The Hills of Texas

Happy Halloween, Hills!

2011-11-01T05:17:00.001-07:00

This October we had a blast.

Heather made some great costumes this year. Luke wanted to be a spider, and Olivia went out as a glittery ballerina. They went around the block, and brought in a huge load of goodies. What do we do with all this candy. Mark doesn’t give out candy, typically, for Halloween. This year it was glow in the dark snakes, fake cockroaches, little spinners, and stretchy aliens. As he handed out the goodies, a few kids asked him if he was a dentist.

And Olivia helped dad open and gut out the pumpkins. Both kids helped carve the pumpkins; Olivia’s is a cat, and Luke’s is a scary face.

There was a supper cool Halloween Party at the Carlson’s back yard were we did some awesome Hokey Pokey. As usual, Luke was right in the thick of the dancing, but surprisingly, this year so was Olivia.

Overall a very memorable Halloween.

A Year at the Magik Theater

2011-08-15T14:05:00.001-07:00

A Month of Fun

2011-08-06T17:58:00.001-07:00

The Taylor family gets together every summer over the Fourth of July for week of fun. The kids and I usually end up staying longer. This year we were gone for close to four weeks.

Taylor Family 2011

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

DOWNLOAD ALL

After a week with all of the Taylor cousins, we got in the car (my dad’s car) and drove 14 hours to Oregon to see the Hill cousins.

Oregon Trip 2011

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

DOWNLOAD ALL

Happy Anniversary!!

2011-08-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

10 years ago, I married my best friend. It has been 10 wonderful years and I can't imagine life without him. To celebrate our anniversary, we went on a little trip to Las Vegas.

We has a great time just being away and being together. In our typical fashion, we didn't take many pictures

On our way back to Provo to meet up with the kids, we stopped at Cedar Breaks National Monument and did some hiking. It was beautiful and a spot we have never been.

Cedar Breaks is at about 10,000 feet and they still had snow. Coming from Texas, it was fun to hike through and see snow again.

May 2011

2011-06-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

So many things happened in May and being the end of the school year, I didn't have time to update my blog. Actually this year, my blog has really taken a back seat to everything else in my life. We had a slightly tragic mishap yesterday that resulted in erasing all of our pictures from 2001 to 2008 from our main computer and were not successful loaded onto the disc they were supposed to have burned on. So I am recommitting myself to my blog. Here is May in a nutshell.

The kids both played soccer with YMCA. Luke’s team was the Blue Sharks and Olivia’s team was the Blue Stars. It took a while for them to get their shirts so they both sported their “Jimmer” shirts. Thanks Grandma!!

Luke went camping with Mark and the scouts. Luke loves to go and be one of the big boys and the boys are really good about letting him be one of the boys.

Olivia and I spent quite a bit of time perfecting our hoola hoop talents. I don’t like to brag but if we entered a “Who can hoola hoop the longest contest” we would totally win.

Olivia graduated from preschool. She loved preschool and Ms. Eva and Ms. Bailey are the best. She misses them a lot.

Luke received some awards at the first grade awards ceremony. I had to work that day so Mark stepped in to support him. He took the “old” camera so the picture isn’t too hot but we sure are proud of him. He learned so much in first grade and is reading like a rock star!

Here we are each striking a pose, even Marko.

Happy Birthday Olivia

2011-06-06T19:13:00.001-07:00

My sweet little girl turned five years old. Mark and I have both noticed how much she has grown up in the past few months. It makes us sad to see our baby grow up.

For her birthday, Olivia wanted a family birthday party plus Hannah. We had cake and opened presents at our house, then went to Inflatable Wonderland.

Olivias Party

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

DOWNLOAD ALL

Bounce House fun

It’s A Two-fer

2011-06-06T18:36:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough this year to have my birthday on Mother’s Day. I have been telling Mark for the past 7 years that my birthday and Mother’s Day are to be separate but equal celebrations. This year, he out-did himself. How did I get so lucky to be married to him.

Easter!

2011-04-25T21:18:00.001-07:00

We had invited the Missionaries, David Sticklebault and his girls Hannah, Miriam, and also Kendall Harris over for a nice Easter Dinner on Saturday. Afterwards, we had lots of fun decorating eggs .

Mama has a real talent for this.

Then on Easter morning we had an egg hunt in the backyard. It seems that the plastic eggs with candy and coins had more appeal than the hardboiled ones we had decorated the night before.

Luke gave a talk in primary about the events in the last week of the Saviors life and his death and resurrection.

Olivia sums it up in the clip below. Easter!

Olivia's and the EB

Happy Birthday Luke the Duke

2011-04-23T14:21:00.001-07:00

View Full Album

For Luke’s seventh birthday he wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese. We went on a week night so it wasn’t too crazy. Luke picked out a soccer cake from Costco (the best cakes!). And his favorite present was a Geronimo Stilton book that he started reading right there at the party.

My Sweet Olivia

2011-04-23T13:25:00.001-07:00

Olivia is such a sweet little girl. I was looking through my photos and feeling guilty about neglecting my blog, and I found a few random pictures of my little princess.

Crazy sock day at preschool. These socks came in a two pack that we split up for crazy sock day. She now wears them as her soccer socks.

Rock climing at our YMCA. She was very brave.

Olivia has wanted curly hair for a long time now. I finally bought some foam curlers and a hair net to give it a try. She slept in these curlers all night long and sure enough, she had curly hair in the morning.

Unfortunately, it only stayed in for about an hour. Any advice??

I Guess I am Getting Old

2011-03-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Olivia asked me how old I was. I told her I was 37. She said, "37 is in the 30's." I said, "Why yes it is." I was feeling a little closer to 30 that 40 at that point. Then, she said, "That means you are almost 100." Then I didn't feel closer to 30 anymore. Mark thought it was hilarious.

We went sledding!!

2010-12-10T17:13:00.001-08:00

View Full Album

As part of the “Festival of Angels”, a city nearby made a snow hill for the kids to sled on. The festival is in the evening but Mark got an email from the city inviting us to enjoy the snow in the afternoon. There were only two other families there and we played on the snow hill for over an hour. It was about 78 degrees out which I think is perfect sledding weather. I think we will have to make it a tradition.

Grandma and Grandpa are Coming for Christmas!

2010-11-14T17:09:00.000-08:00

My kids are starting to get excited about Christmas. They are studying the toy catalogs that come in the mail and asking "how long until Christmas?" They are especially excited that Grandma and Grandpa Taylor are coming for Christmas. They other night, Olivia was saying her prayers. After she had blessed all of the regulars she said, "And Jesus, please tell Santa that Grandma and Grandpa will be at our house for Christmas." It was so sweet, I almost cried. I hope she keeps this innocence for as long as possible.

