Pic #24

Oh! This belly is a growin'!!

We are ready for our Mattie girl to get home this weekend!! 

The days are getting shorter which means the start of school is getting closer. 

Until next week

God Bless

Picture #19

Not a lot to say.

It's been a great week. 

Mattie has had football camp and pottery camp this week. 

We have some big plans for the weekend too!!!

More next week!!

God Bless!!

Picture #19

We just love picture day.

It's not just about keeping record of the growing belly, 

which has been great fun.

But it is also about keeping Phillip updated. 

Although he and Katie talk, face-time, and text daily,

I email him the picture every Thursday after I edit it. 

I try to get it emailed before they have their 

goodmorning/goodnight 

call. 

He calls the girls every morning when he wakes up to tell them good night. 

Tomorrow night, he will spend his first night in their new, old house! 

I can't wait to get pictures of the house after they have their stuff moved in. 

Until next time

God Bless!!

Picture #18

This week has been girls week.

Tiger has been out of town.

Grumpy has been out of town. 

When Mattie found out Lolo was home alone, she said

"Lolo, just stay with us this week! We'll have slumber parties every night!"

Well how do you say no to that?

So I have been at my mom's all week with my girls!

It's been fun!

Until next week

God Bless

Picture #17

Running a few days late!!

We have been enjoying summer. 

The girls love living out in the country.

Mattie has quickly turned into a country girl, 

Mud Pies

Forts

Climbing Trees

With no camps and no karate competitions to practice for

days are spent with Mommie and Tiger. 

Well, she did attend a two day art camp at ACU. 

Loved every minute of it!! 

She is one creative kid!!

And she is anxiously awaiting her little brother!

She is going to be a great big sister!! 

Katie and Moose are doing great! 

He is growing and healthy!

We all miss Phillip,

but he is getting their new home ready! 

And I think he is working some!! (LOL)

Until next week!!

God Bless!!

Picture #16

WOW!!

It has been a VERY busy week.

Monday we celebrated Memorial Day. 

Well, celebrate isn't exactly the right word to use. 

We remembered all those that have given their all for this wonderful country we live in, 

and we also said goodbye to Phillip. 

He has moved to Germany. 

He is anxiously waiting for the rest of his family to arrive. 

Katie and Mattie spent one last night in the apartment before the movers came in and started packing everything up. 

The have moved in with Mom and will stay there until time for them to leave. 

They have almost got a schedule down to FaceTime with Phillip but it will be a little easier once school is out. 

Which is tomorrow!!

Mattie has one more day as a 3rd grader!!! 

She is growing way too fast!!

Next week she has two days at Maker Academy at ACU. 

She is really looking forward to that.

Next week, we can start to slow down and start enjoying the summer. 

We continue to get rain!! 

Thank you Lord!! 

There is a lot of flooding, 

but we have a few lakes that have not really gained any water.

We continue to pray that rains keeps coming until those lakes are full. 

Happy Summer!!

Until next week, 

God Bless. 

Pic #14

IT'S THURSDAY!!!!

And we all know what that means!!!

IT'S PICTURE DAY!!!

I say PJ will be another martial artist!!

Katie says he is kicking all the time!!!

They've had a great week. 

Phillip has been helping Mattie with a school project all week. 

It is complete and ready to turn in on Monday. 

Grumpy and I aren't allowed to see it until Sunday though. 

Mattie also had her GT Showcase this week 

She walked Grumpy and Phillip through three projects. 

Katie and I took pictures. 

It was a great night. 

This weekend, we don't have anything planned 

Except rest. 

We all deserve it, 

Especially Frank. 

He's had several late nights this week. 

Until next week

God Bless!!

Mattie's Reaction to the Oops!

In March, I posted this about the gender reveal party we held for our family.

Here's the video of the reveal.

Mattie obviously was not happy about it being a baby girl.

An her face in this picture...

shows she is just not thrilled.


Last night I posted our weekly belly picture along with a big oops!

