An old post, an explanation, and a bunch of quotes

Days in the Life...

*Opens the blogging site to see when I posted last.*

*Finds this post I started and never finished.*

*Inwardly moans.*

I'm not even sure when I started writing this post, but it must have been months ago because these pictures are from around Thanksgiving time... I don't want to ditch what I already wrote, but it is a little outdated, so here's this finished out and I will post another truly updated post soon to follow with a real update.

I'm sorry, but I don't think I can truly be consistent with my posting and I have no real way to predict when I'll have time and inspiration, but I don't want to totally give this up, unless y'all have lost interest and then there would be little point...haha. So here goes.

My guess is this would be from around mid to late November of 2017.

I feel like 86% of pictures taken of me show me holding a baby. 

So here is another one... 

Most every Monday night I am still babysitting for the small group. Some nights Ava has been going in my place, through, which she has greatly enjoyed. Getting up for work at 5:00 am means 8:30-9:00 pm is bedtime for me so I'm too tired to go out in the evening... 

Speaking of work, here is some mocha latte art I was pretty pleased with. 

I made a fruit tart pie thing. It was good and we ate it all. 

One Saturday I took Kate and Blaire on an outing for the first time by myself. I've taken Kate somewhere before, But Grandfather was with me and it was just to get my driver's license renewed when I turned 18, so I don't feel like that really counts as a real outing. Right? 

Before they got up that morning.

From the time they woke up until we left, we spent every minute getting ready to leave, a whole 2.5 hours! So if it was 2.5 does that make it 2 whole and a half rather than just a whole? I knew it was a production to get young children out the door and I had planned for it to take a while, but seriously, getting yourself and two babies ready for the day, feeding them, loading the car, installing carseats...it's no joke! 

We went by the house to pick up Ava to go with us so I would have a couple extra hands and headed to Kimzey's for a family festival type thing that was completely free! 

Kate loved all the blow up slides!

Ava enjoyed this ride, but Kate got scared.

I started making kombucha with Toby the Scoby!

Beautiful fall morning. 

Missing Maui is always hard, 

but walking in our neighborhood was a good distraction. 

Whenever I take a project with me to 

Kate and Blaire's house they love to "help" me. 

I love our sunsets!!

I babysit other children besides just Kate and Blaire and one particular 4 year old girl told me to be "A-punzel" and she would be my "mom" and do my hair. I lost count after 9 bows... 

First batch of Kombucha ready to go! 

(That's Toby in the bowl. He reproduced in the process.) 

Christian had a great start to the Speech and Debate season and I really enjoyed going to judge the events one day. Mom and Dad were happy to let me do that instead of them for a change. It's a long and taxing day, but super interesting. This tournament was in Irving so we left the house around 6:30 am for the first round to start before 8:00 and it went until 9:00 pm that night. 

I particularly enjoyed judging Lincoln Douglas Debates and Interpretive Speeches. 

Christian won something! 

For Thanksgiving we spent the day with Dad's side of the family, but Mom's whole family was around for the following couple of days so we spent time with them too. 

We were all excited to meet our newest cousin, Lilia. 

For some reason our family always buys white cars. 

Except for me, I have a black one.... 

Thanksgiving with the Linns in Southlake. 

The Friday after Thanksgiving the ladies went out for breakfast to celebrate Ava's 13th birthday a month early and did some shopping. Then we met all the men and kids at the park for a picnic lunch. 

I definitely hogged Lilia. 

When we took our family picture 

they had to explain to me why 

I could not be the one to hold her. 

Dancing on the tables. 

We took family pictures with the Linns as well and I do have some of them. 

I have definitely lost my status as the tallest grandchild. 

Everyone is fine with that, especially Christian. *Wink* 

That moment when...

The owl decides to sit outside your window and sing you to sleep...or rather sing you to not sleep.


The Herd: Quoted

"Why aren't y'all saying anything? Its' sooooo quite." -Mia to Chloe and I at the dinner table.
*A moment of silence later*
"Say something I've giving up on you..." -Mia singing.
*We burst out laughing*

"If these dogs want to smell my car all they have to do is run 100 miles-- 100 yards-- to where my car is parked." -Chloe
"Yeah, all they have to do is run 100 miles." -Me

"How much does he want for it?" -Gabe asking about a truck that is for sale.
"2000." -Christian
"$2000?!" -Gabe
"No, 2000 grains of sand." -Christian
"Exactly 2000 grains of sand." -Mom
"Well I'd rather dish out 2000 grains of sand than $2000." -Christian

"At least there won't be any sea urchins on the mountain while we ski. My everlasting knee friend..." -Chloe referring to the sea urchin spines she still has in her knee from trying to surf a couple of years ago.
"Yeah it's a real good thing. 'Ugh! I'm never trying something new again!'" -Me guessing what Chloe would say if she found an urchin while skiing.
"It would be a snow urchin! Snow urchins on the mountain, though, Chloe. Get it? Snow urchins, no urchins?" -Mia

"Outside smells like my childhood memories of days at the park." -Me

"It's so weird how sometimes you can think of an amazing sentence in your head and start saying it out loud and it's just perfect, like, so sophisticated and formal and makes all your points understandable with rich vobicabulary..." (not a real word there) "....and then other times like exhibit A it totally falls apart when you're speaking it from your mouth!" -Me completely falling apart because I was NOT trying to illustrate my point by messing up.

"So I drive up to they bank drive thru and they say "hi". I say, "Hi cashed please." "What do you want done with it?" "Cashed please." "You want it cashed?" "Yes..." -Chloe 

*Gabe comes inside and puts his hands on Mom's face*
"Ooh, cold hands!" -Mom
*Gabe moves to do the same to me*
"Oh, no, thanks, I'm sure you're hands are cold and I don't need to feel." -Me
"Gabe! Go wash you hands! You just came inside from taking care of the trash." -Dad
"Ewww!!" -Mom and me together.

"But I need to see her! I only have vivid memories of her." -Gabe talking about a cat.
"Do you mean vague memories?" -Mom