October Fun!

2010-11-12T17:02:00.001-08:00

This year we bought season tickets to the Magik Theater, a children's theater downtown. The first play was "Petite Rouge", a Cajun version of "Little Red Riding Hood". It was hilarious and kids loved it!

Another weekend, we took the kids to a local pumpkin patch. There was a small hay bale maze that they had fun playing hide a seek in, we had our faces painted and I think the kids had the most fun on this hay fort they could climb on and leap from one side to the other.

For Halloween we were a Super Hero family. Luke was Batman, Olivia was Supergirl, Mark and I had super hero t-shirts. We went to a Trunk-or-Treat at the church then to a party at a friends house.

At the party, there was a small haunted house built in a tree house. At the end, my friend Teressa was dressed as a witch stirring a cauldron of homemade root beer. She was having fun telling the kids all of the gross things she put in her cauldron like lizard blood and rat tails and then she said that it tastes better with some spit in it. She told the kids to spit in it so it would taste better. We later found out that when she turned her head, Luke really did spit into the cauldron. Thankfully only one person saw him do it and everyone who drank it has survived. It makes a mom proud :)

Luke is very talented!

2010-09-18T16:21:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday at church, Luke's Sunday School teacher was teaching a lesson about talents. She asked the kids if they had any talents. Luke raised his hand and said, "I have a talent, I can do the Luke." He then stood up and talked through each step in a dance move which is apparently called the Luke. What a ham! I think he should have raised his hand and said "I have a talent, I have charisma."

We had to see the Dinosaurs before they left

2010-09-04T15:18:00.001-07:00

The Witte Museum has had a traveling exhibit with animated dinosaurs for the last few months. I don’t know if I have mentioned this but I have been a little busy for the last few months. Well this is the last weekend of the exhibit so we had to go and see the dinosaurs. Luke is very into dinosaurs and can name about 25 different types.

One last picture with my sweetie. Anyone who knows him knows that he is hard to catch on film.

One last for this post of me and my sweetie. Anyone who knows him, knows that he is hard to catch in a picture.

First Day of School

2010-08-29T17:48:00.001-07:00

View Full Album

Luke and Olivia started school this week. Luke is in first grade and Olivia is in 4 year old preschool (a.k.a. pre-K). They were both so excited. Because I am working full-time this year, Mark took them to school. It was kind of hard not to be there for their first day of school but they didn’t seem to miss me.

A week in Waterton

2010-08-10T17:32:00.001-07:00

We had an incredible week in Canada in the middle of July with Heather’s family. On the way up we stopped at Mark’s brother’s home in Helena, MT to play with the Hill cousins.

We spent the majority of the week in Waterton, the Canadian side of Glacier National Park. We saw deer, beautiful lakes, some amazing waterfalls, swarms of giant mosquitoes, incredible mountain scenery and even some bears.

Temperatures ranged from the 50s at night to the 80s on the hot days, and there were rain showers almost every night. Most of the families stayed at a “cabin”, which was really a nice vacation home in Waterton township with tons of bedrooms and plenty of space. Where we played with cousin shooting marshmallow arrows.

Then we went on all sorts of hikes with fishing and fun on the surrounding lakes in inflatable dinghies and kayaks.

We even went biking around the township to site see and to get Tiger flavored ice cream. We squeezed 17 people into am 11 passenger van.

We also got to visit Magrath (where Heather’s dad was raised)for the Taylor reunion, and Lethbridge (where Heather was born), to see Great Grandma Low

It was a vacation to remember!

Summer Fun in Utah

2010-08-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

We spent a few weeks in Utah this summer visiting a lot of family and having a lot of fun. We went to Lagoon with the Taylor cousins. Here is the little crew, they are ages 7,6,5,4 and 3.

We spent an afternoon with the Fajardo’s. Spencer took Luke fishing. He was so proud that he caught a fish; even if it was just 3” long.

Hiking to Bridal Veil Falls. The water was so cold.

We went to the Dinosaur Museum at Thanks Giving Point.

I took the kids to BYU to the art museum and the bookstore. Unfortunately, my camera’s battery died after this picture.

We had so much fun, we had to stop every once in a while to catch our breath. But the best part of the trip was playing with all of the cousins and playing with Grandma. I wish we lived closer to family so we could see them more than once a year.

Summer is Here

2010-06-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

Well summer is officially here and we have been trying to squeeze in all of the fun we can. Here are a few of the things we have done so far. Or at least the ones that I remembered to take my camera with me. We took the kids to see Toy Story 3 in 3D with the Scotts. We hang out with then a lot. The Movie was cute but I don't see why we had to pay extra to see it in 3D. Olivia really got into it. She kept repeating the lines to me and laughing about everything and asking me "That was so funny, right?"

We went bowling for FHE with the Scotts. I don't know if this is blog worthy but, I cleaned up with a whopping 117 points.

And of course we are back in swim lessons. Olivia's teacher was Brandon but she was too shy to take a picture with him. Can't you tell how shy she is in this picture.

Here is Luke with he teacher Nicole. He is really doing well at swimming this year. He has gained a lot of confidence. It doesn't hurt that there was a very cute girl in his class that he followed around the whole time. He is quite the ladies man. He says, "The ladies like me for my smile." I think we are in big trouble.

The Butterfly Bush

2010-06-18T05:54:00.001-07:00

We were playing in a friend's backyard this week. She is a fantastic gardener. She had planted a butterfly bush and some lantana, they both attract butterflies. Luke went up the the butterfly bush and got a butterfly to land on his finger. It was pretty amazing because this butterfly stayed on his finger for a good 5-10 min. He walked all around showing the other kids "his" butterfly. He was so proud of his butterfly. Then, there was a small white droplet on his hand under the butterfly. He said that it was a butterfly egg. Olivia, who has made it her mission in life to keep Luke humble, had to announce that it was butterfly poop. And, the arguing began...

Happy Birthday Olivia

2010-05-30T15:22:00.001-07:00

Just like Luke, Olivia wanted to take doughnuts for her school treat. She chose donuts with pink icing and sprinkles. I think donuts are much better than cupcakes anyway. She was especially excited that they came from Shipley’s, our favorite donut shop.

She picked out her rainbow cake from Costco.

The kids played in the wading pools, the slip and slide and the water balloons.

