Everybody Loves Kramer

epics2

2011-09-05T17:55:00.001-07:00

epics

2011-09-05T17:50:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the Watts family tradition, we rang in the new year together at home. Avery gets the privilege of planning out our night. Eagerly she stands armed with her paper and pencil while she sizes up our board game collection. She decided that we would play hide and seek with Andrew first, then put him to bed. We would next play Cranium, Cheese Touch and watch a movie. She is getting to the age where she is really good at playing games. She stayed up way past midnight and was smiling from ear to ear when we finally tucked her in.

2010 has been a tremendous year for our family. We are happily settled into our new home. I thoroughly enjoyed decorating this year for Christmas. I have always wanted an all white and silver christmas tree. It was great to have so much family come to visit, too. Next year, I think I will choose a more colorful palette for our tree in addition to the 20+ silver picture frame ornaments. My sister, Jordan, got engaged on Christmas day to Jared. I am super excited for them and look forward to their wedding and marriage. They are planning to get married Spring 2012.

Speaking of marriage, Kenny and I are approaching our 10 anniversary in 2012. TEN YEARS! We are planning an exciting second honeymoon trip. I can remember many days where I would doubt that there would be someone out there that would 'get' me. Someone that I would love and that would accept me for ME. We laughed while recounting the number of places we have lived since we were married in 2002. (5 not counting the apt K lived in when he first moved to DFW Sping '08)

As you can see 2012 is filling up fast. 2011, we are hoping to take a family vacation towards the Tennessee area. Avery is already planning her birthday party at the Great Wolf Lodge. Apparently in first grade, the status of your birthday invite changes depending on who you choose to play with at recess. I told her she could only invite a few friends because of the limitations on how many people can sleep in the cabin. Avery is quite the girl! She is so creative and smart. She has the sweetest heart too. Sometimes Andrew gets on her nerves but she really loves him too. Recently we had an issue with Andrew's daycare. After I found a new place for him, I talked to her about it. When she found out why we were moving him to a new place, she was very upset. She is pretty laid back normally, but Avery was quite upset that Andrew was mistreated. "I am sad that she did that to Andrew...but Mom, I am kinda angry too." she said with tears in her eyes.

I am a little anxious about Andrew starting a new daycare. He will be attending PSE- Preschool Enrichment in Southlake. (for you googlers) He is talking so much lately. Within the past month his vocabulary has exploded. Yesterday he passed the french doors outside our bedroom and said, 'watch out door, train coming.' He is obsessed with trains. I have never seen anything like it. He has the toys, the bed, the pjs, iphone app, dvds, and even train youtube videos. He can't get enough. In fact, as he watched the youtube videos on my laptop he tries to grab them off the screen. His behavior overall has improved greatly. He is still active, but has more of a desire to please us now. I need to post more pics of his room. One of my favorite things that he does is...he crawls into my bed in the morning and gently rubs his chubby toddler hand on my cheek and says "mommy, waked up"

I am getting tired of rambling on...but I have to say that my heart is so full and grateful for the blessings of 2010. So many! I will leave you with this story.

After Andrew was born in Oct. '08, our cool modern apartment no longer fit us. It was much too small. Our lease wasnt up until June '09 . I would have to wait. As June '09 approached, I realized that unless I found a teaching job soon there was no way we could buy a house. June '09 we agreed that we had to renew our lease. The difference in rent was astronomical to rent month-to-month and the job hunt was not looking good. (fast forward) March '10 we decide to go house hunting. We find the house of our dreams and then the waiting game begins. March-May were so painful. Constantly checking email, text, etc to hear news on the house. Without going into detail...these months were SO VERY painful that I cant put them into words. Finally the day came, we were able to move in. Andrew fell asleep on the way to our new house. As I picked him up and carried him into the house, my eyes filled with tears. I was so excited to bring him to a place where he could thrive and run and play. But most of all I felt God speak to me. Just as I brought Andrew into his new home while he rested peacefully on my shoulder, God could have done that for me too. Instead I worried and wrestled and cried and loss sleep. Needless to say I took that lesson to heart. I don't think my words do this justice, but trust me, I saw the err of my ways. This brings me to my New Year's Resolution-this year I want to continue with laying down my burdens, instead of trying to play God. That's it...but one that affects every area of my life.

