We are still breathing!!

So many of you have been asking, "where have you been?", "you haven't blogged in so long". Guilty! Apologies! Since my post about Mayer's birthday, I have been buried in my books studying for the end of the semester. As of last Wednesday, first semester...DOWN!! My first semester was pretty intense. Lots of studying, lots of planning, and wouldn't have made it without proper time management. But, all in all, it was much less stressful than I had previously anticipated. It was fun, but I am glad to be a 1/4 of the way done! Lance in the meantime has been the best encourager I have. I'm lucky to have him! Below are some pics of what we have been up to within the last month or so. No more long breaks from blogging. We love it too much. Oh and did I mention, that I am going to be an AUNT?!?!?!!? My sister just announced last week that she is pregnant and is expecting in August!!!! I am so excited!!!

At the Beginning of November, My dad took Lance on a hunt in South Texas. They had a blast, and they both got the deer they wanted. They want to make this an annual thing. We will see...:)

At the Stars game with the Grimes Family. Cade just celebrated his 1st birthday. We love this little man!

Mel, Cade and I. Cade was so good at the game! All he wanted was a cookie and some ice, and he was a happy camper!

I love this picture! Lance loves Cade.

Jennifer and Her husband Mike are a couple we hang out with regularly here in Tyler. We met them a few months ago. They are in our community group at church. We love these guys. We have a lot of fun together!

The girls in our community group got together one night during the week and had a wreath making party. I had been wanting to make one, and we have a lady named Alissa that is a wreath making queen! I am in love with my wreath. Thanks for your help Alissa! We had a blast!

Here are the girls in wreath making action. It really was a fun night. Now that I've gotten one under my belt, It's time to make a fall wreath too!

Isabelle joined us for our girls Christmas party this past Friday night at Mel's. We love all the little additions that have joined our circle of friends. We love them like they are our own.

We needed a picture of all of us together at the party, so we set the timer on the camera and placed it on top of the tv. That was quite the chore. It felt like we took a hundred pics before we finally got all 8 of us in one pic together. Ha!

So we gave up on the timer and got as close as we could and snapped a photo of ourselves. We did lots of laughing that night. These girls are the absolute best!!

My mom, Sister and I also went to see the Radio City Spectacular featuring the Rockettes this past Sunday in Grand Prairie. I have no pics :(. But, if you love musicals and you love Christmas, this is a MUST see. It really is one of the best I have seen! There is a live nativity production as the last scene of the musical and it is breathtaking, reminding us of the real reason for Christmas. Enjoy your Christmas season! We love you all! More to come soon.

Guess Who Turned 2 Today!?!?!?!?!

Have you tried this?????

Yes...this broom is standing up on its OWN!!!!



Ok...this blows my mind! If you haven't tried this, supposedly, there is only a few more days that this will be able to happen until the next go around in 50 years. Many of you may have already of heard about this, but here is my uneducated, yet really impressed attempt to describe what is going on. I didn't research why this is happening, so this is all hear say, I know it has something to do with the moon or gravity or something??? Ha! I promise I am educated...just not on the moon, earth and gravitational forces. So...whether it makes sense or not, HURRY, put everything down, grab your kitchen broom, stand it up outside and watch it stay! It's amazing! Good Luck!!

Good Times with the Gilmores, and Weekend in the Woodlands!

The week before last, the Gilmore's came in town from Pennsylvania and spent a week in Tyler hanging out and catching up on life! We had such a great time with them, and little Logan has grown SO much! She is so precious! She has her own little language right now and if you respond back to her when she is talking she keeps going like you are really having a conversation with each other. Man how great it would be to translate the gibberish! Ha! We had to utilized every opportunity to see these great friends of ours, so Sunday through Thursday it was conversations and hanging every night. Needless to say, I was a bad student that week. Not a lot of studying...oh well, it was worth it for sure! We miss you Jeff, Dana and Logan (and little baby on the way)!! Saturday morning, Lance and I left bright and early at 6am and headed to the Woodlands to spend the weekend with my Aunt Vickie and Uncle James. We had such a wonderful time with them. Lance and James golfed Saturday while Vickie and I hit the town and shopped till we dropped. They are both such great people, and we feel very fortunate to have them in our lives. We love you guys! Thank you for such a great weekend!

Precious Lo Lo!

Lance made me put this pic on here. This was me standing at the gas pump at 6am with my hand on the door. If you look closely, there is a little pink tag hanging from the arm pit area. I am notorious for leaving tags on things and randomly discovering it throughout the day. Lance thought it was pretty funny. :)

Vickie, James, Lance and I at lunch before we headed back home.