She is so excited to be 4. She has been waiting for this day since Christmas. She has asked me at least once a week since Christmas, “When is it going to be my birthday, so I can be 4?”

Olivia's Short Summer Hair

2010-04-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

Olivia wanted a short hair cut like her friend Kayleigh at preschool. This picture doesn't really do it justice. It is super cute. It will be great for summer. It was her first trip to the salon. Usually I trim her hair.

Wild Flowers Part 2

2010-04-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

I don't remember the wildflowers ever being this beautiful before or lasting so long. They can be found on the side of the road/freeway or any empty lot. Here are some pictures of my kids in the flowers.

Olivia had crazy hair day at school, if you are wondering about all of the ponytails.

The Bluebonnets come out first. It is the state flower and I have been told that it is illegal to pick them. I don't know if this is true or not, it seems like an urban legend. We still don't pick them.

The sun was in Olivia's eyes but it was too cute to leave out.

Happy Easter

2010-04-11T18:18:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun this year celebrating Easter. We decorated eggs. My kids are getting pretty good at this precess. They used to just watch us do it. Now they can do it with just a little help.

Nice tongue Mark :(

Olivia colored all of her eggs pink, of course, with glitter and stickers.

The Easter Bunny brought baskets and hid eggs all around the house.

Then, we were invited to have dinner at the Schneider's house with the Scotts. They hid eggs in a field by their house so we got to hunt for eggs again.

The weather was perfect and Ethan did a really good job of hiding the eggs so it took the kids a long time to find them all. It was a great day!

The Wild Flowers are Beautiful This Year

2010-04-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

South Texas is known for the wild flowers that bloom in the spring. We had been in a drought for the last 2 years so we haven't seen much for wild flowers. This year the drought is over and the flowers are more beautiful than ever. Today is Good Friday and I had planned on taking my kids to get some pictures with the flowers. As you can see, there are no pictures. We are stuck at home because my car is the shop having a $300 valve replaced. Such is life. Maybe tomorrow.

A little bad news

2010-03-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think that it is hard being Luke's mom. Then, I realize that sometimes it must be hard being Luke. He has had tummy problems since he was a new born. He is allergic to milk, beef, pork and eggs. I keep hoping that he will one day outgrow his food allergies. I know people who have and have read that it is very common for kids to outgrow their food allergies. He is doing the opposite. I had him tested last week and he has now developed an allergy to peanuts in addition to the others. Needless to say, I am a little disappointed, heart broken and frustrated.

Luke is 6

2010-03-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

Luke turned six this week. We can't believe he is growing up so fast. He woke up two days after his birthday and he just looked older. I looked at him and said, "Who are you?" It is making Mark feel very old. Every year I try to scale down my kids birthdays and this year, being a working mom, I think we did it just right.

We started the celebrations with treats for his class at school. I surprized him with donuts from our favorite donut shop. It was a big hit. All the kids loved the donuts and the teacher appreciated that donuts are much cleaner than cupcakes. Besides that, store bought cupcakes are awful. The class sang "happy birthday" to Luke and he got to hit the birthday frog on the teacher's desk. It dances and sings a birthday song while the birthday kid gets to dance around. Very fun!

Then we had a small party at our house. Luke and Mark planned most of the games. Luke wanted a Pokemon birthday. No surprises there. Mark made t-shirts with different Pokemon's on each shirt. Mark is the best dad. He loves doing stuff like that. The kids got to pick their shirt and take it home.

They had balloon races. We put all of the balloons on the trampoline. They played catch that Pokemon and had silly string battles. The kids had a BLAST!

I made a Pokeball cake. I was pretty proud of that. And a pinata, of course.

Snow is South Texas?!?

2010-02-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

One of the "perks" of living in South Texas is having nice, mild winters. This year has been anything but. Today it is 37 degrees and yes, it snowed. CRAZY It didn't snow much, only some furries for about 20 min. It didn't stick to the ground but the kids got to see it and Olivia tried to catch some snow flakes on her tongue. The really crazy part is all of the people predicting school closures. For a small flurry, REALLY! I think I am ready for spring.

Happy Birthday Mark

2010-02-21T15:51:00.001-08:00

Mark is now 35 years old!! Though Olivia keeps saying that he is 65 years old, HEE HEE. We had a very low key party. We were on our way to Mr. Gatti's when Luke's pediatrician called to inform us that the strep test he had sent out two days ago came back positive. He seemed fine but we didn't want to spread it too far. So we stayed home and had pizza and yellow cake with chocolate icing. Mark's favorite.

After repeated requests from Mark for 2 years I finally splurged and bought him a Wii. I may regret this one day, but for now, he and Luke are having a great time.

Olivia's First Pair of Tap Shoes

2010-02-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

Olivia is all girl from her head to her toes. She has sat, patiently, through Luke's soccer practices and games and his karate lessons. She informed me that it was her turn and she wanted to do gymnastics and ballet. I enrolled her in a combo dance class that does tap, ballet and tumbling. She LOVES it. She loves wearing her leotard, she loves having her hair put up into pony tails (today she wanted two, one on each side), and she loves having something special just for her. She spends all week asking me when dance class is.

I loved my dance classes growing up and I have to confess that it took a large amount of will power not to buy a pair of tap shoes for me too. This is Olivia with her teacher Ms. Tiffani.

Chirstmas Day

2010-01-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas and it is just more fun with two little kids who believe in Santa. We love staying at home for Christmas and doing our own thing. The kids woke up around 7:30, Luke yelled from hid bedroom, "Mom! Santa came!" We played with the stockings on our bed for a while and went downstairs to this sight.

We opened presents slowly and played with them as we opened them. Around 8:30 we took a break and ate breakfast. We didn't finish opening presents until about 11. It was very nice. Luke got a two wheel scooter.

Olivia got a two wheel Barbie bike. She loved it but was a little upset that she had to take off the dress up skirt Grandma Taylor sent to ride the bike. It has training wheels and she rides like a pro.

Christmas Eve

2010-01-09T13:34:00.001-08:00

We were invited to spend Christmas Eve with our good friends the Scotts. We had a wonderful candlelight dinner and then put together a taveling nativity. We all wore costumes, Ethan wrote and script including songs and we went to a few houses performing our version of the Nativity. Luke and Olivia were Joseph and Mary, Ethan and Sam were shepherds, Mason, Spencer and Teressa were wise men/women, Mark was the angel Gabriel (Gabriel is a boy) and I was the star that led the wise men to the baby Jesus. It was a really fun way to spend Christmas Eve.