Christmas in Wattsland 2010

2010-12-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone...but I wanted to share a few memories from our holiday. We had all 3 sets of parents come to visit. That was a whirlwind of hellos, presents, dinners, and good byes. This year was all about gratitude for our new home and establishing new traditions. I am so thankful to be able to here with my family, and not in our apartment. Here is a look at our Christmas Card and House decor. Will post more pics of Andrew's newly painted room (thanks Mom) and Christmas morning.

Avery's Baptism

2010-10-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

Instead of the anticipated cry...Avery had the whole church laughing. They showed the interview first...and then the baptism clinging to the sides...so funny. To her defense..the water was super cold. It was a great moment...one we will not forget.

The video quality on the blog isnt that great...I will show those of you in LA..the video next weekend.

Summer photo-a-day

2010-07-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

At times I think I am crazy for giving myself little projects like the Summer Photo-a-day. Then after I have a week of them collected, I am so happy that I took the time to capture these memories. Some days I am torn between many shots as to which one to post and other days I get kinda anxious around 3 or 4 pm if I haven't taken a picture yet for the day. I really want each picture to capture the essence of the day and not just be 'pretty'...so I try not to force them..but to allow them to come to me. Today was a slow day, so I was wondering what I would end up photographing...when the doorbell rang with my new comfy chairs. It didn't take long for the kiddos to plop in them in front of the tv on this sick, rainy day. Here are a few outtakes and pics that didn't get officially chosen for this project.

You can view my collection of the real summer-photo-a-day pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/averysmom/

and here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/profile.php?id=667639368

Happy Summer!!

Happy Texaversary Blog Post

2010-06-22T12:56:00.001-07:00

In the last two weeks I have had the privilege of seeing some of the TOP Language Arts writers and teachers in the country. I met and was photographed with the "Two Sisters", and was in a small group setting with Kelly Gallagher. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. I am very excited about the ideas they shared and their passion for literacy. I am , and will always be a science girl. I love everything about teaching science. However, my current job (and thank God for it) is teaching Language Arts & SS. I think I am finally getting excited about teaching reading because I can see how it affects every area of a person's life. I am excited to get back in the classroom and set up my one on one conferencing and really teaching my students to become passionate about reading.

Today marks two years ago that our family moved to Texas. I remember that day well. We had spent the previous day with ALL of our family packing up our house, that had yet to be sold, into a giant moving van. The next day we all drove to Texas to move in our new apartment. We fit what we could into our new place and everything else was brought to storage. After we were all moved in and settled my mom had to leave. I remember putting my head down on the fence and crying as my mom pulled away. (yes, I was very pregnant and emotional). From that moment, I knew I had to grow up just a little bit more. I had to make new friends, not based on who my family was or past connections..but all brand spanking new. I would have to find a job..not based on any connections I already had..because I didn't know a soul in Fort Worth..not ONE! Those of you who have moved far away know what I am talking about.

The question I usually get when meeting someone new is "So what brought you to Texas?" I usually answer sarcastically, "My Honda van." The truth is, when it came right down to it...Education brought us to Texas. Yes, mainly because Kenny is following his dreams of becoming a minister and attending DTS. But honestly that is just a small piece of the bigger picture of why we left Louisiana.

I think the last 2 weeks of training really brought light to what I already knew. After seeing these two sets of amazing educators I am began to mourn my own education. Most of what I can remember about school,( which I LOVED, btw)centered around textbooks and worksheets. Somehow I always managed to get the best teachers that WBR parish had to offer...but it still wasn't a quality education. I wasn't taught to feast on books or think critically. It wasn't until college that I really learned how to write a good paper. This isn't a woe is me blog post but I needed to explain that to tell you why I am so thankful that we live in Texas now. Even one of the best private schools (no names mentioned) in Louisiana can NOT come near to compare to the public schools here. The teacher's here have challenged me to become a better teacher. I just thought I was a good teacher before...boy, was I disillusioned. I am thankful that my Avery is getting a great education here in Texas..one that I wish I would have had....and one that the children of Louisiana deserve too. Yes, we have had to sacrifice the comfort and security of home, but the benefits of moving here have far outweighed the tough times. Now if we could just get more of our family to move out this way...

