We were in the finals.........yea........:)

Rob & Linda Borchardt
Tra & Molly (a.k.a. GiGi & Pop)
Lauri & Darrell Colbert
Robin & Tracy Taylor
Heath & Tracey
Jeanne & Chris Ballard
Robby & Michelle Spencer


At our church, they do what they call "Home Groups". Some of the ones they have are a "grief" type group, a "youth" group, a "married" group, a "parenting" group and a few others. They started this in order for people to get together on Sunday evenings and fellowship since not many people come back to church that night. We meet twice a month at different people's houses. (We hosted the Christmas party, where we had over 30 people here.....normally EVERYONE comes to the Christmas one since we do a gift exchange!) It is from 5-7 and they provide childcare and pizza at the church in the Family Life Center for the kids. We do the "married" group that is our Sunday School class mainly that our S.S. teacher leads. She is so fun and creative and makes it lots of fun! (She is a teacher!) Tonight it was the "Valentine" one at my in-laws house. (Of course we ate............we always do that..........we are Baptist......lol). We played a game where we blindfolded our husbands and then we shook their hands and they had to guess which one was their wife. Then, the ladies got blind folded and the guys gave us a peck on the cheek and we had to guess who our husband was. Then we played the "Newlywed Game". Normally, every year Heath and I do HORRIBLE....You have to understand...Heath thinks way to hard....but this year, we did soooo good. It was alot of fun! We had 5 questions to answer and then two bonus question in case it their was a tie breaker...Here are the questions...ohhh I might add we had our back to each other....

1. Describe exactly what your spouse is wearing RIGHT now! (You would not believe how many got it wrong like what the shirt said or what color it is...it was funny!)

2. How many pairs of shoes does your wife have?

3. If your husband could do anything for a job that he LOVES and get paid for it, what would it be?

4. What is the address to the first house you lived in?

5. Which one of you, told you that they loved you first?

* BONUS *

1. When your wife wakes up in the morning, what is something of yours that is on something of hers......? (yes, you can imagine how much fun we had laughing to that one!!!)

2. What was the first movie that you saw together?

As you can see, it was alot of fun! It is really neat to get to "know" your S.S. members.....(in more ways than you imagine!!!).....We ended up in the finals this time and had to pick a number closest to the teacher's number, but we did not end up winning. However, we were really glad we went and look forward to next time. From now on we will do a Bible study about Marriage. We do a little lesson and then she gives us questions to take and answer as a couple. Each couple goes to different places in the host's house to discuss and talk about it and then we get together and discuss what we talked about. It is normally questions, that try to improve your marriage. I am so glad that Heath and I make it a point to go (plus I think it is important for our children to see us to continue to "work" on our marriage) and fellowship with everyone, not to mention that the kids enjoy playing at the F.L.C., so it is a win-win situation.

Love/Hate Relationship......

The other day I was sitting in my bathroom hot rolling my hair and normally when I am in there, Mackie always loves to come and eat at that time (I have no idea why.....maybe she get's tired of eating by herself?? lol) Anyway, I look up and Andrew is coming in behind me and walking around and playing in my bathroom. It is fun to play in there, because I normally leave the door shut in between my room and bathroom so he can not get to the food. (Don't worry...Mackie can get to her food thru the other door that goes to the Living Room.) Anyway, as I turn around to check on him, he is over there loving Mackie as she eats. I thought it was so cute, that I tippy-toed out to grab my camera in order to get some pictures of it. The reason I named the title of this a "Love/Hate Relationship"...is because Mackie does "love" Andrew because he shares his food with her almost everyday....but she also "hates" him because of course she is jealous every since he came along.......Oh well....can't win for losing I guess....

Should I be worried???