Rice Krispie Houses

2010-01-09T13:26:00.001-08:00

Instead of making gingerbread houses this year, we made Rice Krispy Treat houses. They were much easier to make and a lot better to eat! My friend, Monique, gave me a tip, she told me to use left over Halloween candy, which we always have a lot of because we don't really eat a lot of candy. That is why we have candy corns on our Christmas houses. The kids didn't care and I finally got rid of some candy!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

2010-01-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

San Antonio has a great Children's theater called the Magik Theater. The kids and I went to see The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It was great and Luke thought it was hilarious.

We went with a few good friends which always makes things more fun. Here is the whole gang not in order: Chandler and Ethan Schneider. Mason, Spencer and Sam Scott. Ashlyn and Austin Lara. Luke and Olivia Hill

Mark's Goatee

2010-01-09T13:12:00.001-08:00

Mark decided to grow at a goatee. He thought it might help him look older. We had this picture taken at Christmas party we attended for the City of Schertz. Do you think it make's him look older?

Christmas Programs

2010-01-09T12:43:00.001-08:00

Luke is all ready to preform in his school Christmas program. Everything is exciting when you are in Kindergarten. I love it!

Luke sang about six songs for his Christmas program. If you can't find him, he is on the back row with a big Santa hat on. As you can tell he is one of the tallest kids in the class. He didn't get his height from his parents.

Due to some technical difficulties we didn't get any pictures of Olivia singing the Chipmunk Christmas song or We Wish you a Merry Christmas. This is her with her teacher Mrs. Rachel after her performance. Olivia is such a good girl, I wouldn't trade her for anything.

Luke Give's Karate a Try

2010-01-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

I bought a pass for two months of karate lessons for Luke at a silent auction at school. He LOVES it!!! He thinks he is just like "Kung Fu Panda". I know that it is some form of Korean Martial Arts but I am not really sure how to pronounce it so I just call it Karate. I have been really impressed with it. They focus on having a strong mind and a strong body not so much on fighting. It has been really good for him.

Mom, Dad, I have a loose tooth!

2009-11-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

Luke made a surprise announcement at Family Home Evening this week. "Mom, Dad, I have a loose tooth!" It was very exciting, and a little emotional (Heather), Luke had us call every one he could think of (Grandma) and some others we could think of (you know who you are).

So after about 3 days of serious wiggling, it came out at school.He got a little treasure box to keep it in. That night, he and Olivia were so excited to put it under his pillow, before we had finished reading books and saying prayers, he had check his pillow three times. I think Olivia was even more excited than Luke at the thought of a Tooth Fairy bring Luke a dollar. A dollar! Boy, teeth were going a lot cheaper when I was little... Sigh... must be inflation.

Posted by Mark. (I'm sure Heather will edit something in here).

Happy Bedroom's Day

2009-11-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

We have been talking for a while about getting Olivia a BIG bed. When she heard that it was Veteran's Day she thought it was "Bedrooms Day". So, she wanted to get her new bed for "Bedrooms Day". I think I may need to get her hearing checked out.

Mark let the kids "break the bed in" by jumping on it. That's great Mark! Hopefully we don't have a broken bed and a broken child before "Bedroom's Day" is over. Olivia is so excited to be in her new bed.

Happy Halloween!!

2009-11-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

Early in October, Luke decided that he wanted to be Ash Ketchum for Halloween. For those not familiar to the Pokemon world, Ash is the main Pokemon trainer. He looked just like Ash. The pictures don't show it but he has spiky black hair poking out from around his hat.

Miss Olivia wanted to be a butterfly for Halloween. I wanted her to just be a butterfly, not a butterfly princess, but the skirt and the wand came with the wings so that was one battle I chose not to engage in. Olivia is now three and I am choosing my battles already.

All ready to go trick or treating. Just waiting and waiting for it to get dark.

Flu Shot

2009-11-03T17:06:00.001-08:00

When Olivia heard that Hannah, our afterschool buddie, was getting a flu shot, she got very upset and started to cry because she didn't get a flu shot. I asked Olivia if she wanted a flu shot and through tears she said, "yes, I like flu shots and you didn't let me get one." So, feeling a little guilt stricken, I made an appointment and got her a flu shot. I don't think she really likes flu shots but she sure doesn't like to be left out of anything.

Soccer Season!

2009-10-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is Luke's first year playing soccer. He loves it. The other kids on the team have had more experience but he is catching up. He has a great coach. And this is what we get to do every Saturday morning.

I'll post more pictures when I get a minute.

Luke - the strongest boy in the world!

2009-09-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to get Luke into a new pediatric doctor's office that is closer to home. Don't get me started on what a pain it was to get him in for an appointment. Okay, I'm started. Short version: The common response from every receptionist is, "We can't see him for anything until he has a new patient visit." Huh?! So if we bring him in for a 'new patient visit' why not do some diagnosis then? To be honest this is the kind of stuff I'd like to see 'reformed'; well, that and the whole cost of the visit and medication. Anyway, back to Luke's story.

We had a new patient visit this week with a new doctor. The office is nice, and very efficient of getting patients seen. Everything is digital. The records are typed straight into the computer, so the doctor or assistant just pull it up on the computer in the room when they get there. The nurse had come to take Luke's vitals. As she is putting on the arm cuff, she told Luke, "I'm going to put this on your arm to measure your muscles." Then Luke replied, "You better be careful. I really strong, I might break it!" Ha! What a ham. He gets this from his mama.

The doctor has a great bedside manner and was really good with Luke. He asked Luke if he knew where his heart was, and Luke pointed to his chest. The doctor then takes his stethoscope to listen to the heart and puts it on Luke's head. Boy, did Olivia think that was the funniest thing ever, and just laughed and laughed! (posted by Mark)

Rain, Rain Hooray for Rain

2009-09-13T14:54:00.001-07:00

We have been in a horrible drought for the last two years. We have been on water restrictions since the beginning of June and had the hotest summer on record. San Antonio has been trying to push this slogan "Brown is the new Green". Who are they kidding.

Then earlier this week it started to rain and we have had rain every day this week. We even bought new umbrellas. Bring on the rain!

Rise and Shout the Cougars Are Out!!!

2009-09-13T14:39:00.001-07:00

Mark and I went to the BYU vs Oklahoma game in Dallas/Arlington/ Fort Worth last weekend. It was AWESOME and I am not a huge BYU fan. I have been married to Mark for 8 wonderful years. I have heard all of the stories about his glory days at BYU over and over. I have watched football games with him. I have gone to BYU campus with him every summer to reminisce. Then to my surprise, at the BIG GAME, I find out that Mark doesn't know the words to the fight song. Unless there is a but chunk in the middle that goes da da da da da. I was Shocked! If you see him, feel free to mention it.