Toy Story 3-Movie Date Night w/Avery

2010-06-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Summer Photographs

2010-06-18T20:04:00.001-07:00

Another look at our week of summer fun.

The Magic of Summer

2010-06-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

With the hustle and bustle of the school year, it is easy to forget just how great summer can be. I love fall, with the crisp air and the colorful leaves falling...but soon that leads to winter. Winter is my least favorite time of the year. Short days and bleak skies. I just push through hoping to make it past February..then I know there is hope. Hope of days like last night. Nights where I walk out to let the dog in, and Andrew decided to play in Kramer's water bowl...which reminds me to refill it. The next thing I know their are two kids shrieking with glee while splashing water at each other in the yellow pool.

I had planned out my Photo-a-day picture already because it was also our 8th Anniversary..but I just had to run with plan B when a pool party broke out in the backyard. TO top things off, Kenny brought home snowcones for all of us from the BEST snowcone place around. It was a fun evening, followed by quick baths and kids in bed early. Here a few pictures from our magical summer.

I know these summer days are long but before we know it, we will be back in school. Already looking forward to the aisles of aisles of school supplies at Walmart and 20 cent boxes of Crayola Crayons...shopping for backpacks...I get butterflies just thinking of all the fun.

Avery and I sat down to write a list of all the fun things we could think of to do this summer. On Sunday nights we will plan out our week. Today is a picnic in the park and tomorrow the Keller Pointe. She is reading a chapter book a day (easily). One of my newest rules of summer is the 'quiet hour.' Andrew goes down for his nap at 12, so from 12-1 we are quiet in our rooms or on the computer. I bought a 60 minute timer to help her know when time is up. Speaking of time I must get to packing my picnic...Andrew sure can eat a ton! Take care fellow bloggers!

Avery & Andrew

2010-06-08T12:08:00.001-07:00

In the middle of moving, we had Kindergarten Graduation and Avery's 6th Birthday party AT our new house. Yes, I plan a huge party for 25+ people less than 2 weeks after I move in. I like the pressure. :)
On a side note: you will notice all of Avery's graduation pics are in BW. Yes, well she had Fifths Disease that was going around her class. She was perfectly fine except for a rash on her arms and face. If you look closely you can tell.

Is this really happening?

2010-06-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

So, loyal blog friends...It has been awhile since I really shared the nuts and bolts of what has been going on.
Timeline Recap:
Summer 2007-decide while visiting Seaside, FL that we should move to Texas
Jan. 2008-Put House for sale
April 2008-Kenny moves to Dallas to start his new job.
June 2008-We all move to our new apt in FW
August 2008-Sell House
Oct 2008-Andrew is born
August 2009-Alesha gets job in Keller, A starts Kinder

Some things are just painful to write about when you are going through them. Rather than be fake about what was going on, I chose to be silent to the blogging world. March 2010 we decided to go house hunting and found the perfect house for us. March 17th..it was St. Patrick's Day..I was on Spring Break and K and I spent the day together. We walked into this house and we both just looked at each other. We knew it was the one. Thus the torturing process of getting this house began. Let's just say getting a house in 2010 is not nearly as simple as it was in 2003 when we bought our first house. We ended up dealing with 2 lending companies, hundreds of emails, faxes and signatures later...May 17th came and we finally closed on this house. Those of you who work with me know just how draining this process was. It was just awful. I could accept it if they said no, but it was the not knowing that made it so hard. My faith was shaken and I just wanted to go to sleep and be awoken when everything was settled. My dear husband was a trooper through the whole process. He never gave up and was there for me to dry my tears and the two months drug on. He handled 98% of all the paperwork and without his diligence we wouldn't be in this great house today.

