Stationery card

Picture Our Joy Holiday Card

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The Christmas cards are done!!!!! Thanks to Shutterfly and my sister who was on the ball with her cards this year and encouraged me to do the same. I don't think I have ever had my cards purchased so early! Last year I didn't even get around to Christmas cards. So glad it is done this year.

Happy Halloween

5x7 Folded Card

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Halloween wasn't the same this year without Nana and Popsie but I guess the birth of their 11th grandchild warranted their absence!
The girls had fun as usual. Emily had a last minute costume change and nixed Super Girl for the clown costume. Olivia put hers together last minute as well. She originally wanted to be a roller derby girl, but when we couldn't find any roller skates at a reasonable price we cut out that idea.Actually she was going to be Thing 1 along with her sister being Thing 2 but she ditched poor Abby. Abby still wanted that costume and I think she was super cute. Though she COULD NOT stand that white make-up all over her face!
The mosquitoes were out in full force as is the case every year, but at least it was burning up and humid!
The girls made this card for Miss Allison as she was so thoughtful and sent them each 10.00 for Halloween! Olivia had fun making the card on Shutterfly our favorite photo website!
Halloween 2011 was over with before we knew it and everyone was off to bed on a big time sugar high!

Emily's First Love Note

Emily came home with her first "love note" from a boy, if you can believe that at 5 years old. She has been talking about Charlie for weeks now. She sits by him in class and I thought they had just become buddies because they sat together. A week or so ago she had to move her clip to red because she was chatting with Charlie, telling him about the sleepover she was planning for him and others friends of hers. Five year olds don't know you #1. Don't have sleepovers at that age and #2. Don't invite boys to your sleepovers!
Regarding the clip movement she informed me she was interrupting her teaching while she was trying to teach the class because she was talking and that was why she had to move her clip. She included she just couldn't help it, the teacher was talking about ABC's and 123's and she already knows those, so it was VERY boring! Can't fault the poor smart child for that one!
Back to our love note........Thursday when I was cleaning out her backpack this is what I found at the bottom.



At first I thought she had drawn this, but when I looked close, it didn't look like her handwriting. So I asked her about it and of course she got the biggest grin on her face! Yes Charlie had given Emily her first love note! I think her sisters were impressed!

RIP Summer......Let Classes Begin!

We said good bye to summer yesterday. David took the boat out one last time with Emily and Abby, Uncle Steve and Jenna. Of course they didn't get home until 8:30 which is when the girls where suppose to be in bed but hey.....it was the last day of summer and pretty soon the lake won't have any water in it anyway!
Fast forward, it is now 9:00 ish and the girls are getting into bed! But no ones is sleepy, except Emily, who is not going to school tomorrow. Fast forward to 10:30 Abby and Olivia are awake! Needless to say this morning was rough on some.

Olivia set her alarm for 6:45 and for the first time in her 9 year history she got herself up on her own with no assistance from the parental units!!!!!! Yay, Olivia! I guessing that means she was very excited to start 5th grade! Wow, can't believe she is a fifth grader! She has a very sweet and precious teacher. Thank you Lord for working that out!

Abby had a much harder time getting up. She had lost her excitment about going to school with her sister this year! Her toe was hurting her this morning and by the time we left for school she said her whole leg was hurting. Sitting at the breakfast table this morning she told me she didn't want to go to school today. I know she is anxious but I know it will be a great day for her. She is going to first grade again this year and though she said she was okay with that, I wonder what might really be going through her head.

Can't wait to pick these girls up from school today and hear their stories! Will post more this afternoon!

