Everything's bigger in Texas

Birthday surprise!

2010-09-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

The kids threw me a surprise birthday party Sat. night! It was a fun surprise. We had Austin's game, then Aaron and I went out to eat Chinese buffet and then came home to a party. What a way to end my birthday celebrations! We had Wargins, Ayres, Bowlers, Karchners, Watkins, Dillon and Bergquists come. It was fun. Good food, good company, good visit. Kids gave me these beautiful flowers. Aren't they pretty? They did a great job picking them out. They are great.

Balloon, presents, who could ask for anything more? I have an awesome family. Thanks guys for making a memorable birthday. I love you.

Starting the game.

2010-09-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Game time again for the Panthers. We had a tuff game this time. Panthers worked really hard. Austin got to start this game and he played most of the game. He plays cornerback and is always looking for the guy to tackle. He got a lot of tackles this game, even though the yellowjackets (from Cleburne) were bigger, but also slower. We won the game 12 to 6. It was a hard win. Hopefully next week will be better! Aaron got to help with the 1st down sign with the game. He was pretty excited.

Megan, Jess and Kendra got us pumped up for the game by writing on our car. It worked. We were excited to be going to Cleburne and winning the game. We love going to games and cheering on our favorite players, Austin and Austin!

What a game!

2010-08-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

There is an Austin Wallace, Austin Wargin and a boy with a last name of Austin on their team this year! So, it's back to last names for all of them! Austin's #61, he's standing by his friend, Wargin, # 19.

Not sure where he is in this picture, but he's there somewhere. He played a lot and they won 28 to 6. This Sat, he'll start on offense.

Ready for the kickoff.

They kept putting Austin in different positions. He likes them all, but loves defense the best.

New changes for School!

2010-08-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

First day of school, Aug. 23rd. Megan is entering 11th grade and taking a couple of AP classes and Pre-AP. Megan is an officer in Student Council and will be busy all year. She also has a car to drive this year and is totally excited about that!

Jess is going to high school this year and not looking forward to it! She has one Pre-AP class and art. She's going to be busy with school this year. She is in Student Council also.

Austin's entering 6th grade which is in the middle school here in Midlothian. He has most of his classes with his friends and all the 6th grade get to eat together. He wasn't to sure about going to middle school, but hopefully will do well. He's still doing football and that with school will keep him busy.

Jocelyn is by herself in elementary school this year. She's headed to 4th grade. She was so excited to go to school today. We don't know her teacher, but she's in school with her best friends, so things will be great. Doesn't she look so grown up?

All the kids got Father's blessings last night, which were great. We send our blessings and thoughts, prayers and love to all of you this school year. Sierra will start preschool next month. She is excited!

Finally.....the potty!

2010-08-23T07:06:00.000-07:00

It was way long over due that Sierra finally started going to the bathroom! During our vacation, I decided that I had had enough. I started telling Sierra that I was no longer buying diapers and that she was going to have to go on the potty. She did pretty good, it took acouple of days and oreos everytime she went potty, but now she tells me that only babies wear diapers. I'm so happy for her!

Her potty chair. She does so well with it and gets scared about using the big potty. Hopefully they will have small pottys at preschool! Yea, Sierra!

Visit to the Cemetery

2010-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

After visiting with Angela and family this July, we were able to go over to the cemetery and see the headstones of Heather and her dad, Uncle DG. Heather's headstone was very beautiful. We really loved the saying on the back

What a great scripture to always remember Heather. We love and miss you.

We miss you DG. Rest in peace until we see you again. Love you.

1st Fish ever......

2010-08-19T19:28:00.001-07:00

Austin's first fish ever caught! Good job Austin.

Sierra loved playing in the water and sitting in the dirt. Her skirt was so dirty that I had to throw it away. She sure had fun.

Jocelyn patiently waiting for a fish. She didn't catch one, but had fun with grandpa.

Jess tried to catch a fish also, but was unable to. We sure had fun at the lake anyway. Thanks, grandpa and grandma.

Cabin

2010-08-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

We were able to go up to the cabin at Panguich Lake for a couple of days. We just love it up there.

We love it when grandpa BBQs.

Dad is so much fun to play with.

Our beautiful senery we get to see everyday up here. It's so nice to be away from phones, tv, computers, etc.

Grandpa loves holding his grandkids.

Eliza

2010-08-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

We got to meet Eliza for the first time this summer. She's almost 1. She loved us and we had so much fun with her. What a cutie.

Eliza would let me hold her and I did over and over, I think Sierra got a little jealous!

Isn't she soooooooooo cute? Love ya, Eliza!