The game was very exciting, BYU pulled ahead and won in the 4th quarter. The Cowboys new stadium to pretty sweet. All of the seats are cushioned and there is a huge mega-tron screen that must be at least 40 yards wide. Luke would have been in heaven. He loves TV.

I would never give up the opportunity to spend some time with my parents. I wish we were closer. Have I said that before?

Olivia's First Day at Preschool

2009-08-31T14:48:00.001-07:00

Ready for school with big brother Luke.

She was very excited to go to the same preschool Luke went to last year.

So tired that she fell asleep in the cart at Walmart. I think it is going to be a great year!

Luke's First Day of School

2009-08-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

Before: Luke was very excited for Kindergarten. A little anxious but still excited.

We dropped him off in the gym. He found his teacher's name and sat in line with all the confidence in the world. Mark and I had to leave quickly before the tears started, I'm no going to say who was shedding the tears.

After: Luke didn't get home on the bus until almost 5. He spent over and hour on an un-air conditioned bus. Notice the red cheeks. Thanks to a certain road that was closed due to construction...Mark. Luke was still in a good mood considering. What a trooper. I now pick him up from school.

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming

2009-08-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

With a record breaking 55 days over 100 degrees, we swam and swam and swam.

This is our summer in a nut shell. We went to swim lessons, then we went to the pool.

Splashtown with daddy, though I think he was sick that day (just in case someone from the office is reading).

We swam so much, Olivia wore her goggles to bed.

Olivia and her friend Olivia even had to play "Tea Party" in the pool.

Teaching a Five Year Old Manners?!?

2009-08-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

I am trying to teach Luke to be a polite child. He is a very happy boy and gets very excited to talk to people. I love his enthusiasm but his execution isn't always very polite but we are getting there. The other day we were in Lowe's picking up some brackets to mount some shelves in his closet, which by the way I did all by myself. Anyway, as we were leaving the store, Luke said, "Mom, that lady(referring to the cashier) was really fat, but I'm not allowed to say it." Baby steps in the right direction. Then, yesterday we were out riding bikes and he saw a man out walking and he said, "Hello there old man, how's it going?" At least he is still cute.

Hiking in Utah

2009-08-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

My mom and I took the kids hiking to Stewart Falls. We thought it would be fun to start at Sundance and ride the tram to the top of the mountain and hike down to the falls. My kids loved riding the tram. I tried to explain the idea of skiing to them but they didn't get it.

The mountains up Provo Canyon are so beautiful. I miss them so much. If Texas had mountains like this, I would never want to leave.

My kids are getting to be pretty good hikers. Though we chose a trail that proved to be quite difficult. There were some very steep downhill slopes with loose gravel that the kids needed help getting down. I hope we didn't break grandma's back.

My mom is the greatest grandma. My kids love her so much. To them she is better than Santa. Thanks mom.

Summer Fun June 2009

2009-08-14T13:15:00.001-07:00

San Antonio Missions
Mormon night at the San Antonio Missions. They reserved a section for church members and we got in for a discounted rate. The kids were hot and tired, I was talking to everyone I knew and Mark was well, watching the game. Maybe in a few years the kids will enjoy it more.

Witte Museum

The Amazing Marko on the tight rope. Oh, the many hidden talents. Mark came with us to the Witte Museum one Saturday. There is actually a counter balance on the bottom, but he still looks pretty amazing.
The Witte Museum is always fun. Mark is proud of Luke turning the water thingy. I can never remember what it is called. The Archemedies Screw? OK I know I spelled it wrong. That is why I'm not an engineer.
This mat at the museum had moving lights that played different games like dodge ball and jump rope. A great way to tire out the kids.

ArtWorks

ArtWorks studio for the open play time. We made paper mache masks, tie dye, paint spinners, paint rubbings, stamps and a few other things I can't remember. The kids had a blast and my house stayed clean. Well worth the $5.

Just My Luck

2009-07-08T13:44:00.001-07:00

Here I am spending time with my whole family in Utah. At times there at 23+ staying at my moms house. A non-stop party. Avoiding the Texas heat. And, my camera battery died. So anyway. We are having a great time. Olivia is having a ball with her "girl cousins" Courtney and Valerie. We miss Mark and our friends but we are very happy to be in cooler weather. Hopefully everyone else is taking enough pictures that I can steel a few.

Swim Lessons

2009-06-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

It's HOT. It's summer. And that means it is time for swim lessons. I think that every kid in South Texas needs to know how to swim. Luke and Olivia are in the same class with three other kids. Their teacher's name is Dana. Which is easy to remember because last year Luke's preschool teacher was named Mrs. Dana.

Luke is very brave for his first swim lessons and always wants to be the first one to try.

Olivia is a little more timid but has great form. She will be swimming like a mermaid in no time.

Preschool Graduation

2009-06-13T13:46:00.001-07:00

Luke receiving his "diploma" from his teacher, Mrs. Dana. During graduation practice, Luke instisted on being called Luke Thomas Hill. Where does he come up with this stuff?

After a short program, each child passed through the "Candy Land Express" set up across the stage. Then, ended at Kindergarten Castle where they received their "diplomas".

Luke is in the back on the right. The kid in front of him was bouncing around so much I could never get a good picture of Luke.

Luke's first girlfriend, Halle Walker. She is such a cutie. Her grandpa would tell me every morning that Halle would talk about him nonstop and she would be very sad if Luke wasn't at preschool. I can't say I blame her. He is a charmer.

Yippee I'm Three!!!

2009-05-24T15:39:00.001-07:00

Olivia is three years old. I can't believe she is growing up so fast. I am so proud of her, she is so smart, sweet and tries to do what is right, most of the time. We had a great party for her with all of the essencials.

A Princess cake with strawberry mouse filling, YUMMY!!! And I am not a cake person. But this one was worth every calorie. Olivia picked it out.

One thing I can say about this girl is, she knows what she likes.

Presents for the birthday girl and the most important part...

Lots of friends to play with. We had a swimming pool, a slip and slide and we put the hose on the trampoline to offset the 95 degree weather. Olivia only wanted to invite girls to her party. She doesn't have any friends her age so we invited all of the afterschool kids, neighbors and even her favorite babysitter. I insisted, much to her dismay, that she invite Luke and daddy. Everyone had a great time though Olivia was a little tired by the end of the party.

