a four-day weekend for Ben?  A four-day weekend full of neat activities!

Friday, I let him enjoy the wii.  And since it rained all day, he played all day long!  By the time Nathan got home, Ben had completed several levels on Lego Star Wars.

Saturday’s focus was the pinewood derby workshop.  All the Cub Scouts met up at church to turn their pine wood blocks into awesome racing machines!  We cannot wait for the race!  (Saturday, January 30th if you want to come watch.)

Yesterday was the Monster Jam.  Ben, Nathan, and Papa Bobby spent the afternoon watching the monsters race, crash, and destroy.  Ben was super pumped about his exciting day with the guys.  (Happy birthday, Papa!)

And today was a playdate with friends Morgan and Landon.  Everyone had a great time here at our house, so we then headed to Burger King for more time together.  And since everyone was still playing so well, Ben was invited and got to go over to their house for more fun.  (Thanks, Paula!)