Bella....Bella......Bella.....The Story of Dogsitting

David has been hounding me for a long time about getting a dog......I have made my position clear......I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER THING TO TAKE CARE OF!.....We can only get a dog that doesn't poop or pee!
Well, last week he offered "our" services, to dog sit! I wasn't too happy but what was I too do without looking like a witch? So last Wednesday Bella shows up at our door. A little gray mini schnauzer and by the time she left yesterday, I actually thought maybe having a dog inside would be so bad after all. (My father will be happy to hear this!)
Of course when she first arrived I was finding all kinds of angles to make the kids think having a dog wasn't such a great idea. I knew one way to get Abby on board with me, everytime Bella went outside, I would say to Abby there she goes to poop again. Abby always wanted to know exactly where in the backyard she was pooping. I could see the wheels turning in her head. She did not want to play in a backyard full of poop! Needless to say after a couple of days I stopped that!
She was a super sweet dog that of course knew I wasn't crazy about her, so she always wanted to sit in my lap or follow me around!
So now momma has changed her mind......I just hope and pray when we get a dog....it is just like Bella!

Lovely Ladies Play Cards........

Well, that is what the girls told me aunt JeanAnn told them yesterday when they were having a tea party at their house. So today when they were having a tea party at our house they wanted to play cards. Abby went to retrieve the Little Pet Shop Go Fish cards! Do you think lovely ladies played Go Fish? Of course, I forgot to take a picture of them playing cards. But here they are enjoying their tea party! This was at the end of their three day playing spree! The girls are blessed to have so many wonderful cousins!

Roddy Tree 2011

After skipping a year, we were back at Roddy Tree Ranch this summer. A Loveless family tradition that the kids just love. It is a great place to relax and have fun, that is for sure.
The drought this summer caused the river to be low and the fishing pond was barely hanging on, but there were still fish to be caught and we found a new fun place to swim in the river.
Of course we danced the night away at the Lazy Days Canteen, while the guys played hoops. No telling how much money got dumped into that expense jute box! We played lots of oldies as usual, but this year our time at Roddy Tree will be remembered with Rolling in the Deep by Adelle! Thanks Olivia.....
The entire Armstrong clan joined us this year, which made for more fun!
With a stop at Buc-cees on the way there and a stop in Gruene on the way back our trip was loaded with fun. Of which most of I did not capture in photos this year. I will have to rely on the photos of others this year to remember the trip!

We survived our first church camp!!!

Olivia and I took off for Pre-teen camp this past week. Her first time to go and my first time as a counselor! Daddy has wanted Olivia to go practically since she was born. He has so many memories of church camp and he wanted the same thing for Olivia. Olivia wasn't ready to go until this year and probably because her mother was coming along.
I have to say I was very proud of my little girl. She did not cling to me at all. She went off and made new friends and had a great time. I thought I would see her at meal times but usually she and her friends were sitting together and her mother was an after thought and I was thrilled.
At first I was concerned she was going off to camp without a friend and not really having many friendships with the kids there. In retrospect, that is the way to go. When you bring a friend or already have a friend you want to hang with you don't get out of your comfort zone and make new friends!
Olivia crossed a big hurdle this summer and realized just what she can do on her own. I know the thought of having her mom close by was comforting but I think next year she can make it on her own, though I had so much fun, I just might want to go back. This time with a eggshell for the plywood I had to sleep on!

Another 4th of July

We had an even bigger 4th of July celebration in our neighborhood this year! Daddy is the president of the HOA and he and the others work hard too make things fun in the neighborhood. This year we had two fire engines come for the parade. And this year we had lots of people riding in the parade, which made it a lot of fun for everyone. Afterwards we had hot dogs, snow cones and a watermelon eating contest at the clubhouse!
Jenna came to enjoy the festivities with her cousins! The join in on the watermelon eating contest. Abby was going after it......unfortunately she was competing against teenage boys and had no hope of winning!

We Have More Cousins......Yea!

My cousins and uncle from Minnesota came to visit for a few days and brought their children as well. The girls were so excited to find out they had cousins their age they didn't even know about. I had prepped them ahead of time. Showing them pictures on facebook, telling them names and ages of their cousins. Everyday they would ask when are they coming, how many more days until they get here? The big day finally arrived. Our first meeting for the kids was at the Children's Museum, not the best place to get to know people, but later that night at the Astro's game they got acquainted and friendships began!
We had a great time while they were here, swimming, eating, playing, going to the lake, more playing! The girls were sad their trip wasn't longer.
The Minnesota cousins made them special bracelets to remember them, which was really sweet. Olivia and Eli exchanged email addresses and they all asked if they would ever see each other again? We sure hope we do!