Having said all of that, can I just say how much I love our new house. I can NOT believe the 2 years of living in the small dungeon are over. We are in natural light heaven. The layout is perfect. We have a very open floor plan with a guest bedroom and full bath downstairs. The master suite, and 2 kids bedrooms are up with a little office loft as well. Perfect sized fenced in backyard with two Japanese Pear Trees. The neighborhood pool is at the end of our street, too. I look around and I can't wrap my head around this. How blessed am I? I am about to celebrate 8 years with my best friend, I have 2 healthy beautiful children & a great job. WOW! Please don't think I am bragging...because I am not in anyway doing that...just in awe of how much God has blessed me with. total. awe.

When life gives you lemons...

2010-05-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

Looking forward and looking back...

2010-03-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am beyond excited to share with you that we are very close to owning a home again!!! We signed a purchase agreement last Sunday. This past week we had a home inspection performed, which turned out well. If all continues to go well, we hope to close Mid-May! The house, oh man..the house is just perfect...beyond perfect, actually. This house has exceeded my expectations. In June it will be 2 years that we have lived in Texas...TWO YEARS! Can you believe it? We went to a Raising Canes in Irving, TX this weekend...it had been since October since we had eaten Canes. I must say that even though I am a Texan now...I still had to wince at the sight of Dallas Cowboy gear used as decor in a Canes restaurant. :)

Back to the new house...We will be going from just over 1000 square feet to over 2700! When I first moved here, I thought it would be easier to clean since it is smaller. I have found that a smaller place is harder to keep clean because you have no room to put anything. I just know that we will look back on these past years and wonder how we made it with such little space. One thing if for sure, we will certainly appreciate the new place. I am looking forward to eating meals as a family around the dinner table again...and I am looking forward to decorating for holidays. I have already planned out most of the Christmas decoration placement. It just doesn't feel like a holiday without being able to decorate for it. Finally, we should talk about the natural light in the new place...The house has so many great windows..windows under the cabinets and even windows in the closets! And speaking of closets...tons of closet space! TONS! I can't wait to invite you all in...whether in person or virtually. Until then...I will leave you with a few pictures.

Snow much fun! (Avery made that up)

2010-02-12T10:39:00.001-08:00

What a truly amazing last few days! We received the most snow EVER in the history of DFW. I think we have over a foot on the ground this morning. I have never seen so much snow in my life. To say we were ill prepared is quite the understatement. Next year I will be sure to have adequate gloves and such. Avery had a snow suit from when she was 3 that fit perfectly. We were not as fortunate...but had a blast nonetheless. We had school on Thursday but not today. Kenny is off today because he has to work on Saturday. It all added up to all of us being off together to enjoy this beautiful gift from God. Here are a few pictures from our winter adventure:

the scoop..

2010-01-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

come on in...let's have a chat!

Well we have been official Texans for 19 months now...it really is feeling like home more and more everyday. Speaking of home,though this feels like home,I miss having a home. This apartment is fine...but I am looking forward to having a place of my own again soon. We are looking forward to either renting or buying a house this summer. For my sanity, we must get more space. Some mornings it is pretty comical watching us try to get ourselves ready and the kids in such a small space.

Work for me is still going well. Not a week goes by that I don't find myself walking down the hall of my school...and it just hits me, I look around and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my job. I am still shocked that I not only got a job in an excellent school district but I am teaching at one of the best schools in that district. I told the teacher's on my team recently, "It really sucks not to shine, but it is great to be among stars." I say this because the teacher's I work with define great teaching everyday. They are absolutely amazing. Before I came here, I felt like a great teacher, one of the best at my school. Here, I feel ordinary. Ordinary is not me...so this is a tough transition. I do like a challenge though..

Kindergarten: So, I visited Avery's Rodeo day at school, and I didn't even cry. Ha! For the first five visits to her school, I would have to fight back tears. It was so hard to realize how much of her world that I wasn't a part of..after being her whole world for so long. For those of you who have gone through this...I am sure you understand. This time was different though..seeing her with her class gave me a feeling of pride. As she participated in a game on Rodeo day, her whole class chanted her name.."Avery, Avery!" It was really sweet. Her teacher is a real sweetheart too.

Andrew just transitioned to the next class at Primrose. This class gets to go outside and play on their own special playground, sleep on cots, and sits in little chairs at the cutest little tables. He is adjusting much better than I am. I can't help but to worry about him. Andrew is saying 'thank you'. It is adorable. He is also obsessed with cars and ducks...such a BOY.

