Returning a little heavier and alot darker!

I cannot tell the true story of our vacation without mentioning the food! I have to say that it makes me so happy that Em'ry thrives on vacation. She eats well, sleeps well, and mingles well :)

I could not get enough of the fresh fruit and guacamole. Em'ry had her fair share of fruit and juice but also got spoiled by hot dogs and french fries.

No matter how far you are from home, give your kids some familiar food and a play ground and they are right in their element.

Dinners were amazing! Each night, we dressed up and headed to a nice restaurant on the resort. We were never disappointed. We had Italian food, Spanish food, and couldn't get enough Mexican food! We were in heaven from the appetizers to the dessert!






Each night after dinner we headed to the mini-disco. All of the kids were invited to dance on the stage and compete in contests. At times, Em'ry hides behind me, grips my legs, or begs me to hold her when someone asks her name or invites her to play. This was not one of those times! She literally ran up on stage when the activity leader waved her on. She danced until she was pouring sweat and it was time for the nightly show to start.

I think she liked the show just as much as she called all of the dancers either Barbie or princess.


We made off with many souvenirs as well. My heart melted when I asked Em'ry what her favorite part of the trip was and she responded, "buying a surprise for Ms. Nancy."

On departure day, our check-out time was noon which left plenty of time for fun in the sun. The water was beautiful so Em'ry finally got her wish of going out on the catamaran. Only two were allowed to ride at once so Greg insisted that Em'ry and I go while he took pictures. While remembering Mexico, Em'ry describes this day to everyone who asks as, "mommy and me went on a boat but daddy didn't because he was a Scurdy Cat! hehehehe) I LOVE IT!
(Mom, this will be a bit alarming but I assure you I had a FIRM grip on my baby. Apparently in Mexico the rules are different :) )

We took the same boat ride last year but we had Em'ry's personal life jacket. I asked the man if he had a child's life vest and he said, "sure, sure." He had a child's life vest all right. A one size fits all from 2-12 yrs apparently...





We survived and Em'ry loved the boat ride. It was a great way to end an amazing trip.

Waiting for the bus

Sad to leave

After good sun, good food, and good rest we are headed home!

Mexico likes us...

So, after two days of swimming in the rain and walking around under an umbrella, we woke up to sunshine. I'm not sure what her reasoning was but Em'ry thought that since the sun was shining we were suppose to hang out in the pool instead of on the beach. Either way, I got a tan ;)

Those of you that have been to Mexico know that the sun is a little different down there. I mean, it's hot in Houston, but in Mexico you can't get enough to drink. So, while I was able to keep the frozen drinks "mommy juice" last year, Em'ry wasn't buying it this time and she had her fair share of fresca de fresas and pina coladas.

With the sun, appeared all kinds of creatures. Every where we went Em'ry would say, "I'm looking for critters!"

We did make it back to the beach eventually and it was even more fabulous than I could have imagined. Em'ry didn't complain once! The sand was so soft and never got hot. The water was crystal clear and Em'ry was happy to wade and let the waves knock her down or sit in her float for hours at a time and ride the waves while the Angel Fish swarmed, yes swarmed, our legs.

The freshest fruit we've ever had!

I know my mom probably isn't happy about this picture but I promise there was no danger!

I am getting better about the sunscreen. I'm not use to applying so often but we did pretty good this trip and I'm the only one that got burnt! Well, except for the part in Em'ry's hair :-/ I caught it early so it wasn't too terribly bad and she was content to wear a hat most of the time.
Have I mentioned that it Em'ry is going through a selectively independent stage lately? Meaning, she is still a baby when it comes to walking but she is a big kid when she thinks something is cool...

We landed in paradise...

We have been talking about it for months and dreaming of the day when we would sink our toes in the sand and taste the salt of the ocean on our lips and now I'm sad to say the day has come and gone.

I'll have to split the story up because there is too much to say and too many pictures to include and although I'll do my best, I know my depiction of our vacation won't do Mexico justice. But, here we go.

We arrived at the airport early and were standing in line 2 hours prior to our departure time but the chances that we would make our flight looked grim seeing as how we were at the back of a double snaked line OUTSIDE the airport just to check our bags. So, as we waited, I did my best to manage Em'ry's, and when I say Em'ry I mean Greg's frustration. When 9:07 , our flight time, rolled around we had not even checked our bags. But, when we finally did get checked in we made the 10:20 flight and everyone was happy again.

We arrived in Cancun and it was raining. No big deal. We were staying 45 minutes south of Cancun so there was a good chance it would not be raining at our resort. Except it was! We got checked in and headed straight for the buffet because we were all starving. It was pretty clear to us that the rain wasn't going to stop and Em'ry was not at all concerned with the rain so we headed to the beach.

White sand and turquoise water will take your breath away rain or shine.

This kid isn't happy or anything is she?