Uno!!

2009-05-21T15:17:00.001-07:00

Mark and I love to sit and play games and we have tried to teach our kids to play with us but until now have been unsuccessful. We finally found something that helps us make it through a whole game of Uno with our kids. A neighbor gave us some kids card holders and they work like a charm. Our kids love them.

Olivia still holds her cards facing the wrong way from time to time but that just makes it easier to help her. We are looking forward to many years of cards and games in the Hill house.

Orange Swim Goggles

2009-05-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

The weather is hot and we have been stuck in the house too long, I call it Swine Flu Phobia. So I bought Luke a pair of swim goggles to wear to the neighbor's pool. He is so excited about them that he wants to wear them everywhere. After explaining that they are used to keep the water out of your eyes, he now only wears them to the pool, the shower and on the trampoline with the hose. I guess I could have explained that one a little better. Oh well, he's having fun.

Viva Fiesta!!

2009-05-08T12:59:00.001-07:00

OK, OK this post is a little late but I still wanted to post the pictures. There is a two week long celebration in San Antonio called Fiesta. There are a number of parades, carnivals and parties to attend. With small kids we usually skip the big crowds downtown. They had a small fiesta celebration at Luke's preschool.

All the kids decorated their bikes and attempted to have a bike parade. It was more like a bike rodeo that ended up being cut short by a tired teacher.

I think that Luke had the biggest bike there and he rode it like a pro.

Father's and Son's Camp Out

2009-04-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Mark and Luke went on the annual Father's and Son's camp out with our church a few weeks ago. As he was leaving I said, "Have fun and take lots of pictures." Well, this is what I found in the camera.

I guess they had a fun time. Too much fun to take pictures.

Are Bugs Good For You?

2009-04-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

OK, I couldn't resist posting this Luke moment. We went to Cici's Pizza for lunch today because he had been given a "Star Student" certificate at school and Olivia eats for free so I figured, what the heck. While he was eating his noodles and carrots, he saw a small bug crawling on his carrots. To me it looked like a fruit fly or something that size. Instead of shewing it away, my boy scooped it up on his noodle and ate it. It was disgusting. The worst part was that he did it like it was no big deal, like he eats bugs every day. So I ask myself, how can the world's pickiest eater have no problem eating bugs? Seriously, he won't eat anything with any form of sauce on it, but he will eat bugs. ARRGGH where did I go wrong?

Not a Fun Week

2009-04-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Olivia has hand foot and mouth disease. I have never seen a kid so sick. She had a fever for 8 days. We almost had to make a trip to the ER for an IV for dehydration. She went almost 18 hours without going to the bathroom. She can't walk and she eats very little because of the sores in her mouth. I wouldn't wish this one on anyone.

Fun at the Oregon Beach

2009-04-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

I am still working on my photography skills, so this is the best picture I got of John and Martha, aka "Grams" and "Gramps". I always forget and always get gently reminded of their request to be called "Grams" and "Gramps". And that is all I have to say about that. The beach was beautiful but cold, especially for us Texans who came from 85 degree weather.

Mark helped Luke build a sand dinosaur but Olivia thought it was a hippo. Even as I am typing this she thinks it is a hippo?? Hmmm. Mark is very talented.

The kids explored some tide pools with Clair and her friend Whittney. They found crabs and sea anemones. Luke can be a little bit of a flirt, to put it mildly, and he would not leave Whittney alone. He is such a hansome and charming kid. It was 50 degrees and windy some people were swimming and these guys are walking around bare footed. I on the other hand was wearing every article of clothing that I had in my suit case. I could not get warm.

Luke touched the anemones. Handsome, charming and brave. I don't know where he gets it.

Most of our Hill cousins pose for a picture before we hiked up to look over the cliffs. Very beautiful.

West Coast Game Park Safari

2009-04-04T15:36:00.001-07:00

While visiting the Hills in Oregon we went to the Wild Game Park Safari in Bandon. It was SWEET! We have been to petting zoos before but nothing like this. We fed the peacocks, goats, deer, lamas etc. Then...

Jacob held a lemur's hand. All the kids were so excited to see "King Julian" ("Madagascar").

It may look like Olivia is petting a black dog with pointy ears but really she is petting a baby black spotted panther. Up close you can see his black on black spots.

Luke pet a lynx. With some help from Aunt Heather Nadauld.

Olivia pet the lynx also. We may have to make this a regular destination when we are at John and Martha's.

Compost Happens

2009-03-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

We have some pretty sad looking grass in our yard so we had 7 cu. yd. of compost delivered to our house to help liven up our yard. Cary Covington came to help us spread it. I am pretty proud to say that Carry, Mark and I spread it all in 3 hours flat. Now our yard smells like "poop dirt" as Luke calls it. Hopefully things will green up soon. And hopefully the smell will go away soon too.

Luke's 5th Birthday!!!!!

2009-03-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

Luke is 5 years old and we just had to celebrate. Here are the highlights from his birthday. It is a little lengthy. He started the day by taking cupcakes to preschool. He requested strawberry cupcakes with green (his favorite color) sprinkles and 5 skittles on each cupcake.

Party at the Park

Then, we had a party at a park with a new and may I say AWESOME playscape. Luke invited every four and five year old we could think of. He had 17 guests and he later told me more friends that he wished that he had invited. Luke is a very social boy.

Pizza cake and all of the party necessities. One day I will remember to have everyone get together to pose for a picture. I just get so carried away.

Fun on the new playground!!

Spinning out of control. And a treasure hunt around the park to finish off the party.

A gift from mom and dad

The next day, Mark and I gave him our gift. A pet. Our first pet ever. Luke and I are both allergic to anything with hair/fur so we have put this off as long as we could. Luke has been asking for months for a pet.

We gave him two hermit crabs. He named them Katie and Halle, after two of his girlfriends at school. This is a big step for us. We vowed that we would never have a pet. My mother in law would be proud that we now have "critters" in our house. I just hope we can keep them alive and figure out how to keep their cage from smelling.

Grandma steals the show

Luke's Grandma Taylor came to visit and help him celebrate. Luke has a special relationship with his Grandma Taylor. He flirts with her nonstop. I think that having her here for his birthday was his favorite part. She bought him a green two wheeler for his birthday. He was so excited and he rides it like a pro.

The training wheeles help. Thanks Grandma!