Navada Friends

2010-08-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

We got to spend a week in Reno/Sparks Nevada this summer and spent some precious time with our dear friends, Mrs. Laxalt and husband and of course, Otuafi's. What a blessing. It was so great getting reacquainted with them. We also got to see other friends and of course, Uncle Matt, Aunt Kendall and Eliza.

Skunk in our yard?

2010-08-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's true. I was sitting on the couch in our family room and happened to look outside and sure enough, there was a skunk in our backyard. Not sure how he got in, where he came from or why he came. Glad the girls weren't outside at the time!

Cub Scouts to 11 year old scouts

2010-08-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

In April of 2010, Austin turned 11 and graduated from Cub Scouts. He made it a goal to finish all 20 activity badges. He made it and was awarded a special award for it. We are very proud of him. He accomplished his Arrow of Light in March, but waited until April when Aaron could be there to watch him get his awards.

Snow in Texas?

2010-08-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Can you believe we have snow in Texas? It was so much fun. We miss the snow and loved having a snow day so we could play in the snow.

Play Ball

2010-08-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

Austin has had a dream to play football for many years. Finally we got it together and got him signed up. His first game will be August 28th. He loves playing defense where he plays left corner. His job is to cover the wide receiver and sack the quarterback. He loves it.

Just Cute~

2009-05-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

Sierra walked up to Aaron this morning and told him that Jesus wanted him as a Sunbeam! How cute is that?

Mighty in Prayer

2009-04-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

After a great FHE tonight, Sierra decided that it was her turn to say our family night prayers. She did an awesome job! She started the prayer and said a few words and then Aaron helped her finish. The kids clapped at her prayer when she was finished. We are so proud of her. We are excited that she would want to say prayers. We are so blessed.

Finally Christmas pictures of 2008

2009-04-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

I finally got our Christmas pictures on the computer, so here are some pictures.
You can see that Sierra wasn't to happy to be in the pictures, so we bribed her with chips until we finally got the picture we could use. It took a few times to get a good one. But, they turned out ok.

Jessica got more art items. How exciting for her. She just loves being creative and has such a talent for it. Megan having fun with opening her presents.

Austin is a budding guitarist!

Sierra loves bath toys, so she is excited about this present.

Sierra understands the opening of presents. How fun.

Jocelyn's favorite, a clipboard with art supplies.

Pine Wood Derby

2009-04-17T07:09:00.001-07:00

All the boys and their cars. Austin won a couple of races and we were really excited for him. What a fun night.

Getting ready for the race.

Austin and Aaron worked on his car. We were pleased with the outcome. Lots better than last year.

Cozemel

2009-04-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

The Keeler family with spouses went on a cruise last year and it was great. We got to see the ruins at Cozemel. The water is just gorgeous.
There were plenty of lizards to see.

Ya just got to love Matt!

Work on the Ranch

2009-04-07T07:28:00.001-07:00

We got to have a mini enrichment in March down to the Johnson Ranch. We got to make butter, cheese, yoguart, ice cream and milk the cow. It was so fun. After, we got to ride on their wagons pulled by horses. What a ride. We had so much fun. Diane made us a wonderful, yummy homemade lunch. Lasagna with salad and bread with the butter we made. Then for dessert, we had homemade ice cream. What a great day.

Wacky Wednesday Recipe

2009-02-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

Sloppy Joes

3 lbs. hamburger, browned
5/8 c. ketchup
onion salt/powder
2 tsp. salt
2 cans tomato soup
2 1/2 Tbls. vinegar
2 1/2 Tbls. brown sugar

Heat and cook through. Serve over buns.

You could double recipe or cut in half.

Wacky Wednesday Recipe

2009-02-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

Potato Soup

6 potatoes
onion salt or powder
1 can cream of potato soup
1-2 cups Colby Cheese (or cheddar)
1/4 c. milk
1/2 stick of butter (melted)
1-2 t. flour

Cook bacon and set aside
Cut up potatoes, mix onion salt/powder. Cook until done, dump 1/2 water out. Add milk to other 1/2 of water and potatoes. Add potato soup. Add salt and pepper and cheese. Cook until melted over low heat.

In seperate bowl, mix melted butter with flour and stir.
Add flour/butter mixture to soup, add cut up bacon. Serve hot.

Wacky Wednesday Recipe

2009-02-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Rollercoster Pancakes

Place in blender, blend until smooth
6 eggs
1 c. flour
1 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt

Melt 6 Tbs. butter in 9 X 13 pan

Pour mixture into pan, bake at 450 for 20 minutes.