The storm brought in lots of tiny seashells which Em'ry loved hunting and although I was hoping to find some huge treasure she was perfectly satisfied with the little shells which she put in her daddy's pocket so she could bring them home and put them in Franklin's tank :)

So, want seemed to be a rocky start ended with some much anticipated relaxing. Much more to come as the sun showed up on day 3!

School is out for the Summer!

It's here! It's here! It's finally here! We are free to stay up late, sleep in, swim when we want, travel, and the list goes on!

Well, let me catch you up. We haven't exactly been working long and hard lately :)

We took a spontaneous camping trip to Stephen F. Austin State Park a few weeks ago.

Pitching the tent!

Em'ry knows how to hike :)

Greg whipped up some awesome breakfast burritos!

She was occupied for a whoppin' 10 minutes!

It was so much fun to see Em'ry explore the outdoors. We set up camp, hiked, fished, and watched all of the beautiful wildlife.


Then, over the Memorial Day Weekend, we swam and cooked out every night with the fam. Oh how I love having Brandi right around the corner and Jana just minutes away!

Fry Fest!

Shy and Em'ry having fun in the sun!

What a big girl! I think it's time for swim lessons!

This week my mom has been in town. This always makes me happy. Em'ry loved her time with her Nana! We didn't do much. Just enjoyed our time together. Oh yeah, and mom thought it would be a good idea to take Em with us to get pedicures! Of course, she loved it :)

And, now that summer is here and we can be gone for more than two or three days, we are headed out on yet another adventure! Tomorrow we are leaving for a week in Mexico!

My Hero, My Friend

Today I have finally convinced myself to sit down and admit that in my selfishness I wish my Grandpa Calvin was still with us today. You see, I love my grandpa and was as close to him as most people are to their fathers.

Christmas 2007

Gramps was there for every school event, athletic event, dance recital, and birthday while I was in grade school, high school and college. He changed my diapers, cooked me breakfast, repaired my toys, put up Christmas lights because it made me happy, picked me up from school, taught me to work hard, mentored my dad, and the list could go on and on. But, most importantly he put God first and I recognized that from a very young age.
He loved me. Wow. Yes, he told me this every day, but he didn't have to because his actions and selflessness made it so obvious.

Christmas 2008

Em'ry's 1st Birthday-November 2009

Once I was married he continued to encourage me and offer advice. He recognized how special Greg is to me and welcomed him into our family with open arms. A few years later, there he was at the dedication of my baby girl Em'ry Dove. Greg and I were making a committment to do our very best to seek the Lord's guidance in raising our daughter and that was important to him. I spoke to Gramps on the phone every night and every night when nine thirty rolls around there is a lump in my throat because I want to pick up the phone and tell him about my day but I can't.

But, the legacy he left behind is so precious. I am so blessed by the time we had together and the lessons I have learned. I know that Em'ry is so lucky to have known her great-grandpa and it is obvious that he impacted her life in the sweet words she uses to speak of him everyday.

Easter 2011

When I was looking for someone I could spend the rest of my life with I asked God to lead me to a love as tender and unconditional as the love shared by my grandparents. My grandpa made a conscious decision to be the spiritual leader of his family and I'm so blessed to have found that in Greg. My grandpa is my hero and I will hang on to every moment we spent together and every word he spoke as they inspire me to become the woman God created me to be.


As much as I miss Gramps, I know he is happier than ever before. Not only is he spending every moment worshipping our awesome God but he is doing so alongside his sweetheart, Grandma Dovie. So, though it isn't easy I'll rest assured knowing that I'll see him again someday :)

Easter 2011!

I know I'm a little behind but our lives are on a roller coaster right now so I'm just trying to hang on. We had a wonderful Easter in Booker a few weeks ago. We left on Thursday after school and arrived in Booker around 3am. Em'ry was an amazing traveler.

We spent all day Friday visiting with friends and family and relaxing. It was a little chilly and we weren't prepared but we survived.

On Saturday, we dyed Easter eggs. I was a special treat because this was Em'ry's first year to truly participate. They turned out great!

Em'ry had a blast hunting eggs!

There was one little problem...

Needless to say, we had quite an interesting egg hunt. When we realized we dyed the wrong eggs we picked them all up and hid the white eggs that were hard boiled :) Em'ry didn't seem to mind!

We had another treat on this trip. Jackson asked if Em'ry would be interested in seeing his horses. Of course she was thrilled. She was a little shy at first because they are so much bigger than the pony she rode at the rodeo and carnival. She slowly warmed up to the idea.

Jackson and Em'ry on ICE

Then, she got really brave and got on with Hailie and went for a ride.

The most touching moment of our whole trip was when I took this next picture...

Em'ry loves her Papa! He has been sick for some time but I'm so thankful they have had an opportunity to get to know and love each other. Each night at bedtime, we call him. She doesn't want to talk every night, but she always wants me to call. Most nights she says she loves and misses him and I know that puts a smile on his face :)