Merry Christmas

I have not written on my blog in forever...I think bc I am too busy lookng at all the other blogs I follow, ha! I just wanted to share my kids picture with Santa. I got a good smile out of Gavin, which is very hard to do at times, and Scarlett smiled so pretty and was not scared of Santa at all!

My babies are so precious :)
Gavin has his Christmas party at school on Thursday and Scarlett has a Christmas program at her daycare that she actually get to be in! I can't wait to see it!

Just a little update on the kids-
Gavin is doing great in Kindergarten and he is reading so good!!! He did the sweetest thing ever last week. He went to the library with his class on Thursday and instead of getting a book for himself he got an Olivia  book for Scarlett bc he knows she loves that show. I just thought to myself...okay we're doing something right as parents. He is turning into an amazing young man. He hasn't lost any teeth yet, but i think it's coming soon. We were looking at his teeth over the weekend and he has a grown up tooth coming in behind his baby tooth. My mother in law said Jordan's teeth grew in just like that. I am just hoping that baby tooth will become loose soon so we don't have to get them taken out...OUCH!

Scarlett is 8 months old and is all over the place!! She is crawling everywhere,pulling herself and standing on everything!! It wouldn't surprise me at all if she were walking soon. She is seriously the happiest baby I have ever met and soooo sweet. She brings so much joy and laughter into our home.. it's such an amazing feeling and she LOVES Gavin sooo mcuh. I am so happy that they love each other so much. She has started playing with Gavin's cars too they will sit on his car mat and play with all his cars. She already looks up to him so much and I hope that it stays that way. We are expeimenting a little more with food...she loves pancakes!! haha she eats them right up and on Thanksgiving we let her try dressing, mashed potatoes, and banana pudding. She's not a picky eater at all.

Two Big Milestones All in One Day!!!

Scarlett started crawling last night!!! Jordan would scoot back and call her name and try and get her to come to him. She would get in the crawling position (which she's been doing for about a week now) then she would crawl forward a little bit, then lay down and take a break, ha! Then get back up and try again :) Before long she will be crawling all over the house!! My sweet baby doll is growing up.

And Gavin read a level 1 book all by himself!!!! He's so smart!!! Jordan and I have been practicing sight words with him every night. So yesterday his teacher sent home a level 1 book and he read the whole thing by himself without any help!

I'm so proud of my kids :) and this song is so true and makes me cry every time I hear it....it's just how I'm feeling today.

Taylor Swift
"Never Grow Up"
Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light
To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to, just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up

Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up

Scarlett 5 days old

Gavin 2 years old













2 Years and counting...

Monday was mine and Jordan's 2 year wedding anniversary :) I am more in love with him today than I was the day I married him it just keeps getting better! A lot has happened in the last 2 years...Jordan got out of the army, he got accepted into the police academy, we had a baby, I lost my job, I got a new job, Jordan finished the acaedmy... it has been tough at times to keep on pushing forward. The only thing that has kept us going through all of this is each other. We have relied on each other a whole lot and I am so thankful to have a man like Jordan. He keeps me going and is always so positive. He takes on a lot and always makes sure that I am happy before anything else even before his own happiness. He is amazing and I am so lucky to call him not only my husband, but my best friend. I love you babe!

The pretty flowers that were waiting for me when I got home :) My favorite flower!

So we celebrated out anniversary last Friday. I took half the day off and we went to Kemah and ate sushi and we both tried sake for the first time. It was disgusting haha, but it was so much fun!! Then we went to the mall bc Jordan wanted one of those massages and I shopped hehe :) I finally got some new jeans!! They were on sale for $17 a piece I couldn't pass that up!! Then Jordan's parents offered to watch the kids for us and we were going to go see a movie around 5:30, but we missed the kids too much and decided to meet our family for dinner at Willie's like we do every Friday night. It's become a tradition and it's always so much fun :) Now that may not seem like a romantic anniversary haha but to us it was just what we needed! Just a few hours of alone time it was our first date in over a year. We will never wait that long again!

Gavin (left) Jordan (right)

 Okay how much do these two look alike!? It is so crazy to see them side by side at the same age. Jordan has some strong genes that's for sure!!! And how cute did Gavin's Kindergarten picture turn out?? He smiled so good! I love it :)

Baby Girl!!!

And how darn cute is this?? I just LOVE her soooo much and I am loving her little shirt and leggings :)

Apple of My Eye

I just had to share...look how sweet this picture of Scarlett is :) Love you baby girl!!!  