Serve with syrup

Welcome, visitors

2009-01-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

Ever since moving into our new home, we have had welcomed visitors. Ladybugs. They stay in our window sill and just move around. I'm not sure how they are surviving, but they do. How do they eat etc? We've just enjoyed watching them. Welcome, ladybugs.

The first Christmas

2009-01-30T06:01:00.000-08:00

During the Christmas season, we had a chance to go to a stake center in Arlington and see over 5,000 nativities from people all over the Dallas area. It was so impressive. The kids absolutely loved it. Afterwards, we went into the gym and got to dress up and pose for a picture of the very first Christmas. It was so fun. Sierra is an angel and is holding Jesus' hand. Jocelyn, Megan and Jess are the wiseman and Austin is a shepherd. Mom and dad are representing Mary and Joseph. We got to listen to a kids choir sing in the chapel. It was a real special night, topped off with ice cream at Sonic. What could be better than that?

A visit from grandma and grandpa Wallace

2009-01-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

We were so lucky to spend some time with grandpa and grandma Wallace last week. During their visit, our children requested from their grandpa to share stories from his childhood. They were so awesome. Grandpa Wallace is a great storyteller. We were able to learn a lot about his childhood and family. Being the youngest of 11, he had a lot of fun stories for us. We really cherish the time he took to delight us with his stories. We hope that he writes them down, so we can get a copy. Thanks, grandpa.

Taco Soup

2009-01-20T09:31:00.001-08:00

1 lb. hamburger (I use chicken instead)
1 onion (I use onion salt)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 c. tomato sauce
1 can whole kernel corn (do not drain)
1 can kidney beans (do not drain)
1 can black beans (do not drain)
1 can red beans (do not drain)

Mix an heat all ingreadients. (I put it in the crock pot on high for 4-5 hours)

Top with Frito chips, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Doubling works out well.

Napping Buddies

2009-01-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

The cat won't get close to Sierra unless she is asleep. I had to capture the moment.

New Addition

2009-01-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

We received a new addition Christmas night. Our neighbor needed us to take her, we were more than willing to take her. She is 5, potty trained, nuetered and nails clipped. She is a great cat. We named her Hershey. She isn't used to having so many kids, so we usually find her under the couch or under our bed. Sierra would love for Hershey to be her friend and not run from her every time she sees her, maybe in due time.

Wacky Wed. Recipe

2009-01-05T18:54:00.001-08:00

Broccoli Soup--

1/3 cup of onions (I use onion powder)
3 Cups cut frozen broccoli

Cook together until tender. When tender, drain off any excess water. (You can cook this in the microwave while preparing the sauce)

Sauce:
1/2 stick butter (I use butter not margarine)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper if desired

In deep sauce pan, melt butter and add flour and salt until all is covered in the butter.

Add to sauce:
1 can chicken broth a little at a time, stirring constantly.
2 cups of milk, adding slowly while stirring.
1/4 cup Velvetta cheese

Add broccoli and onions to the sauce. Cook over low to med heat; stirring often until it thickens and the cheese melts.

Doubling the recipe makes for a wonderful meal for your family. We love this soup and it is quick and easy and nice, especially on cold days like today.

2009-01-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

The kids prayed for freezing rain today so that their schools would be cancelled or delayed. The prayer was answered, but not until they were in school. We had rain all day and it turned everything, to ice. Luckily, the roads stayed wet, but were not icy. The top two pictures and the left one is of the trampoline. It was so cool. The kids loved playing on the trampoline. The last picture is of my car window blade on the back. I did get to put my car in the garage for the night to warm up! I'm grateful for our garage.

Sierra's 2nd birthday

2009-01-05T17:05:00.001-08:00

Sierra's birthday was unusal. Aaron, Jessica, Austin and I were all sick with the stomach flu on her birthday and she has had a cough and runny nose. So, we pretty much didn't do anything. Megan made Sierra a cake, which only Sierra, Megan and Jocelyn ate. Then, Megan wrapped her presents and we all layed around while she unwrapped them. She got a Dora and Boots backpack, toy phone and toy camera. She unwrapped them first and was finished. So, we helped her with the other presents. She got a bath tub fishing pole, money and some clothes. Yea. Thanks for all the cards and phone calls and presents. She felt loved, despite all the sickness. We hope she has a better birthday next time. Happy Birthday, sweetheart.

More Six Flags

2009-01-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

Megan's getting an early start on her driving! Hope she does as well on the road! She didn't even scare Jocelyn.

Sierra and daddy ride the big truck.