An Embarassing Speach Delay

2009-03-02T12:15:00.001-08:00

This is my handsome son Luke. I am proud of him for a lot of things. Mostly his enthusiasm and his charisma, I don't know where he gets it from. He does have a small speach delay and doesn't always annunciate his words correctly. As all soon to be 5 year old boys do, he calls all of his toys "Mega_____" but Luke replaces the "M" in mega with an "N" changing it from a superlative to a racial slur. I have tried to correct him but he thinks I am wrong here. I hope he figures it out before he offends someone or gets punched in the nose for using that word.

Where's Olivia?

2009-03-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

Nap time was over and Mark went to wake Olivia up so she wouldn't fight us at bedtime tonight. This is what he found. An empty bed. (You may notice the clothes on her bed, she likes to change her clothes multiple times a day.)
He looked all around; in the game room, Luke's room, downstairs, outside, etc. .

Then he opened her closed closet door to find a Sleeping Ballerina Princess, curled up in the dark on a makeshift bed of blankets, ballerina dresses, shoes, a cat and a duck.
She's just too cute.

A Valentine Treasure

2009-02-24T12:32:00.000-08:00

For Valentines this year, Mark and I wanted to do something fun for our kids so we sent them on a treasure hunt. They were so excited. Olivia kept saying that it was a mystery. They started at home with the first clue.

They found the second clue in the mail box. Which led them to...

The fire hydrant just outside our house. Then our super detectives were off to the back yard were they found the next clue on the...

Trampoline. They were so good at figuring out the clues. If we make this a tradition, Mark and I will have to get really good at writing clues.

The treasure was waiting for them in the bathtub. I have two disclaimers for this picture. First, Mark dressed Olivia and he let her pick out her own outfit. Second, I have yet to find toy storage for the bathtub that I like so the toys are everywhere. Oh well, at least my kids are clean and happy!!!

The treasure consisted of new sunglasses for my cool kids, flip flops because it is warm enough for flip flops every third day, a Bakugan for Luke and Princess figurines for Olivia. We love our kids. Happy Valentines Day!!!

Dancing with Prince Charming

2009-02-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

Olivia has had a special attachement to Mark since she was born. When she was 4 months old she would coo and nuzzle her head in his chest and she still calls him her sweetie.

Dancing with her daddy one morning put her on cloud nine. For a two year old little girl, life doesn't get much better than twirling around the front room with her "Sweetie" and her Barbie jammies.

Thanks for being a good sport Mark. I know how much you love to dance. Just remember you are her boyfriend for the next 16 years, so you better be a good one :)

Surprise!! Happy Birthday Mark

2009-02-11T15:36:00.001-08:00

I threw Mark a surprise birthday party this year. I thought that he deserved a party. I don't think he has ever let me throw him a party before. He is so humble, he doesn't like to be the center of attention. That is one of the many things i love about him.

Mark turned 34. I was on the back side of the cake so it looks like 43. This was not intentional trick photography. Yes we had two kinds of cake. Boston cream pie(Mark's favorite) and "perfectly chocolate chocolate cake" mmmmmm.

Some of our friends who came to help us celebrate. Clay and Tamara, Bo and Monique and Ethan and Teressa. Lee and Ginger were also there but not in the picture.

And of course, games were played. Marks favorite thing in the world, next to me :)

Ode the the Trampoline

2009-02-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

I love our trampoline. It is the most used toy that we have. I'd love to say that we have gotten our money's worth but we inherited it from some friends that were moving and didn't have room for it in their moving truck, thanks Mark and Sandi Roberts. My after school kids play on it every day. It provides exercise and limitless games. I am amazed at some of the games those kids come up with. I think all kids should have a trampoline.

I grew up with a trampoline and my parents put one in their new house for the grandkids. It is a childhood staple. Some Doctors, who will remain anonymous, think they are too dangerous. I say kids can break a bone on any toy. I've got Luke as proof. Besides, as my mom says, it's good for business :)

Pink Make-Up

2009-02-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

Olivia got princess make-up for Christmas. She LOVES it. She is so cute when she gets all painted up, I just can't help but snap a few photos. I'm sure these will come in handy in the future. Hee Hee Hee

Olivia the Gymnist

2009-02-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

What a Pro!!

A little unsure about her first time.

Olivia and I went to J&R gymnastics for the open play day. They open the gym for an hour and a half so the little kids can run around and try out the beams, trampolines, mats etc. I think she was mostly excited to wear her leotard that Anna handed down to her. Thanks Anna!!

Attack of the Stomach Bug

2009-01-24T11:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, we were hit hard by the stomach bug. There were no pictures taken. It started on Monday with Olivia, Luke on Wednesday, Mark on Thursday and Friday, I thought I was home free until Friday night. Then Luke went for round two on Saturday. I hope that next week will be a better week.

Pajama Party

2009-01-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

After lunch today, Luke and Olivia decided that they were going to have a pajama party in Olivia's bedroom. They both put their pajamas on and went to it. Olivia made tea party snacks, and they both put on a concert. I was not invited to the pajama party, except to take a few pictures. Though I am still unsuccessful at always getting both kids to look at the camera at the same time. When nap time came around, I let them take their naps in their pajamas. Aren't I a nice mom?

A Toddler Bed for Olivia

2009-01-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

Olivia has a new toddler bed. I took the crib rails off and added the bumper rails. Now she can get in and out of her bead as she pleases, without injury. However, now she won't stay in bed and is super grumpy because she hasn't had a good nap. We may have to try this again when she is 4. Before I took her picture she had to make sure that she had all of her friends with her. Yes, Duckie is still her best friend.
Olivia also wanted me to take a picture of her with her favorite "Princess Stories"movie. What a girlie girl. I don't know if I can keep up with her. I've never been accused of adding too much "Fluff".

Hiking? at Guadalupe River State Park

2009-01-13T14:52:00.001-08:00

What a great outing. In spite of the bad hair day I was having, we had a great time as a family. We went hiking along the river. We didn't make it far with two kids and a leg brace. We chased an armadillo. Luke was able to get really close to it. He wanted to catch it and take it home to be his pet. Sorry, Luke, we are NOT having a pet armadillo.
We even skipped rocks and waded in the river. The water was freezing cold.
I can't believe that it was 85 and we were wading in the river on Jan. 3. Crazy Texas weather.

The San Antonio Temple

2009-01-13T14:37:00.000-08:00

One day we were going hiking with our kids and thought that we would stop at the temple to buy some things from the distribution center. We decided to let the kids walk around the temple. I can't believe that we have never taken them to see the temple. They were truly awe struck. Luke kept hugging me and telling me how much he loved me. Olivia just giggled a lot and asked if we were getting married. I spend a lot of time wondering if anything we teach our children is sinking in. Today, I know that they felt and recognized the spirit that you feel at the temple. I just wish that they could have more experiences like that.