I couldn't get the video to post.

So as promised,

Here is Mattie learning there was a big mistake in revealing the gender of the baby!!







Though not nearly as exciting as the party video,

She is quite thrilled to learn it really is a boy!!

I've said it before, but I will say it again...

She is going to be an amazing big sister!!!

Until next time,

God bless.

Picture #11 and Pancackes

We are gradually getting back on track! 

Just two days late this week!!

Miss Phoebe is quickly growing, you can tell by that belly. 

Katie is feeling good, just tired.

Really tired. 

I think if she could. she would sleep 24/7.

But I guess she needs to rest now while she can, because as we all know, once Phoebe arrives mommy will be begging for rest.

Had a great day today at the Kiwanis Pancake day. 

Mattie B used to love to go eat pancakes and Mattie May does to. 

Ready to eat!!!

Ran into her friend Tat that she hasn't seen in a year.

She loved the funny names on the bag of the milk cartons. 

Until next time 

God Bless. 

Picture #7

It's Thursday!!

That means it's picture day!!

Last week, Baby H was the size of a lime,

but has grown to be the size of a plum. 

If you read my last post, you know that little plum is a GIRL!!!

Mattie really wanted a baby brother, but I think after talking to Hysti and Tiger,

she realizes how much fun having a sister will be. 

They also talked to her about being so far apart in age.

They are seven years apart and Mattie will be ten years older than Baby H.

I just know she's going to be a great big sister. 

Now for a test! 

How observant are you? 

There is another really big change about to happen for our family, 

and we have been dropping some very subtle hints in the last few post. 

See if you can guess before you get to the last clue.

Clue #1 - A count down clock named "Secret Day" was added to my side bar a few weeks ago

Clue #2 - One of the items Katie had listed in Picture #5 is "Getting Ready to Pack & Move"

Clue #3 - Post "This Kid" on March 19, 2015 tells about Mattie trying different types of food 

Clue #4 - The Picture #6 post states "lots of changes are coming" 

(yeah that could have been about Baby H, but it wasn't)

Clue #5 - There are three clues during the reveal party, so I'll list those as sub-clues;

Clue #5A - Hansel & Gretel are on the reveal box

Clue #5B - On the poster behind Katie's head showing the boy/girl guesses, 

boy and girl are listed as junge and madchen

Clue #5C - the reveal is a pink dirndl

So have you figured it out? 

If not, you'll see it as you look at Picture #7. 

Yep! 

My babies are moving! 

It's exciting and sad at the same time. 

I have been able to love on Mattie just about every day of her life. 

But as hard as it is for me, 

I just keep telling myself how great it is going to be for them. 

I hope we have a name for Baby H before they leave! 

God Bless

More fun with Baby H

Last night we had a small family gathering. 

My family can make a party out of anything. 

This party was to find out the gender of Baby H.

The decorations turned out great. 

Even Mom's cactus was dressed for the occasion. 

Frank and I knew the answer, 

and we had been tormenting everyone all day. 

We gave them one final tease before everyone arrived. 

Everyone dressed in the color of their guess, 

Blue = Boy

Pink = Girl

The teams were quite lopsided with more on Team Blue! 

 And Mattie showed how excited she is with all her Big Sister accessories!

We started with a guessing game. 

I had filled this jar with candy,

Half blue & half pink, 

well almost.

There was one more of one color, 

the winning team color. 

I had everyone write there guess on their team side as to how many they though was there. 

This box holds the answer to which gender Baby H is!

After we had dinner, it was time for the reveal. 

Mattie held the box

Phillip and Katie pulled the ribbons. 

And it didn't take long to learn what gender Baby H was. 

YES! IT'S A GIRL!!

And someone was really wanting a boy!

Baby H has been prayed over and will be loved beyond belief. 

And big sister Mattie has since turned that frown around 

and is all smiles about having a little sister. 

So now we wait on a name for the next little princess.

And God continue to bless us as we wait!

This Kid

This kid...