Here are more pictures to add to our Six Flag adventure. We all had a great time.

Six Flags

2009-01-05T16:51:00.000-08:00

Austin was so excited to see Green Lantern and Batman at Six Flags. He couldn't wait to get a picture.

Sierra thought Sylvester was great, but wouldn't go any closer for a picture.

One of the cool things about living so close to Ft. Worth/Dallas area is Six Flags. We got season passes to Six Flags and we went twice in 2008 and can't wait to go back in 2009. Here are some pictures of characters. Can you believe how nice it is at Six Flags on the 30th of Dec? Crazy!

No Christmas pictures yet.

2009-01-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

We took pictures on Aaron's camera Christmas morning and I don't know how to download those, so I'll have to wait for Aaron to return from Seattle this week to download. In the meantime, I'll continue putting pictures and then add those later. Sorry folks.

More snow pictures

2009-01-05T15:48:00.000-08:00

Our front tree, getting snowed on.

Our poor cars getting snowed on, we didn't have the garage cleaned out enough to put the cars in.

Aaron had the day off and we worked inside all day, it was so fun to look outside all day and see snow keep coming down. We love having the snow fall. The kids were so excited.

It snowed!

2009-01-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

The kids were so excited that we actually got snow in Texas! They couldn't wait to play in it. It only lasted overnight, but it was enough for them! YEA for snow! We miss not having snow here.

Megan's 15 birthday party

2009-01-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

Jessica Evan gave Megan this balloon and basket. The kids loved it.

All the gang. Brittany Graham, Rachel Elsik, Jasmyn Johnson, Jeri, Stephanie Webber, Jessica Evans, Kristin Blankenship, Jessica Wallace and Megan

Jessica Wallace, Kristen Blankenship, Rachel Elsik, Jeri Berquest, Brittany Graham

Opening presents with Sierra's help.

Megan had a girls' night out with pizza, movies, games and a sleepover. They had a great time. I love these kinds of parties, no work for me! The girls are old enough to entertain themselves, all I had to do was buy pizza. Yum. Happy Birthday, Megan.

Putting up the tree

2009-01-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

We had fun putting up the tree in Dec. Even Sierra joined in putting on the ornaments.

New Doll

2009-01-05T15:29:00.000-08:00

Our friend, Lori Ficklin, sent Sierra a doll to help her with her sleeping. Sierra named the baby, Abby. She loves Abby.

Chug, chug, chug

2009-01-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

How fun to see how much they can chug down Martinelli's Apple Cider as it burns down your throat.

Our first Thanksgiving in Texas

2009-01-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Jessica did such an awesome job with the table. It was fun to have Shiree and Andrew up for Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful feast. Aaron got first dibbs on the turkey since he sliced it up. Shiree and I had a wonderful idea to make homemade rolls, we did a great job and they were yummy, but lots of work.

Furniture is always great.

2009-01-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

It's so wonderful to have furniture again. We got our stuff a couple of days after closing, we planned it that way! Good thing, we were tired of sitting on camping chairs and sleeping on the floor. Atleast I was! The kids had a great time with all this new adventure. We are grateful for our stuff.

Our New Home

2009-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Aaron and I flew to Dallas to look for a house. We found our house in Midlothian, TX. About 30 minutes from Aaron's work and from Dallas. I love our new house and will love having 3 car garage. We live close enough to the elementary school that the younger kids walk (Austin and Jocelyn). Megan catches the bus after seminary and Jess rides the bus from our neighborhood. If you are ever in the neighborhood, be sure and come see us.

Saying goodbye is hard to do!

2009-01-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

Saying goodbye to dear friends is always hard. Jessica's BFFs are Lauren Petersen and McKenna Collins.

Jocelyn, Jenny and Cierra Collins. The In and Out Burger Boys--Jonah Yoelin, Austin and Eric.

Shannon Yoelin says goodbye to Sierra.

Halloween Party

2009-01-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

We almost didn't make it to the ward Halloween party because the movers were very slow in loading the truck. But, we went and had a great time. The kids had a great time and I loved sitting and watching. I went as a homeless person. Sierra loves Becky and will miss her. We took Cierra and McKenna Collins. Happy Halloween.

Moving to Texas

2009-01-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

Moving is so much fun! NOT! I was glad for so much help in moving. The movers did a great job and didn't break anything.

Keeping Sierra busy while the movers were packing our stuff. She loves to color.

2008-05-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Megan, Jess, Austin, Jocelyn and Sierra showing off Easter outfits.

2008-05-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I had so much fun with Alan and Annette taking this picture while we were on our cruise in March. East VS West!