Happy Father's Day 2013

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy to our sweet girls.  I have loved you for a long time now, and I love you exponentially more watching you be a father.  They think you hung the moon, Daren, and I think they are right.  I love you so much and I am so thankful that you are the father of our children.  Seeing you through Claire and Harper's eyes is pure perfection.  I am so proud of you and I am happy to celebrate you on Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the man who has shown me strength, courage, and the value of hard work.  Thank you also for teaching me how to let loose and have fun.  As a father and a Pops, you have never missed a single thing my girls or I have participated in, and you have always been one of my biggest cheerleaders in life.  Thank you for always teaching me integrity and honesty, and also for teaching me to find the humor in tough times.  You are one helluva father and an amazing Pops.  The girls love you to pieces and  I love you, Dad!

Happy Father's Day to the man who raised the man I love so deeply.  You should be so proud of the job you've done as a father.  Thank you for being such a wonderful role model in all of our lives, and for providing my family a lifetime of memories and adventure.  You are a wonderful father and a fantastic Papa.  We are all so lucky!  Love you, Johnny!

A Very Belated Birthday post

Poor Daren...  Somewhere in the mix of me updating the blog, I left his birthday celebration out.  I love you, babe!  I am so thankful you were born.  Happy 36th Birthday!

Christi, D and I had a birthday night out at Botticelli's.  We had so much fun!!

Birthday dinner to celebrate D's 36th!

The Nixes drove in for brunch at Moonshine to celebrate Daren

The next night, D's birthday celebration continued...  We went to see Hangover 3 at Alamo Drafthouse.  We honestly can not remember the last movie we have seen together that wasn't G rated.  We had a blast.

Then, we ended the night at The Goodnight for some revelry.  We hung out and people watched. 

Harper's dance recital

Harper's dance recital this year was great!  Her dance was "Over the Rainbow," and she loved getting all dressed up for the big event.  Harper especially loved being the center of attention.  We weren't allowed to video or take pictures during the show, so I filmed her recital dress rehearsal where she lost her shoe, she left stage to ask to go potty, etc...  She did a great job during the real recital (not that she wasn't great in practice), but she was much more focused during the real show.  :-)  Harper loves dance and we hope to continue dancing throughout the years.  Our other dancer (Miss Claire Bear) retired her shoes this year and hasn't missed dance one bit.  She did, however, request to be allowed to wear recital make-up and hair for Harper's recital, so we obliged. 

You can watch Harper's dress rehearsal performance at the following link:
http://youtu.be/KaVHsbz89l8

Our little ballerina girl before the dress rehearsal

During dress rehearsal

Dress rehearsal run-through - Harper and Charlotte doing arabesques.

Harper's fan club (minus Grandma and Papa who were parking cars AND Mimi the photographer taking the picture)

Claire and Harper on the recital day!  Both in full hair and make-up despite having only one dancer in the recital.

The girls had to be backstage for almost an hour.  One stage Mom allowed and one teacher, so the smart Mom who brought the IPad for the girls to watch wins the prize!

Practicing her arabesque

Christi, the boys and Grandma with Harper post-recital

Holding all her roses

Mimi and Harper

Papa and Harper

Proud family - Way to go, Harper!

Grandma, Pops and the star!

All the littles

LaLa, Lilliann, and Harper

School's out for summer!

The last day of school was Wednesday.  It was Claire's last day at Hill Elementary.  Our new house is zoned for a different elementary school.  Hill has been an incredible school, and Claire really thrived there.  Her last day of school was packed with school and then a pool party to celebrate.  I can't believe she will be a 1st grader next year.  Of course, Harper's last day of school was also on Wednesday since Mommy is a teacher.  When school's out for Mommy, school's out for Harper!  YAY FOR SUMMER!

Claire's last day as a Hill Dillo Kindergartener!

The fam on Claire's last day of school!  Harper's too since Mommy doesn't work in the summer.  :-)  YAY for SUMMER!

Dax and Claire hula hooping at the End of Year party

Ava, Siona, and Claire at the EOY party

Our 1st summer morning - we swam all morning long!

Movie afternoons are fun too!

Gymkhana, Kickball...and Taylor Swift

We went to Chris's gymkhana (end of year performance) and I was so impressed.  He is really good at gymnastics, and we had such a good time watching him perform.  I can't believe all that they are able to teach a 7 year old!?  Way to go, Chris!  He did a great job!  Kickball finished up for Claire.  The Purple Cheetahs were a sweet group of girls who had a great time playing kickball.  Claire seemed to have more fun playing in the dirt and cheerleading, but I did get some nice action shots of a few of her shining moments.  Ha!  Daren and I surprised Claire with tickets to see Taylor Swift.  Those of you who know her well know how OBSESSED she is with her, and I have to admit that Mommy has quite the affinity, as well.  I will try to post some videos of her at the concert, because there is no way to do justice in writing to how excited Claire was throughout the duration of the entire concert.  Worth every penny... 