Kenny just turned 34! We celebrated his birthday by going out on a date. It was nice to spend some time together without the kiddos. He is teaching Sunday School for adults every Sunday.

Overall, after I type all this up..I can see things are going well. Still can't shake the winter blues though. Lots of routine work and chores and plenty of time indoors. Looking forward to the spring and getting into a house.

Remember..Be kinder than necessary, because everyone is fighting some kind of battle. Life is a journey...try to enjoy it wherever you are on your path. Good advice for you and me!

Much love from Texas,
Alesha

2010..let the fun begin!

2010-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Photography, Idealism and more...

2009-12-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

idealism

1. The property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable or at odds with practical life.
2. (philosophy) An approach to philosophical inquiry which asserts that direct and immediate knowledge can only be had of ideas or mental pictures.

So I have been accused (and rightly so) of being uptight around Christmas time. I almost cringe and the memories of getting so stressed to have things just perfect for Christmas. The right pajamas..the perfect tree..gifts, plate for Santa's cookies, perfect wrapping paper, and let's not forget the perfect pictures...all in the name of having an ideal Christmas. This Christmas I was determined to do things better...and I did. Not sure where this whole idealism started but I am certain of one thing, it is a murderer of fun! Strong words, but oh so true. Where did I get the picture of what Christmas is supposed to be like? Who is the person that sets that standard for everyone? For me, (especially since I have moved away) Christmas is about people...family and friends together. All of the things listed previously are good and they make Christmas special but if they get in the way of people and my ability to enjoy myself with them..then I need to cut back on something. The truth is we LOVE to go to a beautifully adorned home and eat a lavish meal and receive thoughtful well wrapped gifts and capture perfect images of the whole event...but I am not there..not even close..so with this and so many areas of my life I hope to strike a balance. This year I probably swung too far to the left but it felt great to take the pressure off of myself to produce this 'ideal' Christmas...whatever that is, anyway.

Onto photography...I am afraid that some of this idealism is rooted in my photography addiction. The striving for the perfect picture to really capture the essence of your family, or event. No pressure or anything, huh? The absolutely crazy thing is the more that I let go of this self induced pressure the better (IMO) my photography has become. I also understand that if I hadn't striven through the last 5 years then I wouldn't be as far as I am with my photography skills...so I know that is important too..Once again..it's all about balance. Learning to not ruin the 'fun' in order to capture it. Being able to get enough decent pictures for a Christmas card without becoming a scrooge...add a few kids to the mix and it is so hard to not get uptight and frustrated. Isn't it? But the more I am that way..the faster things go down hill. So it is almost that I have to just determine to have fun and let the chips fall where they may. Who is it that I have to impress anyway? Who? Letting the imperfection be perfect is my desire...Striking a balance and letting go of my preconceived notions of the way way things 'should' be. Ahh, I love being 30. Wish it hadn't taken my so long to get here. Feel free to add your thoughts on this...here or email me. I am curious to see other perspectives on this. I have a feeling I am not alone in this struggle.

Our Gingerbread Girl

2009-11-20T17:29:00.001-08:00

2009-11-18T18:26:00.000-08:00

October..oh how I love thee!

2009-10-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

Well it seems that this blog has been neglected a bit. Lately, I have been just throwing a few pictures at it and calling it done.

Yesterday, the kids and I headed to the Dallas Arboretum. Kenny was with Gordon and Kelly for a much needed (and deserved) guys weekend. If you have never been to the Dallas Arboretum, it is something to behold. The place is what I imagine a slice of heaven to look like. In the spring, the tulips and daffodils are unbelievable. In the fall, they have a couple hundred thousand pumpkins with the most beautiful fall flowers. They have fountains and lakes, giant pirate ships for the kids..I could go on and on. Yesterday, my favorite part was just sitting on a bench near a stream, watching Avery run and plan in a huge open field surrounded by pumpkins and flowers. As a kid it must feel so freeing to just run and run. I had a real wake-up call yesterday. They place was buzzing with people, all dressed up in costumes and adorable fall clothes. The mother's were eager to snap photos while the dads relentlessly tried to get the kids' attention. The poor kids..was all I could think. It made me realize how ridiculous I must have looked over the years. So instead of stressing and trying to get the perfect shot, I just focused on trying to play and have fun. What a concept, eh? I know, I am a genius. I ended up with some photos of the kids that I treasure. Seeing Andrew and Avery interact just kills me. She is a great big sister...and dotes on him..but he has no problem putting her in her place. It is really funny...even though Avery doesn't always think so. :)