She makes me so happy!!

And she is learning that it's fun to try new foods!

It's a good thing she's learned to try it!!

God bless!

Safety City

There are rights of passage for every grade once you start school in kindergarten. 

In Abilene, you learn about a special event that takes place when you are in the third grade. 

You hear the big kids talk about when you begin kindergarten. 

A lot of times, 

you drive by the park and know, once you get in the third grade, 

you'll get to go there, 

The excitement builds for years. 

Today was Mattie's day to get to go. 

Go to Safety City. 

Luckily, they had great weather. 

She learned how to escape from a burning house, with what , as she explained to me,

 was real fake smoke and real fake fire. 

Out safely, and all smiles!

First in the car that belongs to the electric company

"you know Lolo, the one you used to work for"

See ya later!!

And a turn on the bicycle.

It was a great day. 

Beautiful day. 

And rain came later. 

God Bless

Moving Right Along

Again, not an eventful day.

But tomorrow is Friday!!

Ready for the weekend. Mattie is staying the night with us tomorrow night.

YAY!!

Good night!!!

God Bless!

Hum :\

Days like this are hard. 

What do I blog about, because I didn't do anything particularly exciting.

But I need to post something to get back in the swing of it.

Nope.

Nothing. 

I guess enjoy a picture of my crazy Mattie!  

Until tomorrow,

God bless.

Exciting Things Have Happened in the Past Year

Someone once told me the only constant in life is change. 

That statement could not be more true. 

When I started my little blog, it was just to see if I could do it. Then it really became about Mattie May. 

A lot about Mattie May. 

Then in 2012, it became about my cancer journey. It was a journal for Katie and Mattie and anyone curious about that journey. 

I became very lax in writing in my little bloggy. And as I look back to check, it has been almost a year since I posted anything. 

Many things have taken place in the past year, 

Some really exciting things! 

But after the news I received this week, I think it's time to wake my sleepy, little blog. 

Last April, Katie, Mattie and I were meeting for lunch after church. She asked if a friend could join us. He had just returned from deployment and didn't really know a lot of people. I didn't care because I was hungry. I just wanted to eat. 

That friend was Phillip. 

He and Katie started dating. And Mattie approved. 

June brought about Katie's 30th birthday. Growing up, her June birthday was just as bad as my December birthday. Between vacations, sporting events and summer camps, birthday parties just didn't happen very often. So Frank and I decided to throw her a big surprise party with lots of family and friends. 

Phillip agreed to help get her there. 

Oh, he also proposed at this party. Again, Mattie approved. 

We took our annual trip to Florida for US Open Karate (at which my family rocked!). 

In October, Frank and I walked our 1st 5K. It was a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to doing that again. 

Phillip & Katie decided the wedding would be right before Thanksgiving. So on November 25, 2014, under a tent at my mom's, they were married. It was a beautiful ceremony again, with lots of family and friends. 

So obviously, it was a busy, happy, life changing year. 

And it seems that 2015 will be no different. 

Mattie and her demo karate team tried out for America's Got Talent in January. She also competed in the AISD UIL academic competition in spelling. She didn't place but that's OK. we all need to learn it's OK to participate and not win, as long as we do our best. 

February is just starting. The 4th, Frank and I celebrated our 31st anniversary. 

Phillip, Katie and Mattie took us to eat. It was a lot of fun. 

While we were at dinner, Mattie told us that in October, she was going to be a big sister. Yep! Frank and I are going to have another grandchild. 

Mattie's drawing of her expectant mother! 

So I decided it was time to dust off my little blog and record more memories for this next little bundle of joy!

As with everything else we have learned in life, we know that with every new day there will be changes in our lives...

But as long as we follow God, everything is going to be OK. 

God Bless.

A Willful Waste is a Woeful Want

My grandmother used to tell us that all the time,

especially when we were wasting something!

And this really hit home the other night when Mattie was getting ready for bed and needed to brush her teeth.

She squeezed the tube and nothing came out.

