It's 2013 and I've been MIA - July 2012

We've had a very busy year.  Once school starts, everything kind of gets put on the back burner.  It's now January 2nd and it's time to catch up on what we've been doing. 

July 2012

We spent a lot of time with Abby, my niece.  We also spent some time at the Splash Park.  They love going there.  Our new tradition is to go to the Splash Park and then head out for some ice cream. 

We took a little mini-vaca with my sister and her family.  My niece, Journey, has Cerebal Palsy (not sure if that is spelling correctly).  They have to go to Houston to the Texas Children's Hospital for check-ups periodically.  We decided to have some fun while we were there. 

This is Kinsley playing games with the volunteers at the hospital.  She was so sweet.  They all fell in love with her.

The hospital has a huge train display that we love to go and look at.  The last picture shows Super Man flying over the village.

Later on we made a trip out to the Museum of Natural Science.  They have a huge display of dinosaurs and they start with the creation of life from the earliest scientific point (ameobas...spelling?) all the way to when men became men via apes....yeah, okay. 

This guy was my favorite.  I love his expression.

Katie was scared the whole time, so poor Lindsey had to carry her.

This is the guy I wanted to see.  Ol' TRex himself.  HUGE.

After the Science Museum, we walked over to the Children's Museum.  It was so crowded.  I may never want to go back.  I was miserable.  The kids were overwhelmed by everything.  There was just way to much for them to do that they couldn't decide on what they wanted to do or they wanted to do something different from the other and there was only one of me.  Uncle Tim went with the 2 toddlers into the toddler area upstairs.  Aunt B took Journey and Brendon with her, and I had the two big girls.

The toddler area is an entire floor.  You have to take off your shoes or put on booties.  My bro-in-law never takes his boots off so he had to wear blue booties over them to play with the girls.  What a sweet uncle.

After the museum visits, we went to our hotel to unwind from our very busy day. 

Time for the pool.

Later that evening we ordered pizza and enjoyed it together.

While we were on our vacation my Paw Paw Terry passed away.  He had been sick for a long time.  We loved him dearly.  He was one of the kindest men I've ever known.

I will always remember him on his bike in Illinois.

July 23rd was my munchkin's 3rd birthday.  We decided to spoil her rotten.

We went to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch and to play.  Then we went to the Bounce Zone and to Toys R Us.  I thought we would wear them out and they'd pass out on the way home, but no.  They were way to excited for a nap.

 Katie helping Kinsley up the steps.

When we got home, we had birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday to my sweet baby.

She'll get it right one of these days.

Later that week we went to Elise's Playhouse at Nutty Jerry's in Winnie.  The girls had soooooo much fun.  The only thing I didn't like was the off and on again of the shoes. 

 Yes, I was freaking out.  She was so high up.

 Some of our friends, Brant and Allana, met us out there.  Thank goodness, because Ms. Allana rode all of the rides with them.

 They had to stop the roller coaster after the first pass.  Kinsley was screaming.

 That's Katie in there all by herself. I remember riding on one of those when I was little.



Katie and I got to take a trip with my sister's church to see an Astro's game and to watch Mercy Me in concert.  It was a great time.

This is the train that moves when they make a homerun.  It didn't move much.

We ate soooooo much.  Hot dogs, lots of peanuts, cotton candy, and a sno-cone.

She was bored.

Praising God during the concert.  She loved it.

At around 10ish she was starting to come down off of the sugar high she was on.

Katie's first time to wash the dishes.

July was one of the busiest, funniest months we had this summer.  We were ready to go back to school once this month was over.  I hope my girls cherish the memories that we made together.

June Update - Busy, Busy, Busy

We've been very busy lately.  Not that we've really been doing much of anything, but preparing for vacation on top of Father's Day and other miscellaneous adventures has kept me away from the computer lately.  I'm sure my husband and kiddos are happy about that.  Time for a recap of what's been going on around the Louvier home.

I'm loving this picture.  It cracks me up.  This is Katie after we had a discussion about her fake smile that she gives me when I pull the camera out.  Now this is a real smile. 

Now this is my sweet Katie.  Posing pretty for momma.  This NEVER happens.

Kinsley got to go to the beach with Maw Maw and Paw Paw for the day with her other little cousins.  I swear my mother is gluten for punishment when she decides to take on 2 two year olds and a very rambunctious 1 year old.  They all had a great time though and were on their very best behavior.

All three of them on the way to the beach.  Those carseats were crammed into that Honda Accord.  Kinsley's carseat was actually way too big, so Maw Maw had to borrow one from Aunt B for Kinsley to sit in.  I now know that it is possible for 3 carseats to fit in the back of a small car. 

This is just too stinkin' ca-ute!!!!

Kinsley and Lilly with Maw Maw in the water.  For those of you that are used to crystal blue waters on the East Coast, this is what the water from West of the Mississippi looks like.  Dirty, dirty, dirty, but we're used to it and love to be down at the beach.

Maw Maw and Paw Paw wore them out.

While Kinsley was at the beach.  I decided to give my sister, Brenna, a break from motherhood for the day.  Brendon and Breanna were with their MiMi, Chloe was with Maw Maw, Lindsey was - well, not really sure where she was, but she's 15...she comes and goes, and Journey was with Nanny (me :).  We snuggled a lot.

She thinks that Nanny is super comfy.  She always falls asleep on me.

When Maw Maw brought Kinsley home, Chloe got to stay with us.

Brenna picked them the girls up at 11:00.  I was wiped out.

Father's Day was June 17th.  We had a lazy Sunday.  Eben barbequed some things on the grill.  Then later that evening we went to my sister's mother-in-law's house, which is directly behind my mom's house, for steaks.  It was a very relaxing Father's Day.

The girls got to play in the water all evening.  The weather was unusally cool (85ish) for June.  We got to spend all evening outside.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the girls with daddy. 

Friday, June 22nd, my sister, Amy, took Katie and Kinsely for the night.  Eben and I went to see Miranda Lambert.  I LOVE HER!!!!  I really love The Pistol Annies.  They are my fav.  2 of my oldest friends were there.  They sat closer than we did.  I will never buy floor tickets again, unless I'm on the front row.  Everyone stood as soon as she came out and didn't sit back down once.  I couldn't see anything.  I even had a hard time seeing the teletrons.  The pictures we took turned out horribly because of the crazy lighting they had going on, but I did get some of my friend's pictures from her view from the front row.

Lauren (Nikki's little sister), Brandy, Nikki, and me.  I love these girls.

Me and Eben enjoying our time together at the concert.

This is the best picture we got from the concert.

This is the picture a friend of mine took from the front row.  JEALOUS!!!

The Pistol Annies singing Hell on Heels.

Saturday morning I had to pick the girls up from my sister's house.  We then had to rush home and get dressed for my cousin's baby shower.  She's having her first child in August. 

I can't wait to meet Mr. Jaxson.

That's been our June 2012.  Something else that I did this past week was read.  I did A LOT of reading.  I'm almost ashamed to tell what books I've read.  I'll let the graphic tell you.  I read all 3 books this week.  My poor kids were soooooo neglected.

Yes, I will be going to see Magic Mike even if I have to go by myself.  I LOVE me some Channing Tatum.  HOT, HOT, HOT.  I would love to see him as Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie.

Last, but not least, when we got home yesterday, I was taking the girls out of the car when I looked down at my feet and saw this HUGE creature near my foot.  Thank goodness it was dead.

I've never seen anything like it.

I had to find out what it is.  It's a cicada killer.  Look at the stinger on that thing!