Why I've started posting to my blog again

Stephen finally got a smart phone, so now we've got no excuses. We've got a camera with us wherever we go. It's the greatest thing ever. It hasn't even been a month yet and there are SO many times when I've "wished" we had a camera to capture a cute moment and didn't have to miss it.

Party Boat - Lake Travis

Some friends invited us out on a party boat. It was one of the funnest things we've done since we had kids. It was a blast watching them enjoy themselves and Stephen and I were so proud of how brave they were. They were both jumping off the 2nd deck of the boat.....until Zoe tried following her dad after he dove in and not just belly flopped, but smacked her face BAD! Before long though, she was back at it. Taya was smart enough to listen when her dad showed her how to do it and she did it with perfect form every time. It was hilarious....hands by her side, feet first, checking first to make sure it was clear. Thata girl!

Spiderman

Zoe found this toy at Eric & Janessa's house. Too cute!! (but I'm glad we don't own it)

McKinney Falls Biking

No the most flattering picture of me, but there's so few pictures taken of me that I felt it was important to include one of me.
Taya' s new snazzy trailer bike. Another great find by dad at the R.E.I. garage sale.
Now we get to share the load. Stephen pulls Taya while I pull Zoe.
Just some of our latest adventures at McKinney Falls. I hope this continues to be a fun family tradition that the girls remember forever. It's starting to feel like our family state park. Most recently, Stephen took the girls to explore the rock shelter while I was off mountain biking. Unfortunately, we've decided it's just too darn hot in August to do our weekly outings.

Zoe a.k.a. TROUBLE

This cutie pie is every bit as mischievous as she looks. She goes a million miles an hour or at a dead stop....nothing in between. I'm convinced she doesn't have a walk mode, which is challenging at the pool. She can hang with the big kids and can boss and pull Chance and Bosley around as good as anyone. She's a momma's girl through and through. One of these years we'll get her to stop sucking on her blankie. "O-tay" Around here, we spell trouble Z-O-E.

Taya and the Toad (get it?....princess and the frog)

That's right....Taya will not only touch, but can catch toads.....thanks to the hundreds of toads we've had in our front yard. Taya is a hard one to understand. She's girlie to the core, likes playing dress-up, babies, and anything princess, yet somehow her dad has managed to teach her some fun things that do require you to get dirty. She absolutely loves rock climbing with her dad and can identify several plans and flowers. It's made me have to learn too just so I can keep up. Since we're bragging about Taya, I thought I add that she's very obedient, a great helper, does her chores (putting silverware away, putting a new trash bag in, and letting the dogs in and out), and loves being in Primary.

Corpus Christi - Mustang Island

For Mother's Day we decided to take a trip. It was just going to be a short 1 night get away, but the trip was shortened even more by Zoe, once again, getting sick. Luckily, we were able to spend some quality time at the beach before she started getting a fever. We ended up leaving just after lunch and the drive home felt much longer than usual. I felt sorry for sick little Zoe who I'm sure wanted nothing more than her bed and blankie. Once again, we're so grateful she was able to have the surgery and is so much healthier now.