Oh and I ordered Scarlett's halloween costume yesterday it's going to be sooo funny here's a little sneak peak. I am going to add more to it, but I love it haha!

Little Baby Sushi Roll!!

and Gavin is going to be a Storm Trooper from Star Wars

No pics today just some rambling :)

It is so hard to keep up with blogging, but I am trying!
So just a few things going on in our world...

Jordan graduated the police academy exactly 1 week ago!! I was so proud of him he was one of the class leaders and finished #19 out of 70. He hit the streets the very next day and is loving every minute of it. He is so passionate about his career and I am so happy for him :) I do pray for God to watch over him every day before he leaves. It’s a scary job, but I will bring my fears to the Lord and give Jordan all of my support.

Gavin is doing awesome in tball this year! The last 2 games he has had homeruns and multiple outs, which is good bc in the spring he actually has to do tryouts so I am glad we put him in tball this fall so he could practice and be ready for the spring ball. He also brought him his Reading Folder yesterday. He has to read to us a minimum of 15 minutes a day. Yesterday they didn't send home a book so we just worked on sight words like - I, an, we, see, the, mom, dad, love. He did pretty good he can name every letter we're just having some trouble with what sounds each letter makes, but he will get it :) he's a smart kid and it's only the first 6 weeks of kindergarten.

Scarlett is so much fun her little personality is growing every day. She tried bananas for the fist time on Saturday and she HATED them! I was so surprised I thought she would love bananas, but no....she would just scream when I gave them to her then I would give her a vegetable bite and she would just eat it all up lol. So we tried peaches last night and she ate the whole jar she liked them much more :) She constantly wants to move now we can't sit still with her for very long so we decided to go and buy her a bouncer. She has soooo much fun with that thing she will bounce and bounce for 30 minutes if you let her lol it's so cute. Lately she has this obsession with Jordan too lol it's so funny any time she hears his voice she practically breaks her neck to turn and look at him and she will just sit and stare and smile it's the most adorable thing I have ever seen. She loves her daddy :) He is so sweet with her too I love watching him hold her and play with her, he's a great daddy to her and Gavin they are very lucky kids.

And last but not least...me! lol I don't really have much going on just busy being a mommy and wife :) I went on a cleaning spree this weekend and cleaned the whole house and threw away a lot of unnecessary clutter! I also cleaned out my closet of clothes I have had since high school lol and jeans that will never fit me again no matter how much I would love to fit my butt back into a size 1 haha. We paid off my student loan and my balance at UHCL so I am able to re-enroll in school next semester and I cannot wait!! I feel fulfilled when I am in school and I love what I am majoring in so it makes it easy to go back to school. I just can't wait to finish!! I will take as many classes as I can without taking time away from my family, because they come first.

Well that's about it for now! I will post pics later this week from Jordan's graduation.

6 Months Old

Scarlett Kay you are 6 months old today!!

Weight: 19 lbs 11 oz – 97%

Height: 27 inches – 90%

Diaper size: 3

Clothing: 9-12 months (I can still squeeze you in some 6 months hehe)

My favorite thing to dress you in right now is little dresses with leggings and of course we can’t forget the bow. It’s sooo cute and I can’t wait for it to get cooler so I can dress you in that all winter J

You at your check-up

You eat cereal twice a day and vegetables at night (formula in between). You have gone through green beans, peas, carrots (not your favorite), squash, and sweet potatoes.

Later this week we will introduce fruit! I can’t wait, I think you will love the bananas J

You LOVE to SMILE!!! You are the happiest baby I’ve ever seen. Your smile melts my heart every time it is just so sweet and innocent it’s so beautiful to see. Anytime anyone is talking to you, you just smile.

Everyone is always complimenting your eyes. Strangers will stop me all the time and just tell me how gorgeous you are and how pretty your eyes are. I can’t take any credit for that, those are all your daddy J I hope they stay as blue as they are!

You don’t have much hair still, but it’s starting to come in more on top and it looks like it will be blonde. You haven’t cut any teeth yet (which I am secretly happy about bc I am not ready for you to grow up so much). We got you your first Olivia stuffed animal and you love it! That’s your favorite show to watch and it’s the theme we are going to use for your first birthday party. We are trying to decide what we want to dress you up as for Halloween. It’s between Olivia and Itsy Bitsy Spider….I saw the sweetest little Itsy Bitsy Spider costume before I was even pregnant and saved it so I could get it for you (just in case I had a little girl one day). I looked last week and the lady didn’t sell the costume anymore and I was so upset, but I decided to email her and see if she could do me a special favor and make it for me…and she said yes! So I am really thinking that’s what you will be since I wanted it for so long.

