Sunday, July 16, 2017

BIRTHDAYS AND BASKETBALL

Last month we celebrated B and A!  Happy Birthday!!!  We did our traditional family dinner out at the restaurant of their choice and then came home to a birthday cookie cake requested by A! A week later, A celebrated with her basketball teammates at an indoor trampoline park where a good time was had by all!  A is still excelling in her horse riding and it's her number one love but basketball is coming in a close second.  Last weekend she played in an under 11's tournament up the coast here.  They played hard, did better than their coach expected them to do, but came up short in the third place game.  However, she was named Co-Mvp of her team.  She continues to impress her teachers here and gets stuck in her books. (so much so, that she can't hear us when we call her😉) E is still playing piano, doing gymnastics and blowing us away with her intellectual capabilities as well.  Her prep teacher said "I've never had the privilege to teach someone like her!"  Here are a few snapshots from the birthday celebrations and basketball tournament.  Enjoy and God bless!

1-2-3 BLOW!

 Happy Birthday celebration #2!
Getting ready to fast break for the inbound!
 Pushing it up the court


Thursday, May 18, 2017

WAYYYYY Behind!!!

WOW!  So sorry to those of you who still visit our page to see what we've been up to down under and to see how much has changed.  E started school in January!  What an adjustment for the both of us.  She loves it and I miss having my little buddy with me all day!  Both girls are doing so well in school!  It's amazing and such a blessing to get so many compliments on their behavior and their intellectual capabilities. A is still riding horses, playing basketball and the guitar.  She placed 3rd in the school cross country competition, went on to the district race and was chosen to represent the school at the Zone 2 Catholic Schools race where she placed 13th out of about 75 kids in the 2K race.  She dedicated herself to getting to school twice a week for morning running training for an hour before school started.  SO PROUD! E started participating in a little soccer group on Saturday mornings where she is learning the basics of the game, still does gymnastics, swimming, and is consistently blowing us away with her piano skills!  She hears a song, sits down and works it out on the piano!  BOTH girls were named child of the week in their respective classes.  A received her recognition in Term 1 and E received hers the first week of Term 2. So, for the most part, that's what has been going on in nutshell!  B is busy at work and I'm still finding my way into a new routine/stage of life.
  I always say, "I need to update the blog" and then something comes up where I'll push it off and the next thing you know here we are SOOO many months later.  But please know, that it's always in my mind to update to keep you all abreast of the happenings in our household, time just gets the better of me on most days!  Love and blessings to all!  
First Day of Year 5 and Prep (kindergarten) These sweet faces make my heart so happy!
First Day of Horse Riding for E and big sister was there to lead her pony!
Soccer Ready!
Easter Sunday-Ready to hunt eggs! 
Warming up Whiskey on a low jump

Friday, November 11, 2016

UMMM.....August, September, October....

Ummm....yeah, so it's been since July.  Whoops!  We are a little over two weeks out from leaving for the holidays and I probably should be making a list of what we need to pack, Christmas shopping, anything but sitting on the computer!  Time flies when you're having fun!  A is almost finished with Year 4!  (big sob, why do they have to grow so fast!?!?!) E, well, E...she is definitely her own confident, independent little self!  She turned 5 in September and is wise beyond her years!  She is learning the piano, getting stronger in gymnastics and swimming.  A was named Child of the week for the "integrity she displays when dealing with others and for always looking for the positive in her peers and in her everyday interactions" in mid-September.   She is still playing basketball, guitar, and riding her horses.  Enjoy the pictures and God bless!

5 Years Young!
Child of the Week
Our Snow Angel and Black Cat


Saturday, July 30, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!!

We celebrated two special people last month!  A wanted to have her birthday at the bowling alley this year and it was so much fun!  She invited a few classmates and friends and the adults even got in a few games on the side.  On the day of the 12th, they had their birthday breakfast and opened some gifts.  That night, we got dressed up and went to dinner at Jamie's Italian in the city.  After dinner, we came home and had chocolate cake complete with candles and wishes!  So hard to believe this precious girl is 9 already!  The last picture is from this past week.  A had her track and field day for school and she did AMAZING!  YES, AMAZING!!!  She has really kicked it up in sport this past year.  She won first in her heat for the 100m and got 3rd overall, 1st in the 200m, 4th in the 400m, (she came from the back of the pack and zoomed past about 25 kids to move into 3rd and got beat by an arm at the finish), 3rd in the long jump, 3rd in shot put, and tied for 3rd for overall age champion.  She is also doing so well in basketball and riding!  She attended basketball camp last school break and came away with the scholarship for a free camp for "being such a great player showing the potential to go really far in the sport".  PROUD PARENTS!!  Enjoy the pics and God bless!