Okkk....after looking at the pictures of this....you will see why I made that my title! LOL These pictures are from Kelsey's Valentine's party at school on Friday. The one that colored the paper, Trevor is the little boy to the right of Kesley in between the her & Natalie. His mom came up to me at the party and asked me if I looked at the bulletin board in the hall. She said Trevor is crazzzzy about her! Kids are so funny! He is such a precious little boy!(Destiny is a 9th grade cheerleader there at Northside!) In case you can not read it, Kelsey's paper says that she loves: horses....she rode them at Camp Fire camp, her little brother jumping on her, jumping on the trampoline and science. I love the one of Andrew just hanging out all comfy on his sister's desk at her party. (I love how his little arm is up on the desk and his little feet are hanging!) Right after this picture was taken, he vomitted so bad EVERYWHERE!!! I think he got to hot and started coughing and it all came back up, because he was just fine after we got home!

Valentine's pictures

Here are some pictures that I took of Hayden and Kelsey before school on Friday for their Valentine parties. (I know...Hayden should have worn a red shirt, but he was all ready dressed and I think he looked nice, so I could not tell him!) The picture of Heath and I is one that Hayden took of us before the Valentine banquet that we went to on Saturday evening at our church. The one of Andrew is just one I took really fast as we were on our way out the door for a busy Friday!

My First Born

Here you go mommies- a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your your first born! Just copy and paste it into a new note for yourself!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes, kinda....I had just had my 3rd surgery for endometrosis and between that and being in a bad car wreck when I was younger, the doctor told us we might have a hard time getting pregnant & I might have a hard time carrying the baby because of some "inside" problems from the wreck. He suggested we get pregnant ASAP since it could take awhile and a week later we found out we were pregnant......so it "obviously" happened before we had talked with the doctor.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes....barely.....2 1/2 months

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Super surprised & nervous but so excited.

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? I think 22....almost 23?

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? A home pregnancy test.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Heath actually was there with me when I took the test and we were unloading stuff from Walmart (where we got the test), so I went back downstairs to get more stuff and I come back in the bathroom and their was nothing, so I went to put the stuff away and Heath went in there and looked and I asked him and he said............"Nothing....still".......I finally realized he was joking with me! Then I called his Mom to talk to her, since I was in shock to make sure it could not be wrong!

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Ohhhh yessss. I am very impatient when it comes to stuff like that.

9. DUE DATE? July 12th, I think

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Oh my gosh yes.

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Bacon sandwiches (and I still LOVE them!)

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Gaining weight, not being to sleep on my stomach and being so sick.

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Boy

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No, I wanted a boy.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN? Really? This question? Gosh, it has been a long time ago.....I think um, 30-35.

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER(S)? Nope

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? N/A

18.DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Nothing besides being soooo sick.

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? United Regional Health Care Systems, Wichita Falls, Texas

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Woke up around midnight with a HORRIBLE stomach ache (we had ate at Taco Bell the night before.....need I say more....), then it went to a back ache, so I was in & out of the bathtub for a couple hours. I kept waking Heath up and telling him my stomach hurt really bad and he keep telling me to take some Rolaids or Tums. Then I decided to call the nurse @ the hospital to ask her if I could take something & she said I was in labor and to start heading that way (we lived in Vernon). Got there around 4:00a.m. and had him at 12:15 p.m.

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Heath (who I might add...ate a Bacon Sandwich on the way in the car that he got from Allsups while he was there getting gas (long story!)............see question 11.................:(

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Just Heath

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Heck yea......Heath "wanted" me to try to go natural, but as soon as he saw me crying....well screaming......he changed him mind really fast. I had an epidural and it was WONDERFUL!!!

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 8 lbs 1 oz.

26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? July 10

27. WHAT DID YOU NAME YOUR CHILD? Hayden Travis Cardwell V (He is the 5th generation of H.T.C., so that is why he has the V in his name)

28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 10 1/2 years old

My funny little smart boy!

I have to blog this so I don't forget this cute little story........ Okkkkk, so this morning I was working with Andrew on saying all of his colors and I picked up something yellow and I said yellow over & over and he said it (which I might add..... he says it VERY well), then we did the same thing with black, then green............then we got to blue and I said "Andrew, can you say blue......blue" & he immediately started "blowing"! Then I said again, "Andrew, can you say "blue" & he started "blowing" again.......then it hit me that I always say, "Let mommy, blow on it" for his food and then after I hand it to him, I say "Mommy **blew** on it and now it is ready"!! I laughed so hard! Now everytime I ask him if he will say the word "blue", he just starts "blowing". He is just too smart & too funny! I love kids! Their little brains are always thinking!!