You at 5 days old....and now at 6 months old!!

You laugh more now and it’s the most adorable thing I have ever heard. You’re starting to get a personality and it’s so cute!!! You’re still rolling over and are starting to want to slide out of your car seat so I have to make sure you’re always buckled! You looove to kick your feet it looks like you’re trying to get somewhere lol I know you are so ready to start moving around more, but please just stay my baby just a little bit longer! Scarlett it makes me and your daddy so happy to have you in our lives. You are the most amazing blessing and you will never know how much joy and love you bring to our hearts. We love you baby girl.

hAPPY tUESDAY

My babies before school this morning....aren't they just the sweetest thing ever??

Just realized yesterday when I was filling out my new planner :) that our 2 year wedding anniversary is right around the corner!! Like 3 weeks away!! I better start thinking of some ideas! It would be amazing to just have an evening alone where we can go to dinner and see a movie. We haven't been on a date in over a year!!! I was pregnant, Jordan started the police academy, the baby came...and life has just taken over. We could really just use a day to ourselves to be young and in love. 

Life Planner

Saturday morning my Erin Condren Life Planner came in!!!!! I have been waiting for 2 weeks and was soooooo excited!! It’s seriously the cutest planner I’ve ever seen!!

My friends and I are huge planner nerds and were texting each other every day for 2 weeks talking about how we couldn’t wait for it to arrive! I got mine first hehehe! Theirs should be there today!

I haven’t written in it yet because I had to go buy new pens and need complete silence lol I know I’m a dork. I will be writing in it today though…can’t wait!! And OMG look how freaking cute these personalized stickers they added for FREE!!! Sooooooo love Erin Condren and will buying much much more!! www.erincondren.com

This weekend I didn’t take any pictures we were pretty busy. Friday night we went out to eat at Willie’s with my in-laws. This has sort of become a Friday night tradition it’s so much fun and Gavin loves the huge sand box he can play in while we eat. We just really like the atmosphere. Saturday Gavin had a tball game and my mom and Charles came to the game. Afterwards we went and ate at Jimmy Changas yummy! I stayed up pretty late Saturday night working on something for my sister-in-law’s baby shower. Sunday was a day of rest, football, and working on stuff for the baby shower. It’s this Sunday and we had a lot to get done, but we finished most of it.

Oh and today is Scarlett’s first “school pictures” lol her little daycare is having a photographer come in and take pictures. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!

Thank You God!

HE PASSED!!!! WOO HOO!!!! Jordan will officially graduate the police academy in 2 weeks and will be hitting the streets. I am SOOOOO proud of him!! :) He gets his blue uniform today and will be taking academy pics....it's like school picture day! lol I hope I can buy some!

It's a Loonnng One :)

It’s been so long since I’ve written a post! I need to get better at fitting this is my schedule. A lot has happened in the last week or so!

Today is a BBIIIIGGGGG day for Jordan!!! He takes the state exam to become a police officer. It’s 250 questions and you have to pass this test in order to be a police office in the state of Texas. I know he is so nervous, but he has studied his butt off!! I am so proud of him every night he either works late or comes home and studies and goes to study groups on the weekends, but he ALWAYS manages to still have time for me and the kids. He is amazing at balancing his work and family and I applaud him for that because it is NOT easy to do at all. I just can’t wait for him to pass this test and be on his way to becoming a police officer! Next Tuesday is graduation where he will get his badge pinned on him!! I can’t wait he has worked so hard I know this has been 6 LOONNGG months, but he has got some amazing training and I feel like he is ready to hit the streets. They have a great police academy that gets them ready for any kind of situation he may get into on the streets. I pray that God always watches over him and brings him home safely to us every night. It’s a dangerous job, but someone’s got to do it. *I need more pics of Jordan on the blog!*

My best friend Atosha had her baby boy September 6, 2011 at 3:33pm he was 8 lbs 6oz and 20 ¼ inches long.



Welcome Baby Jhett Bryant Mitchell



So we’re only a few weeks into Kindergarten and Gavin has gotten sick, which we talked about in the last post….and a week later I get a call at work that him and another boy we’re playing in the gym and the accidentally ran into each other. Well when they ran into each other Gavin bit his tongue and it was bleeding….A LOT! (September 8)

The nurse said she couldn’t get it to stop and I needed to come and get him and get it looked at. Oh did I mention it was picture day? Lol the nurse said, “He’s bleeding pretty bad and it got on his shirt.” And the first thing I said was, “Oh no! Did he already take his pictures?!” haha Thank goodness they had already taken them. So I rushed home and took him to the ER and he had to get stitches!