End of the school has come and gone......

I let the end of school come and go without a mention of it's passing, which was kind of a big deal......after 8 years at Trinity Lutheran Early Childhood Center, our time there has come to an end. Hard to grasp that time in my life is over and all my girls are big now. I vividly remember the first day I dropped Olivia off at Mother's Day Out. Her teacher, hand picked by God, Mrs. Sharon. was and still is the sweetest of teachers. She sent the mothers off with a sweet little packet that had a tea bag, cotton ball, kleenex and the sweetest poem you have ever read ( if you are a first time mom dropping your first child into the the hands of a stranger)

So Your Baby Started Mother's Day Out......


After you've dried your eyes


Sit back, relax, and have a cup of tea.


Hold the warm fuzzy in your hand and


Think of the gentle spirit of you child.



Thank you for entrusting your child to me.....



Okay, well maybe it's not the sweetest poem you have ever read but it is the sweetest something.....I sat there in the car with tears coming down as life was moving on.


Fast forward 8 years......walking out the door that last day of school for Emily, I thought our years here have been wonderful. My children were blessed with teachers that loved the Lord and loved them as well. We have the best of memories and our time there will be cherished forever.

Abby's last day of school wasn't as earth shattering, she will be leaving Spring Baptist and the best first grade teacher on the planet, but Emily will be there next year for Kindergarten and our memories aren't quite as special there as they are at Trinity! Though we love Mrs. Loftin dearly and have very special memories of Olivia and Abby's first grade years with Mrs. Loftin. Abby is very excited to move and be at the same school as her big sister.
Emily wants to be there as well, but her momma isn't ready to give her up to the public school system for 5 days a week.

Olivia's 4th grade year ended smoothly. Mrs. Brewer and Mrs. Mott were great teachers and she had fun year full of a new thing at school......girl drama! And her teacher said it really wasn't bad this year. She says usually 4th grade girls are much worse than her crew she had this year. Hard to believe. She and I are both excited for her 5th grade year......it should be fun!

Another Tennessee Vacation

The view from the back of our house!

Our awesome house...."Above it All"

Family picture as the Old Mill

We left the day Olivia got out of school we headed east for Louisiana to meet up with David's family and then head off for another Tennessee vacation. How we love Tennessee. Once we finally found the house we were off to a good vacation.Olivia was doing some heavy praying in the backseat! Actually I think all the girls were this time. Being lost in the mountains with no cell phone reception isn't fun! T-mobile your days are numbers in the Simpson household!
Once again we had a great time at Dollywood. Grandkids can talk their mawmaw into riding just about any ride there. That added many laughs to the trip. MawMaw got soaked more than once on a couple of rides but she was a trooper and that made the trip more fun and memorable for the girls.This year we hiked a pretty treacherous trail. We had a few accidents coming down with Emily falling flat on a a pointy rock and 5 seconds later Cameron almost falling down the side of the mountain. Afterwards we went tubing...which was pretty fun,unfortunately we didn't take a camera with us so we have no pictures of that memorable event, full of more laughs! PawPaw got sick on this trip so he spent most of his time in the house and missed out on all the fun. He made it to The Dixie Stampede. The girls loved the show and especially loved getting autographs afterwards on their cowboy boot cups.
The kids made up a bunch of Tennessee songs and put on a show for the grown ups. It was super cute and they made us all laugh as we watched on the balcony of the house, while they were running around the yard singing!
Great memories were made once again in the beautiful Smoky Mountains!


Emily did not care for this ride once it got going. As you can see by her puffed cheeks, she held her breath!

Family pic at Dollywood.....we LOVE this place!

Dixie Stampede Host....the girls loved getting autographs after the show.


The treacherous hike to this beautiful water.....was it worth it????

Happy Birthday Mommy

My girls made me a red velvet birthday cake today, with the help of their daddy! They love birthdays of course and they love baking and candles. Imagine their joy when they discovered we had a 4 and a 6 to put on the cake! Great memories!