Random Pictures From Christmas....just a little late

2009-01-13T14:11:00.000-08:00

Riding on the Library float in the Christmas parade. It was a small parade with homemade floats it was perfect for my kids. At the end of the parade, the city had a snow maker and the kids were sledding down a hill of snow. I know that the picture isn't very clear but hopefully situations like these will be remedied by my new camera.

Docorating the Christmas tree with the help of Hannah and Miriam. This year I let Mark and the kids decorate the tree without any suggestions from me and I have to say that it really looked like it. I was very patient and didn't try to rearrange things when they weren't looking.

Lights on the River Walk

2009-01-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

We went with the Scotts to see the lights on the River walk after Christmas. It was a fun outing. We went on a riverboat cruise and walked around. The lights were nothing compared to Temple Square, I guess that we have been spoiled.
It is rare that I can catch Mark in a picture when he is both looking at the camera and smiling, so I had to include it. Besides, Olivia just adores her daddy. When he is around, i might as well be invisible. I don't mind, I have told Mark that he is her boyfriend until she is 22 and he better be a good boyfriend so she doesn't replace him with some greasy skateboarding punk.

Three out of four kids looking at the camera isn't bad. Teressa Scott and I have decided that Spencer and Olivia are going to get married when he gets home from his mission. Olivia was thrilled that he was holding her hand as they were walking around. It was so cute.

"Real" Make-up

2009-01-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

All month long, Olivia said that she wanted make-up for Christmas. Hello, she is 2 years old. We hoped that she would change her mind. By the middle of the month, she had refined her request and was asking for "real" make-up for Christmas. It was the only thing she asked for so we broke down and got her a little princess make up kit. It is by far the favorite present this year. I hate to say that Luke has enjoyed it as much as Olivia has. It is a good thing that she likes to share with "LukeDuke". We may have to hold on to these pictures for later blackmail purposes. I have had to set a rule that Olivia can't wear make-up out of the house until she is twelve, so now she keeps asking me if she is twelve yet. YIKES!

Merry Christmas 2008

2009-01-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

I found some pictures from Christmas!! My kids were so excited to see that Santa came. What else can I say.

We had a great Christmas! The kids were so excited and that is what made it so much fun. Luke is 4 and I think that is the best age for Christmas as far as excitement levels go. I would love to post some pictures here from Christmas morning however, I can't seem to find any. Mark gave me a new camera for Christmas, I knew I was getting it so I didn't bother taking any pictures with my old camera because I knew I was getting a shiny new one. When I finally got to open my camera, it wasn't charged and I didn't think to grab my old one so I hope my kids can remember how much fun it was, because I am not wrapping everything up again to get a redo on the pictures. This experience is pretty much par for the course for Mark and I. If Mark got some, I'll add another post later.

Santa Clause is coming to town

2008-12-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

Every year the Fire Department drives through the neighborhoods blaring the siren and handing out candy to any kids who come out to see. It was a lot of fun for my kids. Though, Luke is starting to get confused about Santa showing up everywhere when he is supposed to live at the North Pole. I hope he does't figure it out for a long time.

Ginger Bread House

2008-12-19T12:36:00.001-08:00

This is our first gingerbread house. OK, so it came from a kit that we got on clearance at Linins 'n Thinsg and it doesn't really look like something you want to tear into and eat. But it was great for a 4 year old, a two year old and a mom who has spent more time IN doctors offices than OUT this month.

Olivia's Shiney Pink Rock Continued

2008-12-19T12:27:00.001-08:00

Olivia's shiney pink rock has finally passed. After a visit to the E.R., two pediatricians, a pediatric gastroenterologist, and being admitted to the hospital to have it removed via endoscope. After she had been admitted to the hospital for the proceedure and waiting two and a half hours, the Doctor ordered an x-ray to see where it was before they nocked her out and started scoping. He came back in 20 minutes later and said that it had moved into her lower pelvis and would probably pass in the next day or two. We were free to go home. Mark is calling it a "Christmas Miracle". It saved her the scary EDG and us the huge medical bills. The rock found it's way through her system and it only took two weeks. We are thinking about mounting it in a shadow box or turning it into an ornament. I am glad that this chapter of our life is over.

One Small Step

2008-12-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

The other day, the kids were playing by the Christmas tree and one of the ornanments got broken. Not a huge deal. I kind of expect one or two to get broken every year. When I went in to clean it up, Luke told me that Olivia had broken the ornament. Later that afternoon, he came to me and told me that he had told a lie and the he had really broken the ornament. YES!! Honesty! That is a great start. Luke has been a challenge since the day he came out (Screaming) so any small step should be praised and shared. Good job Luke, we are proud of you.

Olivia's Shiney Pink Rock

2008-12-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is Olivia's x-ray that was taken last night in the E.R. She swallowed a rock a week ago. We have been waiting for it to pass, after all "what goes in, must come out." We went to the E.R. because she has had some diarrhea with streaks of blood that made us a little worried. Right now the Doctor has recommended that she follow the BRAT diet and get a series of x-rays every 24-48 hours to see if it moves. If it doesn't move, we will have to take her to a GI Specialist. Mark and Bryce Barton gave her a blessing tonight. Thanks Bryce.

Our Trip To Arizona

2008-12-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

This one is my favorite.

2008-12-10T06:42:00.000-08:00

While we were in Arizona we had some pictures taken with all of the cousins. Some of them turned out better than others. I love it when my kids can spend time with their cousins. It is amazing that they can become friends so quickly. They only see each other once or twice a year and when they get together they pick up right were they left off, as if they had just seen each other yesterday. There is something special about family.

2008-12-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

Lisa has a big beautiful new home with a spacious kitchen that had enough room for all of us to help out without stepping on each others toes. My mom has her back to the camera, she never likes to be photographed. Hmmm sounds like someone else we all know and love.

2008-12-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

Luke got a new cast, thanks to Uncle Matt. It is very nice to be in a family full of Doctors when my kids are as accident prone as then are. Wonder where they get it from? Luke's first cast was plain green, his favorite. But we thought the candy stripes would be good for the holidays.

2008-12-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Olivia was very glad to be out of the car, and ready to play with all of the cousins

2008-12-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

The scenery was a little dull and the trip was long but the kids were GREAT!!

2008-12-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

We drove from San Antonio, Texas to Gilbert, Arizona to spend the Thanks Giving Holiday with Heather's family. It was a long drive.