Sunday, June 05, 2016

March, April, May....catch up photos!

Hi!  Life is a whirlwind and time just keeps ticking away!  We celebrated Easter, took a little mini-vacay to Rainbow beach, did school cross country, had a child of the week (last week), a little fun in the rain puddles, and are enjoying life all around.  But still missing the great state of Texas.  A is busy playing basketball on Saturdays, riding horses, doing gymnastics, and studying hard in school even though she doesn't like it.  E is doing gymnastics, swimming, learning piano, and reading easy chapter books now!  We love our girls and all that they are involved in but even more just enjoy seeing them grow into beautiful little souls! Hope everyone is doing well!  God bless and enjoy the pics!
2nd Place at Riding 
Getting the Easter nests ready
Family Selfie
Rainbow Beach
Mr. Kookaburra says "hello from down under!"  He let me take several pictures!
A little Sunday Baking
Enjoying the rain puddles
Child of the Week "For her reflective, insightful contributions and the maturity she displays in all learning situations."

Thursday, February 25, 2016

UPDATES, CATCHING UP, AND MORE....

Yes, it is the end of February already and again, we are in full swing.  Life never seems to slow down, in fact it seems to go by quicker everyday.  I finally found a few moments to sit down and upload pics to the computer and update the blog.  We went home to Texas for the holidays, had fun as we always do, made a stopover in Walnut Creek on the way back to Oz for some R&R with the sister and cousins, and made it back to Brizzy with 5 suitcases, 2 kids, and hope for the new year ahead! HA!  A had her First Communion when we were home, and she has now started Year 4, YES, YEAR 4!  She is a bright kid with an even brighter future ahead of her.  She is very grounded in her faith, loves to read, ride horses, do gymnastics, play basketball (I might be biased, but the girl is showing signs of having some good ballin' skills!), and still picks the guitar.  E is still the singer in the family!  She is reading, writing, counting, doing gymnastics, swimming, loves to ride her scooter, and started taking piano. Brandon is staying busy with work and Mom's taxi is in full swing for 2016!  Hope everyone is doing well!  God bless and enjoy the pics!
Our Beautiful Candy Canes on Christmas Eve
Growing Up in the Church
Traditional 1st Day of School Photo 
A Little R&R Time on One of Many HOT Brisbane Days

Monday, October 19, 2015

HERVEY BAY AND BIRTHDAYS

YEAH!  I can now post a few updates!  Sorry for the delays!  We are still kicking along down under and time is flying by so quickly!  My parents came to visit last month and were here for E's birthday.  It was so great to have a piece of home here for a little while.  E turned 4 and she didn't want a birthday party this year because she said, "it's too loud when so many people are here!  I prefer to have sausage sizzles and a strawberry cake with ice cream."  So, it was sausage sizzles (hot dogs) and strawberry cake with ice cream.  We had been told that seeing the whales here is a once in a lifetime experience and it was every bit of that if not more!  We did see them breeching the first year we were here while camping but getting to see them up close left me speechless.  Words can not describe seeing such a large creature have such grace.  Absolutely beautiful!  Hervey bay is about 3 hours north of Brisbane and is noted as the whale watching capital of the world.  Every year the whales migrate from the cooler waters north of Australia down to the warmer waters around here to calve.  We were able to see quite a few mothers and calves playing around in the bay.  It was amazing to hear them slapping the water with their fins, breeching, and swimming in pods!  We were very blessed to see such an amazing display and as Dad said, "I'd never thought I'd be on the bottom of the world watching whales!"  Enjoy the snapshots!  Oh yeah, I turned 40 in July and my birthday present is the cute little fuzz ball we named Bribie-an Australian Shepherd who has fit right into our family!  (Bribie is the name of an Island about an hour from here that we make frequent visits to) God bless and love to all!
Yes-I'm 4! 



CRUISIN' THE WATERS OF HERVEY BAY
BRIBIE JANE