A little scared before the doctor came in...poor baby!

He was sooo brave and such a big boy I was very proud of him! Jordan was at work the whole time and had no idea this was even going on so as soon as he got off he called and I had to tell him what happened. He got very quiet…but it was only bc he said it’s not every day you hear someone say your son is in the emergency room. So he was happy to see that Gavin was okay when he got home. We went and got him popsicles and of course a toy for being such a little soldier! I couldn’t have been as brave as he was that’s for sure!

Gavin started tball and his first game was this past weekend, his team name is Storm. We usually play soccer in the fall, but we let Gavin decided what he wanted to play and he chose baseball. Jordan and I love going to the games they’re so much fun! I didn’t order my team shirt in time for the game so I decided I would make Scarlett and I matching outfits. It was my first attempt at being creative. What do you think?

I think they turned out pretty cute!

Gavin did a great job at his game! He is always the biggest one of his team lol. He made a couple of great stops tagged a guy out on 2^nd, and made 2 runs. He did awesome!

I love this pic of us! Gavin actually took the picture...do we have a future photographer on our hands?

Scarlett is getting so big!! Carter’s was having a huge sale and I was able to get a ton of stuff for 90 bucks. It should all last her through the winter. I had to get her new stuff bc she doesn’t fit in any of her clothes right now! Here’s Scarlett after a long day of shopping laying in a pile of her new clothes! Lol

Trying on one of her new outfits…we can’t wait for it to get cold!

I had a little breakdown last night though. I was cleaning out her closet and drawers to make room for all her new stuff and it just made me so sad. Look at all the clothes that don’t fit her anymore!!!

She’s already going to be 6 months old in a couple of week…that’s HALF a YEAR!!! Like I am going to have to start planning her birthday party pretty soon…omg they just grow up so fast it’s unbelievable. Jordan made me feel better though bc I was being a little dramatic by saying “omg she’s not a baby any more she doesn’t need me as much now” lol I was emotional okay! He was like that is so silly she will always be your baby and will always need you. Plus even when they’re 2 & 3 they still need you to do everything for them you have a long time to baby her it doesn’t stop when she turns 1. He also said just enjoy every minute with her now…which we do! She is so much fun to be around and we just sit and play and smile with her every chance we get.

Here’s just a couple pics of Scarlett and I at Willie’s. I couldn’t get Gavin out of the sand box to take a picture or I would have one of him too!

Oh I almost forgot. Scarlett learned a new trick this weekend and she does it ALL the time now it’s sooooo cute! She makes like fart noises with her mouth hahaha I know it sounds gross but it so freaking cute. I’ll have to upload a video of it it’s too funny.

…Until next time! XOXO

Our Bond

Being a mom is the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life, but more often than not it is the most rewarding and I thank God every day for the family I have been blessed with. When I met Gavin for the first time at age 2 I absolutely adored him and I knew that if he would accept me and love me as much as his Daddy did then we were going to have many more memories together…and I was right. What I didn’t know is how much I was going to love him too. Since day one I have never felt like a stepmom to Gavin and I know that I will never feel that way. Gavin has always treated me as nothing less than his mom and I have never seen him as anything less than my son. There are times I wonder if one day he’s going to realize his biological mom isn’t around as much as I am and he’s going to be hurt by that. I hope and pray all the time that our bond is strong enough to withstand any fears, confusion, or uncertainty he has about his biological mom and her choice to not be here. I know a lot of children wake up one day and they want answers and they often turn their backs to the ones that have always been there for them and who have always loved them…I hope and pray that doesn’t happen to our family. The reason I had all these thoughts in my head today is because yesterday Gavin and I had a huge bonding experience and it touched me dearly. I got a call when I was at work and it was Gavin’s daycare. They had just picked him up from Kindergarten and as soon as he walked into the daycare he started throwing up everywhere. He was projectile vomiting and had already thrown up 6 times when she called me. I immediately ran out of my office and got there as fast as I possibly could. The whole way there I was so worried because he had never thrown up before and all I could think about was being there with him so he wasn’t scared. When I walked into the daycare he was hanging over a trashcan and looked so pitiful. I felt like I couldn’t get to him fast enough so I just started running and I embraced him and we both started crying. It was probably the closest I have ever felt to Gavin in 3 ½ years. I have been there for every moment and memory in his life since he was 2, but this time it was just different. He needed me, he was scared, I was scared and when I saw him I saw the relief on his face and the fear in his eyes disappeared. It melted my heart... I know to most it was just a kid that got sick, but I know to Gavin and me it was more than that. I hope when the time comes that he is feeling confused or hurt that he just remembers those moments he has shared with us and clings tight to me and his Dad. It will be a very long time before he understand why things are the way that they are with his biological mom. And until that time I just want him to enjoy every moment of his childhood and know that his Daddy and I will be at every school event, every baseball game, every soccer game, every night when he goes to sleep and every morning when he wakes up, every tear, every bad dream, every time he is sick, every time he is happy and sad, every time he needs a hug, every time he needs advice, every time he needs a bath, every time he needs a snack, the list goes on and on…. I put EVERY in front of all of those things because we WILL always be there for every single thing he goes through in his life and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. We are a team :)

