Hello 2013

Our 2013 has started rather smoothly and the kids have settled back in school.    Monday will start a new adventure for me, I will be a 4^th grade Math/ Science student teacher at my little school district.   Everything happened rather quickly and I’m excited to see what this year unfolds for us as a family.  My student teaching will happen at the same time that Wade is in his softball season so we will have a full spring semester.

The kids got their 2nd report cards for the school year and they looked great!   They pretty much mirror each other except for an "E", which is exceeds expections, on Hadlee's report card for her classroom behavior.   I'm so happy to know that she's on her best behavior at school.




Ringing in the 2013

Climbing high at the Children's Museum in New Braunfels

Lunch at CiCi's before heading back to school.

Christmas 2012

 Our Christmas story and the reason for the lack of pictures this year.  I started getting sick on Saturday before Christmas and Sunday after church I went to the walk-in clinic because I just knew I had the flu.  They didn't have any flu test at the clinic but the dr said that it was possible that I had it.  Later that evening Melissa called me in a prescription for Tamiflu.  The next day, Christmas Eve, I felt worse and it was tough getting out of bed.  Hadlee took a 3 hour nap and wasn't waking up to go to church.   For the first time in our lives, Hadlee and I missed the Christmas Eve service.   She was running a fever but nothing that a little medicine couldn't take care of.  After church we went to Cynthia and Kelly's house, where I lasted for maybe an hour before I had to go back to bed.   Everyone laughed and sang with the new karaoke machine then Hadlee came back to Mema and Papa's house and Daddy, Harper and Hays went back to Aunt Melissa and Uncle Doug's house.   The next morning Santa came to three excited kids.  The kids enjoyed their morning opening their stockings, opening up presents from their Victoria Santa and going to see what Cuero Santa had for them.   Hadlee came back to Mema and Papa's house and started on her Tamiflu.  Harper and Hays stayed with Nana and Papa and started on preventative Tamiflu the next day.
Two days after Christmas Hadlee and I were still super sick so Mema and Papa took us to the ER.  Poor Hadlee got sick in triage at the hospital.  The two of us were pretty pitiful but got the diagnosis of the flu and to stop taking Tamiflu.  The next day we were still sick but nothing like the previous 3 days.   Daddy, Harper and Hays went back to Seguin to hang out and Hadlee and I joined them on Saturday after getting helped out Mema and Papa for the week.  Thankfully a flu shot and preventative Tamiflu kept Daddy, Hays and Harper from getting sick.



Christmas Eve service at church

Haidyn doing what he does best right now.

Present time is always fun!
 

 Ready for baseball!

Karoake was the hit of Christmas Eve at Uncle Kelly and Aunt Cy's house.

Hays got a Texas Rangers cup from his Victoria Santa.

Hadlee excited to see what her Victoria Santa brought her.

Poor sick, Hadlee   

 Haidyn was worn out after opening presents from Santa.

December 2012

Our December started out in Florida and ended in Texas.    The next week was a packed week of work and one of my friends deciding to have a garage sale.   We got our stuff ready to be sold during the week and ended our week with “breaking even” with our garage sale.  

A little over 2 days later in the mist of sick kids and trying to figure out the responsibilities of two working parents, our friends that we just had the garage sale with house burnt down to the ground.   Talk about something so humbling for us, as parents to have to talk about with our children.   Here we have all this stuff and what really matters is that we have our lives and our families.  I still don’t know if the kids get it or will ever get what their friend is going through, I just hope that they have empathy for her and what she is going through.    Three days later we were rocked by what happened at Sandy Hook.   I was working at my little school and one of my responsibilities for the day was letting families of kinder, 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd graders in the school to see their children’s Christmas program.   Talk about a difference that a couple of hours make, the morning program was full of joy and excitement and the afternoon program included silence and a Sheriff Department Deputy overseeing the entrance into the school.   The next day we were rocked just a little more when my car was ransacked while we were at home.  I went to go to the grocery store, after the kids were asleep, to find out that my car had been went through and stuff was thrown everywhere and some things were taken.    Here are some pictures from our December.

Hadlee after she received her certificate for September Student of the Month at the December PTO meeting.

The girls were so proud of their Christmas tree that they decorated in their room.  

Hays opening up his gift at their school Christmas party.

Harper at her school Christmas party.  (it was a little tough this year trying to split my time between both classes)

Hadlee ready to go out and do a little Christmas shopping.

Poor Harper had a terrible rash and a high fever during our first round of sickness.   She also got an ear infection and missed almost an entire week of school.

I didn't take many pictures in December, they will love this one!

Florida/Disney 2012

Excited kids!

Papa and I split up the kids, which was a great idea.   They loved there first plane ride. 

Hannah, Papa, Hays, Hadlee and I rode Splash Mountain.  Love this picture!

Harper was so excited to see her mill at Magic Kindom

Christmas Parade at the Magic Kingdom- The skier stopped to talk to Hays.
 

We all loved Mickey and Minnie during the parade.
 

 

Hadlee said that she was over Cinderella before we left for Florida.   She was in love when she came down the parade line.
 

Hays and Hadlee were hilarious during the parade.  Hannah was being a tween- I like this but I don't want to act like my crazy cousins.  Harper loved it but was still a little reserved with some of the characters.
 

Phineas and Ferb were the only characters that they wanted to stand in line and get autographs and take pictures with.  Even Hannah jumped into the picture because they are so cool.
 

Phineas and Ferb

The rides were definitely what they wanted to do.

Harper has never liked roller coasters or mascots.   Big Thunder Mountain and Mema changed all of that- Harper finally rode her first big roller coaster.   She loved it so much that she rode Space Mountain two times, which was their favorite roller coaster at Magic Kingdom.

At  Hollywood Studios, most of our time was spent at the American Idol experience.   They loved, loved, loved it.   After one of the shows, the girls (including Hannah) wanted this girl's autograph and a picture with her.   They voted for her but she didn't win but maybe we will see her on AI sometime in the future.

Our favorite rides were Aerosmith's Rockin' roller coaster and Tower of Terror.     Thumbs up from everyone, including Mema, on the Rockin' roller coaster.   Hays only went on Tower of Terror one time, he decided it was a little too crazy for him.

Papa took this picture while the boys were waiting for the girls to finish riding a ride.
 

Osbourne Family Light Show

What else do you do while waiting in line for a ride.   We really didn't have to wait that long in line, the most we had to wait was an hour for the Aerosmith ride.   The least we had to wait was Space Mountain, where we just walked (it was a long walk) and got onto the ride.

It's a little dark but our attempt at a family photo by the giant Christmas tree.

Papa and Harper at the Character breakfast
 

Harper with Pluto
 

The gang and Goofy.
 

After breakfast posing with Mema's scooter.   Silly kids

Thanks Mema and Papa, we had a trip to remember!

November 2012

Harper posing in front of Dick's grocery store in Victoria.  I hadn't been in there in a long time but I remember it so well from my childhood.  It's a lot smaller than I remember as a child.



We received a rose in memory of Papa Schroeter on All Saints' Day at church in Victoria.  At the end of the month this is how our rose looked- it opened up beautifully and not one petal came off of it.  We still have as a remembrance in our kitchen window.



Thanksgiving lunch at school with Daddy and Aunt Ro.


School carnival- riding on the hay ride with Mrs. Wells.


Christmas in the Park in Cuero

Celebrating Daddy's birthday- we surprised him when he got home from hunting.