Happy 1st Birthday, Lilliann Elizabeth!

I'm still trying to catch up on the blog so…

Happy 1st birthday to my beautiful niece,  Lilliann Elizabeth!  She turned one on August 18th.  She is the sweetest, happiest, and most beautiful little one year old I know.  She laughs at everything.  She loves to explore and experience things.  She is a miracle baby who brings all of us joy.  We love you, Lilliann, and we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you.

Summer Highlights 2013

Summer came and went.  It was a hot one but we made the best of it.  We stayed busy and we had FUN!  It always takes me a bit to shake the summer off.  I begin the school year a bit sad and nostalgic every year.  We made fun memories this past summer and we look forward to many more summers of fun!

We met one of my dearest friends, Kerri, and her boys at the zoo.  

The kids had a lot of fun riding the train through the zoo

The boys texted us this picture one day when they were with Ms. Schadler.  I love it so much!

Daddy took Harper for a manicure one afternoon when Claire had a play date

Daddy took Claire a few weeks later...

We LIVED in the pool!

Grandma and I took the kids to the Natural Bridges Wildlife Ranch.  This was AMAZING!!  We fed wild African animals from our car windows.  I LOVED this adventure. (and the kids REALLY LOVED it!)

Harper and Chris hanging out of Grandma's car as we tour the ranch. 

D and my Dad took the boys fishing.  It was big fun!  Everyone caught fish and had fun just being boys!

There were lots of days spent in the pool and some HOT afternoons spent snuggling on the couch.

Claire, Leah and Lily attended Austin High's Red Jacket Drill Team camp while I worked in my classroom. They had a blast!

I took the girls to a dinosaur exhibit that came to town.  The girls had a blast, but they were not very scared by it.  Ha! 

California Love 2013 - A Wedding and an Anniversary

We kicked off our trip to California with my sister Catherine's wedding.  I posted this backwards on accident, so it begins with Napa/San Fran and ends with the wedding but we actually went in the opposite order.  It was a wonderful time.  We ate and drank our way through California.  It was a trip we will never forget and a trip we will most definitely repeat.  We have never left our girls for that long.  We enjoyed each other a lot and we missed the girls a lot too.  We owe a big thank you to the Nixes (aka Mimi and Papa) for keeping the girls while we were gone.  We are so blessed!

We stayed at the wonderful Hotel Yountville.  It lived up to everything you hear.  AMAZING!

After we spent an afternoon biking through the town, we stopped for our first glass of Napa wine at ad hoc.

We knocked an item off our bucket list by getting a chance to eat at French Laundry.  It was a show!  I will never experience another evening like that.  It was amazing!

Eating a Cab grape on the way to our first winery.

In the heart of Napa 

Another wonderful day of Napa wine tasting

Here's to many more fun celebrations…  On to San Francisco!

Our hotel in San Fran

Chinatown

Trolley ride

On the ferry on the way to Sausalito 

A really special day in Sausalito

Catherine and Toni's wedding was a very special event.  We all flew out to San Diego to be with them on their special day.  My Uncle joined us too who we had not seen for close to 15 years.  So, it was special for many reasons.  It was a beautiful celebration and a great reminder that love is love, no matter what it looks like.

The 3 Cox sisters watching Cat get ready for the big event!

Mom and Dad with the beautiful bride

My Uncle Tige, my Dad, and my sweet husband

The beautiful married couple, Toni and Catherine

On the way to the reception

The whole family!

Vacation Bible School 2013

This year, Claire, Chris and Charlie attended VBS at Tarrytown United Methodist where Christi and the boys go to church.  We have been visiting there lately and we love it!  Claire loved VBS there and it was really fun for her to attend with her cousins.  Charlie and Claire were in the same group, and Chris was placed in a separate group.  All had a blast!  Harper enjoyed her special time alone with Grandma and Pops, for Mommy was taking a course on UT campus that week.  Next year, sweet Harper, you will FINALLY be old enough to go to VBS too.  :-)  The CD from VBS is a car favorite and "Gotta be brave, gotta be strong and courageous" is stuck in our heads most of the time.  It was a blessed week learning about trusting the Lord and accepting all of His blessings. 

Chris holding his candle

Claire wearing her VBS shirt

Claire enjoying the chicken the day the petting zoo visited TTUMC

Sweet Charlie

Happy cousins on RED day!  Harper, I promise you will FINALLY be old enough to go next year.

HOT POTATO!  The expression on Claire's face is priceless!  She is having so much fun!

30 years of fun and continuing...

Monica, Liz and I have been friends for somewhere around 30 years.  We went to elementary school together, junior high, high school.  We were cheerleaders together at good ol' Mac High.  Monica and I pledged Tri Delt together and lived together for two years.  Liz went off the Ole Miss but the three of us stayed incredibly close.  We were bridesmaids in each other's weddings, present when our newborns were itty bitty, and we continue to make memories.  This year, we took the kids to Monica's in-laws lake house.  We had so much fun!  The kids got along beautifully and the adults stayed up WAY TOO late (and drank WAY TOO much wine!)   We are forever friends...  It was such a treat to spend quality time with Monica and Liz, and also such a treat to see them with their sweet children.

Back row - Harper, Graham, Curt followed by the front row Wynn, Claire and Kyla

The girls having a pajama dance party.

All the kids geared up to head out to the lake for some fun in the sun!

Harper and Kyla were inseparable!  Sweet girls...

An Armbrister 4th of July

The Armbristers came to town and stayed out at Barton Creek to celebrate the 4th of July.  Barton Creek didn't host the fireworks show until the 6th so we headed out there to spend the day with their wonderful family!  Lucy and Claire are the exact same age; Penny and Harper are also the same age.  It is so much fun to catch up with two adults that we both love SO much and also to watch their two beautiful girls grow up.  We had so much fun, so THANK YOU to the Armbristers for including us in a wonderful day & night.

One of my favorite ladies in the world, Mrs. Brooke Armbrister

Lucy and Claire, the dynamic duo

Daren, Cody, Miss Precious Penny & Brooke

The foursome before we head for dinner at The Grove

Being silly in their hotel room

The Armbristers with all the kids waiting on the fireworks to begin