Chris on the bars

Chris on the floor

At the trophy ceremony

Christi and Chris

This was only a few days after Pops had returned home from Mayo Clinic following his surgery, but he still came to support Chris!  Pops is so strong and so special.  He doesn't miss a thing his grandkids do and it means the world to each of them!

The Purple Cheetahs

Claire fielding a ball and about to run it to 1st base

Kick and run

We took a pedicab from our car to the concert!  She LOVED it!

Claire can hardly contain her excitement in this picture! 

Here are several clips of Claire Bear enjoying Taylor Swift:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkuWWSvto6Y&list=UU9C2si1UYpigVa4253ZZ8rw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhaNaZy2Gms&list=UU9C2si1UYpigVa4253ZZ8rw

Mother's Day 2013

We celebrated Mother's Day this year in Houston with Becky.  We also wanted to be with Lashelle on her first Mother's Day.  It was a fun weekend!  We got to see Lashelle's new house and visit the TWO parks that are within walking distance of her new home.  Lilliann is going to love that as she grows up.  Mother's Day is a special day for me for obvious reasons.  It is always nice to be appreciated and loved.  I feel so unbelievably blessed!  I love getting to celebrate sweet Becky.  She is not just a mother in law, but also a very special lady who is a wonderful mother.  It was special to celebrate Lashelle as a Mom, and is even more special to be a part of her journey as a new Mom.  Before we went to Houston, I got to go to Harper's school for a Mother's Day Tea.  It was wonderful.  She was SO excited to celebrate me which was really touching!  Claire was so cute too.  The letter below is one of about 10 that she made me that week.  The one below was my personal favorite, but trust me, I cherish all of them.  It was really special, because I then made it home in time to celebrate my Mom.  My Mom is the textbook definition of what it means to love strongly, unconditionally, honestly, and wholly.  I admire her love for my sisters and me, and her love for her grandchildren is amazing. 

From Claire: "This is even how much I love you - tally marks, hearts, and circles.  I don't have very much room to show you how much I love you."  Melted my heart.

My friend, Katie, covered a class for me at my school so that I could attend Harper's Mother's Day Tea.  It was adorable.  This picture is of her bringing me a rose and her card which read "My Mommy is the best because she snuggles with me, she loves on my tummy, and she reads me lots of books."  Love it!

Harper and I at the Mother's Day tea

This year, we spent Mother's Day in Houston with Becky, and also with Lashelle for her first Mother's Day.  On Saturday, we took a walk to the park by Lashelle's new house.  I set my camera up on the bridge and got this picture.  Not bad! 

My life, my heart, my soul...the two reasons I get to celebrate this day as a Mother.

All the Nix Mommies and all the girls

My Mom and I on Mother's Day

Our Sea World Adventure

We planned a trip to meet some friends at Sea World in early May.  Our good friends, Sarah and Jeremy, are due to have twins very soon and it was one last fun hurrah for sweet Easton and their family of three before they quickly become a family of five.  Sarah was an unbelievable trooper!!!  She hung all day long with 6 kids and 4 grownups who acted like kids.  Ha!  Daren was on a fishing trip, so I braved it alone to San Antonio to see everyone.  I am so glad I did.  We had such a great time.  My kids are still talking about our adventures.  Gavin, Claire, and Harper braved one of the roller coasters with Trey, Jeremy, and I.  That was one of my personal favorite memories, as we climbed up the mountain and then turned backwards seeing Harper and Claire's faces fill with both terror and excitement.  It was a priceless moment.  Another favorite is when Paige and I rode the Great White roller coaster.  Holy moly!  It was so much fun, and we laughed so hard.  There were tears streaming down our faces and we peed our pants.  Yes, both of us.  I guess that's what happens after multiple child births. :-)  Another favorite moment was watching my girls get their faces painted.  They both loved it and loved prancing around afterwards showing off their newly painted faces. 

Easton, Gavin, Libby, Lyla, Claire, and Harper at the Sea World entrance.  I still can't believe we got everyone to look and almost everyone smiling.

I love this picture of the kids as they pass through the penguin exhibit.  Harper was repulsed with the fact that penguins "smell like a dirty potty."  Despite the odor, the kids loved the penguins.  I kept thinking about how brave Sarah was to go through that exhibit with that horrid smell and pregnancy nose.

Harper standing with Shamu

There's Shamu! 

Me, Sarah and Paige at Elmo's Bay of Play

The big kids about to ride the Abby Cadabby roller coaster.  And yes, I rode it.  I am facing them with brave Harper girl who decided to ride it with the big kids!

The big kids wanted to sit in the Splash Zone, so they did.  Libby, Harper, and all of the adults opted out of the Splash Zone and sat  close behind them.

Claire bear kept trying to hold hands with every kiddo on the trip.  Finally, she found a taker in sweet Easton.  They held hands for lots of the day.

Every princess needs some face paint!