5 Months Old

Scarlett you are 5 months old today! 

You wear a size 3 diaper and 3/6 month and some 6/9  month clothes

You weigh 18 lbs 4 oz 

You can almost sit up by yourself! You love sitting in your bumbo, but you still like your bouncer. 

You absolutely love floor time so I just lay your quilt down in the living room and let you roll and play. 

Your favorite toy is Sophie the giraffe you love chewing on her :) 

You also started taking a pacifier, but you do like your thumb too. Actually there are times you try and fit your whole hand in your mouth, haha! 

You eat cereal every day and formula as well, but you will be starting veggies in the next 2 weeks! 

You like to make this squeaking noise now it's so funny and you just smile so big every time after you squeak. 

Scarlett you are gorgeous! 

You are such a happy baby and so calm and content. Everyone is always telling me how beautiful you are and what a good baby you are...it makes me so proud :) 

You do have your moments when you get upset, but there is usually a reason for it. And when that happens we like to call you Gertrude lol. Don't ask me why it's just something we started doing and it has stuck. 

You are doing great in daycare and your teacher Ms. Lori is so good with you she will even text me during the day to let me know how you're doing, which I love bc I miss you all day! 

You start out in the pack-n-play next to our bed every night, but always end up in the bed with us. Since you have started rolling over you always end up on your tummy with your face down in the mattress and it makes me so nervous!! So I just put you in bed with Daddy and I where I know you'll be safe :) 

I heard you laugh for the first time 2 weeks ago and I can't get you to do it again, but it was the cutest thing I have ever seen!!! 

I love you so much Scarlett. I thank God every day for this precious gift he has given us. I wish I could make this time of my life go in slow motion. You are pure joy!

Scarlett 4 months (on left) 5 months (on right)

Every good and perfect gift is from above
~ James 1:17 from NIV

Family..Football..and Germany :)

We had one of the best weekends we have had in a while! Not that we did anything extra special, but we left the stress of the work week at the door on Friday afternoon and just enjoyed our weekend! Friday night we went to dinner with Jordan's parents at Willie’s (our favorite family restaurant). It's great because they have a big sandbox outside for the kids so Gavin is able to play and have fun and we can have some adult time, it’s nice. A couple of people Jordan's dad works with ended up coming to join us as well and we had a great conversation and lots of laughs. 

Scarlett and Gigi (Jordan's mom)

You are my Sunshine 

Saturday Jordan had to go meet up with some classmates to study for a big test they have on Monday. When they were done studying the kids and I met up with them at Gringos for lunch then we went back to his friend’s house to swim. Scarlett went swimming and loved it! 

Look Mommy I'm swimming! 

 The Texans game was on so of course we couldn’t miss that! So we decided to have a couple friends over to watch the game. Plus our friend Neli just got in town and I couldn’t wait to see her!!! She is from Germany J We met her last year when she was interning at a company one of our friends worked at and she liked it so much she decided to come back again this year and intern again! She will be here until the end of September. She is so kind and I haven’t traveled much so I love hearing about the culture and hearing her speak German is the coolest! It was so much fun having our friends over we have a great group of people we surround ourselves with and we’re constantly laughing when we’re all together.

Gavin being silly 

Neli and Scarlett so sweet 

Jordan and I 

Meghan and I

Neli!!!! My friend from Germany 

Gavin and I

The Girls... Scarlett was falling asleep 

Gavin my big boy 

Today my mother-in-law and I are going shopping for my sister-in-laws baby shower that we’re planning. Its 3 weeks away and we haven’t bought one thing! It’s okay though we work well under pressure ;) We did get the invitations sent out. We’re doing a Wizard of Oz theme it’s going to be so cute!! Okay that about wraps it up for this weekend I’m going to work on a separate post now…Scarlett is 5 months old today!