Fabulous Friday!!

This is what Lance walked in the door with today after work. Thank you God for such a thoughtful husband!

I am in love with the Pumpkin Spice latte at Starbucks, but was waiting on the perfect cold weather day to have my first of the season. And, my favorite little clothing store in Tyler is Jewels and Jeans. I had my eye on a few things there recently, so Lance stopped by there and Starbucks to pick up some surprises!

We're Back!!!!

So I just realized I haven't made a post since September 12th. So Sorry!!!! Since school has started, my nose has been stuck in at least one book a night. The Dental Hygiene program is so much fun, and I learn so much every day, but requires a TON of studying. Through my bachelors degree, I did well without having to read all the chapters and such, but with this program, if I do that, chances are I will fail. That's not an option!!! So, every night consists of study material of some sort. But, I enjoy it, so it makes it all worth it! Just to give you all a little update on our life since the middle of September, I have had my first hard core wave of tests, and survived, Lance has been so amazing with all the studying and I have told him on several occasions he deserves husband of the year. There are nights I have to study and am so tired or get home and need to do the dishes or something wife like, and he will get me blanket and a pillow and let me sleep for an hour while he does the chores for me so I can wake up energized to study for a couple hours. I am so thankful for him! Lance and I have found an amazing church here in Tyler that we LOVE. We have been going to this church for about 6 months now, and feel so incredibly fortunate to have found it. We just started a community group with the church the week before last, and really can't say enough about it already. We have already made some good friendships! This past weekend, My mom and sister came to Tyler and we had a blast! This was my mom's first outing since her surgery and she felt really well. She had been itching to go to Canton trade days, so we went on Saturday, and the weather was perfect for it. My mom is a HUGE fan of Halloween, so since we are so close the fun holiday, I thought it would be a good idea for us to have a fun craft. I found a recipe for a haunted house made out of pound cake, and it looked really easy. Not to worry, we absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, REALLY messed it up! Ha!! But, there was a ton of laughter and fun. it was worth it! Lance and I also found this really great recipe for spaghetti with a Halloween theme. We made it for dinner Friday night and was quite impressed it turned out so well! It was a hit! They loved it and I was so proud I did it (most of you know I am NOT a good cook)!! Here are some pics from the weekend. Love to all!!


Mom hard at work separating the oreo's for our shingle roof top!


The Masterpiece! This is what the haunted house is supposed to look like. Doesn't look difficult... right?


WRONG!!!! HA!!!! We weren't even done putting the icing on at this point, and it ended up being like a mudslide on one side. This was the pic after we caught it and still tried to salvage it. Ha!


TA-DA!!!! Doesn't this look just like the magazine pic? Ha! This was the best we could do with the side completely falling out. Then, Heather decided to draw a little man on the side that was as tall as the door to the entrance. Ha!! Ace of Cakes HERE WE COME!


Spider Spaghetti!! I was so impressed with how wonderful this turned out. I was doomed from the beginning because I really just am not good at cooking. But maybe since Lance helped it ended up ok. Yes, the head is a homemade meatball!

Introducing...My Little Pirate!!!!

AHHHH!!!! I just love these pictures!! Lance, Sarah (Lance's Sister) and I went to Pier 1 Friday night and I saw this precious Pirate dog costume!! It took a lot of convincing on my part to get Lance to agree to purchasing the costume, but he gave in and I had a photo shoot with Mayer that night...Ha! Needless to say, Mayer wasn't really fond of the costume. I have never bought any clothes for Mayer. I actually said I would never do it. Never say Never! Anyhow, this was the first time for Mayer and based on the experience it will probably be the last. At least I got some cute pics. He was such a trooper!!

This is by far the best pic! Do his eyes tell it all?

He was so great, and looked so cute. We just love this little guy!

This weekend, we also went to Etox's (Lance's employer) Fall Festival. Lance and his partner Tyler won the Washer tournament! Ha!!!! We had a good time!

A Good Weekend!

