Spring Break 2013 - Ruidoso, NM

The day we were to be out of our house forever is also the day we packed up and left on our 10 hour trek to Ruidoso, NM.  It was a fairly easy drive, and the girls did great.  We spent the night at a decent motel in Post, TX and got to Ruidoso in the afternoon on Sunday.  Throughout the week, we skiied, rode horses, spent the day at an amusement park, hiked, relaxed, watched movies, and acted so silly!  We made wonderful family memories to last a lifetime.  It was a great trip.

Panther Lodge - This was our home for the week.  It was INCREDIBLE!  And it was just what the Dr. ordered after a few very long and stressful weeks.

This picture is in front of one of our favorite Ruidoso restaurants, Cafe Rio.

We came, we saw, we skiied.  Well, sort of...  The girls had lessons.  D and I took the gondola to the very top of the mountain and skiied all the way down.  That was our day on the slopes!  It was one of the most exhausting days of parenting thus far.  Skiing with two young'uns is no joke!  D and I decided that one day was enough until Miss Harper was old enough to be in ski school.

The girls on Apache Mountain

Harper LOVED making snow angels.  She spent a lot of time laying in the snow.

On the gondola

The next day we rode horses on a trail ride through the mountains.  It was beautiful.  Harper liked it a lot, but Claire especially loved it since she got to ride alone on her own pony.

Big girl about to take off on her horse

The next day we made a day at an amusement park in Ruidoso.  We rode go carts, played miniature golf, got lost in the mountain maze and more...  Harper and I rode together in the go carts.  I can't think of another time in little Harper's life that she has laughed harder or had more fun!  SHE LOVED THE GO CARTS!!!

Claire and Daddy rode the go carts together. Claire loved it too! 

We entered a mountain maze.  The goal was to find the letters that spell MAZE and then find your way out.  Claire had a blast doing this.  Harper and Daddy lost interest before we even found M and they found the exit and took it.  Mommy and Claire were in the maze for at least an hour collecting all four letters.  Claire got very competitive, took it very seriously, and had a blast!

One of the girls' favorite things about the trip was that they got to have sister slumber parties each night.  They loved the special time together, and Daddy and I were extremely lenient about bed time talking.  :-)  Eavesdropping made for lots of laughs for Mommy & Daddy.

Little Miss Sunshine Bear

One of the days we hiked the fitness trail. The girls loved it because there were logs set up for people to do agilities, or rather balance beams for the girls to do gymnastics.  :-)

Mommy captured a sweet moment of Daddy and his girls.  Boy, how they love him!

Sweet Claire Bear

Harper LOVES to ride on shoulders.  Her face says it all.

I love this picture - Harper is in deep conversation on her pretend Barbie phone; Claire is talking to an imaginary friend sharing the stick with her.

Claire on Daddy's shoulders.  She LOVES to be on shoulders too.

The fam on the hike

The fam

Sisters

Goodbye Ceberry Drive!

Late January, we began the process of getting our house ready to sell.  By mid February, it was on the market...FOR ONE DAY!  We received an incredible offer on the very first day and the only thing they really wanted from us is for us to move AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!  Holy moly!  It's been a whirlwind.  Between juggling a full time job, two sweet little girls, packing, boxing, selling, goodwilling (is that a verb?), and using the GOT JUNK truck, it's been BUSY!  March 8 was our final day on Ceberry Drive.  While we made many incredible memories there, we are excited for the new chapter in our lives.  We have bought a home in our same neighborhood that we gutted down to the studs.  Daren and I have had a wonderful time picking out materials and designing our dream home.  I still have to pinch myself sometimes, because we are so blessed and all of this has happened so fast.  We are living with my parents right now until the house finishes.  We are grateful that they have opened their home for us, and we look forward to a new chapter in our new home.  Stay tuned for house updates...

Happy 65th, Mimi!

We celebrated Mimi's 65th birthday this past weekend and it was so much fun!  Mimi wanted to take all of her girls to the Houston Children's Museum.  It was a great place and the girls loved it!  Miss Lilliann was, as always, such a trooper.  We are so grateful for sweet Mimi.  She enjoys the quality time, the special moments, and the fun experiences with her grandkids.  Mimi is all about making memories.  She is so sweet and fun loving.  The girls are all so lucky to have Mimi in their lives and we look forward to celebrating many more birthday celebrations for Mimi.

Happy 65th Birthday to our special Mimi!!!

Yay!  We are finally at the museum and we decided to mock the mannequin.  :-)

Climbing the levered chair

Papa and Claire enjoying the museum together

Uh oh...Look who's driving! 

Harper the scientist - She had so much fun in this room that it took a million photos just to capture one moment of her still enough for no blurriness.

Claire the scientist

Harper driving - watch out, world!

Group shot at the end of the museum trip.  It was a lot of fun!

 Mommy got a new camera.  I played with it while I was in Houston and got some really sweet pictures of my sweet, sweet girls.

This kid can't get enough of the wagon.  I really think she'd sleep there if she could which is why I loved capturing this moment of Harper resting against the wagon handle.

SWING!

Mommy snuggles...

My beautiful girl loves to pick flowers in Mimi's beautiful yard.

And, she LOVES to swing!

I love this picture because Claire had no idea I was taking a picture while she was picking flowers.  I was a solid 20 feet away from her.  She loves nature; she loves to stop and  smell the flowers.

Sweet, beautiful girl picking a flower for her Mimi...

Whirlwind February - is it already March?

Birthday parties, kickball practices, bike riding adventures, a trip to Houston, Claire's 1st lost tooth, the Hill Book Fair, and more...  February was BUSY!  We blinked and it is over.  Here is a sneak peek at our February:

Audrey's dance party gang - Harper was hysterical at this party.  She was totally in her element.

Harper cutting a rug at Audrey's dance party

Being silly at Hope's birthday party

Ava & Claire playing with their bow and arrow balloons at Hope's birthday party

Fun at John Barker's construction party!

Wagon rides with Mimi

Claire and Papa

Sliding with Papa

Stevie Ray Vaughn and Claire...taking a bike riding break!

A Blueberry Muffin sighting at Zilker Park riding her bike, or a Harper who insisted upon wearing her Blueberry Muffin costume - whichever you prefer!

Claire lost her first tooth.  The tooth fairy came and she got $5 for her first tooth!

Hill's Book Fair was a blast for Claire. She loves to read and loves that she is now able to read them on her own.   The school library was transformed to a Libratory!!  Dax and Claire are really good friends.  His Mommy sent me this picture on the day of the book fair and I love it!  Claire came home with 3 chapter books that she has devoured.  She's growing up!

Harper really wants to dress herself these days.  She does a pretty good job most days!  Look at our pretty girl growing up...

This is the kickball pep rally.  Claire's precious coaches made them cheetah masks!  Go PURPLE CHEETAHS! In case you can't tell which cheetah is ours, she is in stripes on the left.  :-)

Running the bases at kickball practice

Learning to kick and run to first base