March 2022

Here are a few pictures from March...

The boys went on a camping trip to Cooper Lake and had a blast!

We LOVE our little bunny, Lulu!

I love breakfast dates with my boy.

The boys have been super into airsoft guns (sort of like a gentler BB gun?).

I just love this picture.  Spring has sprung, and it's been fun to sit in the backyard in the evenings.  He's practicing shooting.  :)

Much love to you!

 

February 2022

February was a pretty calm month, which we loved.  Here are a few pictures...

We had TWO "ice storms" in February.  Weather stuff like this always shuts us down in Texas, since we aren't prepared to handle it!  :)  During the first storm, Eli's school was cancelled, my work was closed, and Eric stayed at a hotel near his work in Dallas for a couple days, because the roads were too bad to drive back and forth.  

Eli and I bundled up and took a COLD walk in the park...

And we did a whole lot of this:  drinking hot cocoa, snuggling up, and watching movies.  :)  Though we missed Eric, we had a nice couple days at home together!

Eli got a samurai sword as a gift for earning his black belt.  

Eric and I were able to get away to our favorite spot in Dallas for 24 lovely hours!

Super Bowl spread...

We went to dinner at a fancy Brazilian steakhouse one evening and had a great time.

And then we concluded the month with another ice storm!  Eric got stranded at work/a hotel again, and we had to cancel the camping trip we had planned with Elizabeth and CJ.  Though we were so sad to do this, camping would have been miserable in the cold and ice, even with a cabin, so it was the right call.  We made the best of it and spent the day together eating, bowling, and seeing a movie.  

And that wraps up the month.  Much love!!

 

January 2022

Happy New Year!  January 2022 was a great month.  I love the slower pace of January.  Here are a few pictures from our month.

Eli has been super into ping pong lately.  He practices and plays all the time.

We are really enjoying our latest animal addition- Lulu!

He hates it when I make him take pictures like this.  :)  But I treasure our little "dates."

The big event of January was Eli's karate black belt test!  He has been working his way through the belt ranks for 7 full years now, and he finally got to test for his black belt this month!

This is before the test, along with the two friends he has been working with for 7 years.  We are so thankful for this program and these kids.

They had to go through all of their "katas" and their "6 counts," which are series of jumps/kicks/punches/moves/etc. There was a panel of black belts judging their every move.  It was a feat of endurance, for sure.  They were EXHAUSTED by the end of it.

Then they went through their "board break circle," where they had to break a series of 5 boards with punches and kicks.  SUPER impressive!

They went through 15 rounds of sparring with other black belts, also insanely exhausting.

After 2.5 hours of non-stop karate, they each gave a short speech about what they have learned in karate and what it means to them.  And then after the judges deliberated, they were each awarded their BLACK BELTS!

Here he is!  We are SO PROUD of this young man and for all the faithful hard work he has put into karate over the years.

Reygan, Fabian, and Eli.

And that's it for January.  Love to you!

 

December 2021

Happy New Year!  We are so thankful for both the blessings and the lessons from 2021, and we're excited for what the Lord has in store for us in 2022.

Here are a few pictures (out of order, as always) from December...

Fishing, as always! 

This is Christmas Eve...  we had dinner and played games with the Heinz family, which is a tradition we love!

Gratuitous sunset picture...  We've had GORGEOUS sunsets this winter!

SEE?!  This is at a local lake where Eli and Eric fish.  That's Eli down there fishing...

Eli and Eric dug out a fish pond on our side yard.   :)  

Yet another...  God is so beautiful!

This is from the youth group Christmas party.  We had a BLAST eating good food, exchanging funny gifts, and playing crazy games.  I love these kids!

For my birthday, Eric took Jacey and me to dinner at Texas de Brazil (my favorite!) and to the Meyerson to see the Christmas concert.  This is one of my very favorite nights of the year!

I love little dates with Eli.

I have to brag just a little- this is the ring Eli bought for me for my birthday!  I love it, and I LOVE his thoughtfulness!

On my actual birthday we went to dinner at Mariano's and had a lovely, relaxing evening.

This is Lulu- Eli's Christmas present!  :)  

The boys built this fort behind our house.  It's really pretty impressive!  It has a padded floor, shelves, a skylight, and a locking door.

On December 23 (Christmas Adam!), we had a fancy dinner of steak and scallops, just the 3 of us.

These are so backwards, but this is on Christmas morning AFTER presents and cinnamon rolls.  :)

Before presents- Christmas 2021!

This was sunrise on Christmas morning- the beauty of the newborn King on display!

On Christmas Eve we open one gift, and it's always pajamas, like it or not.  :)

Back to Christmas Adam dinner...

The cousins on Christmas at my parents' house, where we enjoyed a second breakfast, gifts, time together, and, later, a lovely dinner.

On Christmas night, the boys slept in their fort and had a blast.

Their little fort in the woods, glowing at night.  :)

On New Year's Eve, Eric and Eli finished the fish pond.  That evening, we were together with family and friends for games and great food, and it was a wonderful way to close out 2021.

I always love the "clean slate" of January.  I send you so much love!