Friday evening, Lance and I headed to Dallas to hang with my mom for the weekend as she is in her healing process. We had a lot of fun at home. The weather was so nice, so we had a lot of time out on the back patio eating, chatting and we even went on one short walk. Lance went Fishing with my Dad Saturday morning, and they caught 1 fish...so sad! At least the weather was great!! Saturday evening we went to Kristin and Tyler's wedding. It was Beautiful! We really had a good time hanging with our friends. We have such incredible friends, and it is always so great to come home and see them! My Birthday was last week, and apparently Lance and my gal pals had been planning a birthday lunch for me Sunday and it was truly a surprise! Lance and I had planned to go see Jon and Melissa's new home (Fabu!) Sunday before we headed back to Tyler. They wanted us to meet them a little earlier to grab something for lunch. I was hesitant at first because I wanted to spend as much time with my mom as possible, but somehow Lance and my mom (she knew about it) talked me into it without me figuring anything out. It was such a great surprise to see them all at Chuy's when we walked in! I had also told Lance randomly that I wanted some new Uggs for the winter this year, so they all pitched in and got me a gift card to get a new pair!!! Aren't they amazing?!?!?!?! They are SOOOO great!! I was so shocked and it was really a great day! Thank you girls (and Lance) so much for that, it meant more than you will ever know!

The Beautiful Bride!

At Kristin's wedding reception

Remember the pic of us girls kissing Michelle's belly wondering what was inside? Here she is!!! We just love little Isabelle! She is so perfect! It looks like she is trying to kiss Mel... :)

Here she is again...little Isabelle!

The Gals!



This is the cutest card EVER!! It was from the girls, and it looks just like my little guy Mayer!

Cade is such a happy little guy!

Wow...

Mom's first Doctor's appointment since the surgery was this past Thursday. The Doctor was singing praises to my mom because of what was found in the test results from both breasts. Backing up a little bit...originally, the Doctor found a tiny precancer spot in my mom's right breast and for precautionary purposes decided it was best to not just have the spot removed from the right side but to have both breasts removed. At this point, the left breast was thought to be fine, they just didn't want to have to worry about this cancer recurring later in the left side. The results she received on Thursday was that the left breast had actually started to develop Ductal Carcinoma (a different kind then what was found in the right side) which had not even been caught yet. The Cancer was in the early stages, but, it was Cancer and had not traveled to the lymph yet in either side. What?!?! This confirmed that moving forward with the double mastectomy was by far the best decision. This truly takes my breath away. Just when you are in complete awe of how big God is, he sweeps you off your feet showing you yet again his perfect plan. My mom is doing really well, and goes back to the doctor at the end of the week. She has been waking up with more and more energy everyday. She is such a busy body and we have to constantly remind her when she has the urge to go clean the windows or walk a mile, that she will regret it the next day. She is starting to understand that. :) She's amazing...I'm so lucky.

Cancer Free!

I want to thank each of you for all your love, thoughtfulness and prayer for my mom. I received many texts and calls letting me know you were all thinking of my mom and you have no idea how much that meant to me. Tuesday was a very long day, but well worth it! She was in surgery for 8 hrs, and we were expecting only 5. I know, you're thinking "only 5". But, the Dr's were very happy with how the surgery went and thought she weathered the storm quite well! All of her preliminary tests for the lymph nodes came out negative for Cancer. Praise God! This was my greatest concern. The first night with her in the hospital was quite interesting. She was doped up and saying some really funny things. You hated to laugh, but you just couldn't help it when she was begging you to make sure the monkey's at the zoo got fed that night cause they were hungry. She was so worried about them...ha! Every day since, she has done a little better. She is a ways away from being pain free, but making progress every day. Her surgery was at Baylor All-Saints in Fort Worth and she had such a great support system! There were ladies there who had a double mastectomy that would come to check on her making sure she was ok emotionally, and the best part was that they were volunteers. What great hearts! Their church groups made heart pillows for her to put under her arms for support and they had a welcome note in her room for her congratulating her on being a breast cancer survivor and fighting the good fight. It was so nice for her to have that from complete strangers. She came home today, and was looking forward to being in her own bed. She is such a trooper, and is doing very well coping with the loss. She is an incredible woman. I love you mom!

Not Easy...Yet Thankful!

A few months ago, my mom went to the Dr. for what she thought was going to be a routine Dr's visit. A week later, she received a phone call from her Dr wanting to do a sonogram on her breast due to some concern of what was seen on the results. Needless to say, they ended up doing a biopsy, got the results back and determined that she has pre-cancer in two places in her right breast. The Dr told her without a doubt, she has to have both spots removed. When being referred to a surgeon, this Dr (which is a woman as well) told my mom to be safe and for her specific case, she is going to need a double mastectomy (both breasts removed). The news...stunning, hard to swallow, scary. But, we choose to be forever grateful! This puts so much perspective on life and what truly matters. Life is about relationships and the people you love. My mom is such an incredible woman. She has remained so positive through all the trying news. She has decided to move forward with the double mastectomy and is scheduled to have surgery. She has met with a reconstructive plastic surgeon which has made her feel more at ease with what is to come. It will take her about 8 months or so to feel back to herself again, but is much better considering the alternative. We thank God everyday for Dr.... for being overly interested in this small little place on her sonogram that could have easily been overlooked. The Dr confirmed that if it would have been looked past, that next year at her check up she would have been well into stage 1 cancer. My mom has very high spirits and is looking forward to having the surgery. Life is always very good at constantly humbling our spirit and showing us that the most important things in life simply aren't things. My mom's surgery is scheduled on August 18, so if you would all please say a little prayer for her. I am confident that God will well equip her for the emotional hardship that is to come. We serve a GOOD God! Thank you in advance for your love and prayers! Love you all!