There was still some in there, I could see it in the tube.

 

So I got the bright idea to cut it open in hopes to get a little out for the night until I could get to the store.

I couldn't believe what I found!!

 

There was enough in there to last probably two more weeks!!

 

I mean seriously! She has a small mouth and she's loosing teeth almost faster than the tooth fairy can come pick them up so it doesn't take much each time she brushes.

 

So my thought is, if I had already bought more toothpaste because I knew she was almost out, I would have wasted all this that remained.

 

I wonder how many things we buy that we throw out before we really should.

 

I'm not really a penny pincher but I think I am going to start paying more attention to the things I am doing around the house.

 

I know this isn't really a plan to save the world or anything, but it is something to make me think about what I am doing.

 

But no matter what I decide to do with toothpaste in my future,

 

Everything is going to be OK.

 

Until next time, God bless.



WOW Time Flies

This morning I fixed Mattie breakfast and packed her lunch for the last time this school year.

I can't believe that she is going to be a second grader come tomorrow!!!!

Am I really old enough to have a second grade granddaughter?!

This is her the first day of first grade -

 

And this was just last week -

She is still an amazing little girl with a bright future. She loves school and looks forward to where she will be next year.

Love her so much.

And she has nursed me right through this cancer and has learned the lesson too, that no matter what life throws at us, as long as we keep God number one, that...

Everything is going to be OK.

Until next time,
God bless.

 

Memorial Monday

Monday was Memorial Day.

We are so thankful for the members of our families that served in the armed forces. Our US Military is awesome.

Ernest Mixon served in the US Army

Bill Merkel served in the US Air Force

Albert Zbendin served in the US Air Force

Thank you so much.

It was a busy day for us.

AMMA Karate was asked to participate in the Memorial Day festivities at the Abilene Bombers Arena Football half time show.

We started out the day with practice. Eighteen members participated in the show. Well that's to say "performed". That doesn't include all the behind the scenes people that helped. Someone has to set up, hold boards, bricks, bats and coconuts, take video and pictures, and clean up. We could not do this with out help.

Practice went great, but of course there were last minute changes. One thing about this team, they can work on the fly. Shihan is good about seeing things at the last minute that could make the show better. So our team is trained, from the littlest at 5 to the oldest at 52, to make changes just minutes before the show.

After practice, we had some lunch and rest time. Katie got Mattie bathed and hair washed so we didn't have to do it when we got home after the ball game. And Mattie wanted her hair curled so it had to be washed first.

We had to be back at the dojo for one last run through and to load everything in the trailer. Some day I'm going to remember to take a picture of the loaded trailer. You just can't imagine how much stuff it takes to do a 12 minute demo!!!

We got to watch the football game until about 12 minutes left in the second quarter, then the team had to head down to get ready.

 

Savanna, Mattie & Rayven getting ready!

 

 

It is always surprising to me how quickly a show goes.

 

Even practice seems slower than the actual event.

 



 

On the field ready to go!

 

 

Littles doing their thing!

 

Elbow done, ready for foot,

 

Weird picture!

She is actually just going into her front roll!

 

Mattie and Rayven starting their self defense skit.

 

Really?! Those big kids are going to mess with these girls?!

 

OK! We're ready!

 

Take that big guys!

 

Really?! You want more?!

LOL

 

Sai Kata

She had not done it in over a year and she did

very well!

 

Katie & Frank broke too,

I just couldn't get to that end of the field

to get a picture.

Don't remember the mascot's name.

Sorry!

Mattie and Rayven rockin' out to some Michael Jackson

after halftime!

 

Noah and Mattie enjoying a bird's eye view of the game.

 

We had a lot of fun at the game.

 

We even stayed until Mattie got tired even though it was a school night. There are , after all, only 3 1/2 days left!

 

So it was a busy, but memorable Memorial Day, and it reminds us, as always,

No matter what happens, what we are handed in this life,

 

Everything is going to be OK.

 

Until next time,

God bless.