Our snow days......

Living in Texas is just crazy! Last week we had record highs and this week we had really crazy and messy weather. Hayden's & Kelsey's teacher's called on Monday morning about 10:00 saying that school was getting out early at 12:30 because the roads were getting bad. Heath ended up going to get them, since we really do not like them riding the bus when the roads are bad. It started raining and sleeting and getting really icy that afternoon and turning really bad for the last few days. So, the kids have had "snow days" on Tuesday and today. However, after lunch today the sun came very bright, so it is all melting away very fast now! When I woke up this morning it was 12 deg. YIKKKKESSS......that is COOOLLLLDDD!!! Thank you God for our warm house! Here are some pictures I took of the kids, our house, and our "ice-skating" rink. (The one of Hayden was taken thru the window.....it was too cold for me to go out:) Kelsey keeps asking me if they are going to go to school tomorrow.....I think she is getting used to being home all day. I guess it all depends if it is going to freeze tonight to make the roads icy. Sleeping late and just hanging out and not getting ready for the day has actually been kinda nice. However, I just hate that when I can sleep late, I always wake up early......really early.....like before 6 and I can not go back to sleep.

25 Things About Me!

1. I LOVE being a stay at home mom.....even thou I don't really ever stay at home that much!
2. I love my new camera & I love to take a ton of pictures daily! Glad it is digital since I take at least a hundred a week.
3. I love my basement, since I am scared of storms! (And I need a place to have my scrapbook room, a dark place to watch movies, my treadmill & desktop computer!)
4. As much as I wanted an inground pool, I hate keeping it vacuumed, cleaned and the expensive chemicals right! Pools are ALOT of work!
5. I love my kids & my husband! As crazy as they both make me, I can not imagine my life without them and that I did not know I could love someone so much!
6. I always wanted to be a teacher or nurse.
7. I am scared of snakes, rats and mice.
8. I am addicted to Ralph Lauren Polo clothes and anything Polo! (Even for the whole family!)
9. I love to entertain & have parties and get together's at our home!
10. I am really looking forward to learning how to play golf better this summer instead of just driving the cart around since Heath, Hayden and Kelsey all play! (However, it is fun to drive the cart around the neighborhood!)
11. I am so thankful to know and have a relationship with God and that we are bringing our children up in a Christian home.
12. I did not pick out any of my kids names! I actually had other names picked out!
13. We have a VERY large jar in Heath's bathroom for change that we call my "boob jar", so that I can get them and lippo in a year or so! (Thank you......breastfeeding!! LOL :)
14. I will never have or let Kelsey have short hair since my mom made me look like a boy when I was younger!
15. I went to many many schools in k-12th and I HATED it! (That is why my kids are going to stay at Northside till the graduate!)
16. I think about death/dying all the time or something bad happening to a loved one. Is that a bad thing?????
17. I am so thankful that Heath finally opened his own car sales business and that we did not end up buying the Ford/Dodge dealership. He is so much happier, healthier & less stressed now and is it is going GREAT!!! (Call him if you are in need of a new car!)
18. I can not believe that I have been driving my same car for over 2 years! I have had ALOT of cars in my 11 1/2 yrs of being married. Imagine that???
19. My parents were married for 28 years before getting divorced so...........it can happen to anyone........at any age!
20. I am really looking forward to another trip to Mexico or a beach somewhere like that again when Andrew gets older and I get my surgery! (See #13)
21. I dream & think about what kind of business that I would like to open since we bought the old Canton Cafe, but then I remember that I love my freedom & not having to be tied down to a job!
22. I hate my stomach problem and can't believe that I have not had a coke, soft drink or caffeine (except chocolate of course---am I crazy??) in over a year! I used to drink at LEAST 2-3 a day. Water and Gatorade ONLY for me, baby....ohhhh and a Strawberry Daq. with LOTS of cream too!
23. I think I am getting really addicted to this blog and facebook thing..yikes!
24. I can not believe I am so obsessed about my house being clean, since I swore I would never be like my mom.
25. I LOVE to SHOP! My favorite stores are Hobby Lobby, Ross, Marshall's, Kirkland's, Costco, Sam's & Scrapbook stores. I even love to shop online and Ebay. (See # 8).