A Baby, A Bride and an Anniversary!

Last week was filled with so many exciting events! Last Tuesday, Michelle and Adan's little miracle, Isabelle made her debut into the world. She is SO adorable! Michelle was such a trooper the day of Isabelle's birth and looked so beautiful the whole time! Adan, the proud daddy was so smitten with love with his new baby girl. It was so much fun to be with them and watch their excitement as they soak in the new addition to their family. Wednesday started Heather's wedding festivities and it was SO fun! We had a spa day for her Wednesday, then Hurricane Harbor Thursday, and Rehearsal dinner Friday, and Saturday was the big Wedding day!! She made the most Beautiful bride! It was truly the happiest day of her and Jeremy's life and her wedding was absolutely gorgeous! Then, this past Tuesday Lance and I celebrated our 2nd year anniversary! It is so hard to believe how quickly time passes. We love being a team!

Doesn't Michelle look too pretty to have just given birth to a baby?! :)

This visit was the morning after Isabelle arrived. We wanted her to hurry up eating because we had big plans for her. We had lots of bows and outfits we wanted her to try on! You are beautiful Izzy!

The happy couple at their rehearsal dinner.

Heather, Mom and I at rehearsal

This is the ONLY pic I have of Heather on her wedding day. :( We were SO busy and I guess I wasn't thinking to take more because she had a photographer?? Wish I had an after pic. When I get one from the photographer, I will post it for sure!

Lance and I at the wedding!

These are the flowers Lance brought to me at work Tuesday for our anniversary. LOVE them! Along with the flowers came a note that said, "2 years down and a lifetime to go, I love you." Such a great hubs he is! That night we went to our favorite restaurant in Tyler to have dinner and some wine. Very relaxing!

Since Heather and Jeremy are on their honeymoon this week, we have Oscar!!!! I just love this little dog like he is my own. Him and Mayer love each other. Watching them play is hilarious!

I'm a Lucky Girl...

Since Lance has started his new job, and doesn't have to work weekends anymore, it was his first weekend in a couple months to be able to go home with me (to Dallas). We left after Lance got off work Friday night, and I had a wedding shower for Melissa's sister, Kristen, to go to Saturday morning. While I was at the shower, Lance had told me he was going golfing with a friend. After the shower, when talking to Lance, he was headed towards downtown and wanted to see if I would meet him down there. I was STARVING as usual, and was craving Chuy's that was just recently added to the Highland shopping area in Arlington. So after begging him to meet my mom and I there, he agreed and we met for lunch. Come to find out, Lance was not playing golf that morning, he was meeting with the jeweler to pick up a ring he bought for me for our anniversary/happy hygiene school acceptance!!!! He wanted me to meet him down town because he wanted to give me the ring at the same place he proposed 3 years ago. But, I ruined that :). That's ok, it really couldn't have gone any better. He ended up giving it to me at lunch with my mom, and I really appreciated him doing that! I'm not a mom, so I'm not sure, but I would think that it would be great to hear my daughter's husband tell her and her mom how much he loves her daughter. It was the sweetest thing. I was SOOO surprised and so excited! He is such a great husband! After lunch, we headed to Allen to see Lance's family. It was a very relaxing weekend with a lot of pool time Saturday and Sunday. Mayer got a lot of swimming in, as well as our little Niece Hailey. She is so precious! Here are some pics from the weekend. Love you all!

Look how happy Cade is that his Aunt Andrea is holding him. :)

Happy Bridal Shower Kristin!

Love this pic of Michelle's belly!! We love little Isabelle even though we haven't met her yet!

Yay, the ring!!

My Ring!!!! I love it so much!!

Mayer looked like a little torpedo swimming in the pool. His long body, tail wagging half way out of the water and his ears dragging behind him. He is precious!! We had so much fun with him. This was his second swim.

Little Hailey...she is SO sweet!

Mayer hanging with grandpa.

Look at that two piece! So cute!