Sleepover

Evan had her BFF Kassi spend the night on Friday. We were going to go swimming, but it was closed due to rain. We had to move on to plan B. The girls wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese, so I had to come up with a better idea very quickly. We ended up going to Glow Putz - a glow in the dark miniature golf course. The girls loved it!

We came home and had pizza and chocolate milkshakes for dinner. The girls watched movies while I dozed on the couch. They finally fell asleep around midnight - as best as I can tell. But at 5:45 am, they were up wanting me to make them breakfast. I sure am glad I bought some powdered sugar donuts, so I got to go back to bed for a few hours. They played non-stop until 3 pm. As soon as Kassi left, Evan laid down and fell asleep literally before her head hit the pillow. What a great weekend!

First Day for the School Bus

Why is the second day of school important? Today was her first day to ride the bus. This morning she got up at 5:55 am and waited on the bus outside in such humidity for about 40 minutes. I sure hope this enthusiasm continues!

I love Daddy!

I'll be fine. You can go ahead and leave.

More Kindergarten Pictures

Ms. Booker is a tiny, little thing who seems to have so much energy. We are excited for this year. Eventhough Evan does not know anyone in her class, she went right to her desk and made herself at home without getting nervous. All of her friends are in other classes, but she gets to play with them at recess. Her favorite thing to do at recess is climb the monkey bars.

First Day of Kindergarten

Evan started Kindergarten yesterday. She got herself up at 6:30 am, dressed, and then came in to get us. She was so excited to go to 'Big School'; some of the children at 'Little School' can't even spell their name! Mike & I got to take her to Ms. Booker's and chat for a little while. We saw her friend Cade on the way in. She says that he is going to play football and wrestle, so she will be a cheerleader and wrestling coach. We stepped back out of her sight to watch a few more minutes when Evan started getting too clingy. Charlotte, who sits next to her, touched Evan with the play-dough Ms. Booker gave them. Evan gave her the look of death. It will be interesting to see that relationship develop.

When I picked her up this afternoon, she talked non-stop about her day. I love seeing her so excited. She couldn't wait to show us her Bear Binder - she brings it home each day in order to communicate back and forth with the teacher. We met MiMi and PaPa at the airport later, and she couldn't wait to show them, too. It seems like she has grown several inches - her legs look so long. She is changing quickly.

Long Weekend with Aunt Jamie

While Keri & I were traveling, Jamie let Evan sleep with Daisy (the dog), swim as much as she wanted, and take a gigantic bubble bath! She carried Daisy around the whole time. Jamie told Evan that I would pick her up and go home either on Monday or Tuesday, and Evan told her that she thought it would be best if we left on Tuesday. I am so glad she is finally over her fear of spending the night by herself.

Trek to Utah

We had to get a gift for Evan in Gallup, NM on Route 66 - a Kachina Doll necklace.

Wilson's Arch in Moab, Utah

Sneaking out for lunch after lunch in Brigham City, Utah

Last week we received the news that my Uncle Paul passed away. He's always been a favorite for many reasons. He was the adventurer of the family. He led river rafting groups down most rivers in the US, sailed to Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia (I think), and just loved the outdoors. When my dad had a serious stroke in 2000, Uncle Paul and Aunt Sharla came down a few times to help out. Keri & I thought we were special because that's how he made you feel. We found out at his funeral that he made everyone feel that way. What an awesome trait!

Keri & I decided we wanted to attend Uncle Paul's funeral but would need to drive -- to Utah. So, we left Evan with Aunt Jamie and the girls while we took off in the van. We left Thursday evening from Houston and drove straight through. Keri wanted me to see a travel plaza outside of San Antonio called Buc-ee's, so we almost ran out of gasd trying to get there. the distance to empty gauge read 0 for a few miles, so we must have been running on fumes. This would be the first of several adventures and great memories. Keri & I haven't made this trip and spent so much time together since January 1990. We had a great time.

We hiked up Wilson's Arch, drove through a sandstorm, reconnected with family & friends and had a lot of laughs.

Evan & Chandler

Evan had her first sleepover with MiMi and PaPa when Chandler came to visit. Chandler is 10 & Evan loves her. They play very well together - partly because Chan is old enough to give in to Evan. They spent a few days at our house and played Barbies in Evan's room for most of that time. We played in the pool for a few hours and I was the only one to use sunscreen, yet I was the only one to get sunburned. Evan and Chan just got browner.

The Cowgirl and the Derby Diva - BFFs

Julie & I took the girls to the races again this week. I think they were more excited to wear their hats than anything else. They watched the horses a little but then got bored. It was hot and humid, and I felt like I was there with 2 old women because they wanted to stay in the A/C. It took some coaxing, but I finally got them to the fence (in the sun) to watch the horses up close. We had a good time, though.

Make-Up Artists

I came home late one night last week to find that Mike had already started dinner and was cleaning. How nice! I walked in to the dining area to find Evan and Kassi playing in Evan's new make-up. They had glasses of water to clean their brushes in like they were painting with water colors. I thought that was kind of funny!