It's finally paid off.......

Well.....all the money, driving her too and from and sitting there for all this time to gymnastics has finally really paid off! Kelsey is able to do a back hand-spring on the trampoline by herself! In fact, not just one or two but over and over and over! She has been doing them for awhile by herself at the gym, but has been scared without Ms. Amy or Mrs. Kim here to "spot" her. I am so glad that she is enjoying doing gymnastics! I always wanted to do it when I was her age! Hopefully, she will enjoy it for many years to come as much as I enjoy watching her!

Kelsey's new "hat" & "picture frame"!

Here is a picture of Kelsey's cute "hat" and "picture frame" that she made herself a couple weeks ago. It came from the box of her Karaoke machine that she got from Papa & Grandog for Christmas. She asked for the markers and a little while later she walks into the living room with her new "decorated" hat and frame. I did not even know she was making it. I thought it was so cute that she put on there "Daddy's Girl" and "Princess Kelsey". And of course, you can see her little brother wanted to wear it too!I am so glad that she is so creative!

Rewarded for grades

While the kids were out for the extended Christmas break, their report cards came in the mail! I was so excited when I opened them up and both of the kids had straight A's. Last 6 wks, Hayden only had one "B"..........and it was in P.E..............Yes, I said that correct.......He had a 88 in P.E. How do you get a "B" in P.E????....Well you get 3 points taken off your grade everytime you forget your tennis shoes.......Needless to say, Hayden does not want to wear boots to school that much anymore!! LOL I think I was more upset at the fact that now this year he is on "A-B" honor roll instead of just "A" honor roll. Anyway, last Monday morning before school, I decided to take them to get doughnuts and go to Walmart and let them pick out something special. After much debate, Hayden choose a Nerf gun called a "Automatic Tommy 20!" (which I might add is REALLY cool!) and Kelsey picked out this pack-n-play for her babies! (Too be honest, I really don't know why she wanted this so bad, because she does not play with dolls that much, but she thought it was cute since Andrew sleeps in his!) Oh well...they are happy and that is all that matters! I am REALLY trying to work hard at ONLY buying them something for a "special" (holiday, birthday, grades, ect.) reason and not just anytime we go to the store! It is one of those things, that we are so blessed that we can........but they are getting spoiled to it! I am trying to teach them that they get rewarded for doing good things and getting good grades and you get "punished" if you do not! Even though both of their colleges are paid for 4 years (THANKS Papa & Grandog--my dad & step-mom), it is VERY VERY important to me that they do their VERY VERY best in school! Hayden is all ready talking about what he wants to get next time, so maybe it is a good incentive after all!

Sick baby!

Here are some pictures I took of Andrew last week while he was sick. I tried to have him sit in the highchair with us while we were eating since he was sleeping so much, but as you can tell, it did not help! He was so sleepy! You can see the picture of him in the navy blue in the kitchen was on Friday when he "wanted" to feel better. He would get up and play for a few minutes, then sit down for a little while. We are so glad that he is back to his normal busy self this week!

Eating pan-pan's & playing peek-a-boo!

Andrew enjoys eating a pan-pan almost every day for Breakfast. If you notice, Mackie does too:) She does not go to far when Andrew is in his highchair any time of the day! And it cracks me up that no matter what age a kid/baby is that they still love to play peek-a-boo! I just love how they put their little hands across their face to hide! Awww, I wish these times would just last forever!

17 mths!!

 

My beautiful & healthy 17 month old baby boy!!