I met with Avery's Kindergarten teacher this past Friday. Avery is doing great. She had no concerns except that she as a teacher was struggling to find ways to challenge Avery while helping the other students as well. I was very torn with approaching the subject...I didn't want to come off like my child is so smart she is bored in your class...but I didn't want to ignore the fact that Avery is sad that 'she never gets called back to the teacher's table'. I tried to explain to Avery that her teacher is working with the students that are trying to learn what she already knows. But that sounds just awful too. I don't want her to think that she knows everything because that is not the case. The truth is, she is a very bright girl...so I will constantly need to find new ways to challenge her at home too. On a side note, I tested Avery on the Dolch sight word list..which is 220 words that you should know how to read by the time you reach third grade. Yeah...she could read ALL of them. Amazing! And finally, on another side note...I cried during her conference...I CRIED!! I wanted to kick my own *butt* for that one. It seems like everytime I go to her school I get teary. It is just really hard to lose so much control over what goes on in your kids life..just like that! Poof! She is with you every second of the day...and then, BAM...you have no idea what is going on in her little world. I know they are taking good care of her...it is just hard to let go. And there you go...I cried at Avery;s first parent-teacher conference. I am officially a freak! :)

So I could go on and on...but I need to go and clean my house. Thanks for stopping by and reading our blog. We love you!

K2A3

Andrew James- 11 months

2009-09-15T19:33:00.001-07:00

Kindergarten

2009-08-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

A lot of things I want to say...but I will leave you with a few pics of Avery.

Texas Size Fun

2009-07-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Howdy loyal blog readers...How is it that a month has just about passed without a post?? I think it has something to do with all the places I am trying to keep up with posting...Facebook, flickr, emails, etc...let's not forget the hours and hours I have spent this month ordering pics from the past year and scrapbooking...whew! I have been scrapbooking...yes..I have!! For those who insist that Andrew is neglected in comparison to Avery...let the record show that I have now caught his scrapbook up to date....before I worked on AG's...I might add. hehehe

Sooo, lots of pictures to add...All from my small point and shoot camera. A video of Andrew crawling is also in store for you! So here we go!

Avery was invited to a craft playdate...I brought apples and caramel dipping sauce...this little froggy wanted to join in on the fun too!

Avery and Andrew have enjoyed their weekly trips to the waterpark...NRH20!!

I just happened to have my camera with me when we ran into the mascot!! How fun!

Rise and Shine..sleepy head. Actually Andrew is quite the early riser. He is up by 6:30 and usually takes a morning nap around 9ish. He adores Plex...and I adore him! :)

He fell asleep in his bouncer again...so sweet!

Seriously, I had no idea how much fun having two would be...these guys are so fun! Their love for each other is amazing!

Can you tell what Andrew is thinking?

My sweet family....and yes Milwalkee Joe's ice cream is on the menu every now and then.

She came up with this one all by herself...Our Statue of Liberty!!

Sun + Sticky fingers=fun!

What a handsome boy!

What is wrong with this picture?? Kenny ordered a salad...because and I quote "all the other side options were starches!!!" I almost fell out of my seat...What a change! I am so proud of him!

From the waterpark this week...Avery invited a friend and her grandma to come with us...so nice to have adult conversation and fun!

Last but not least...the video of Andrew crawling!

On a more serious note...please continue to pray for me to get a teaching job. I have applied at 3 districts and have heard nothing. I have heard that they like to wait until the last minute...and I would be okay with that...I just want a job so I can have a house for my family again one day. I have moments when I am good and trusting that God is going to continue to take care of us...and then I am driving along and pass an elementary school and feel like I am going to have an anxiety attack... August seems to be the month that God blesses our socks off...(met Kenny in August '01, Sold House in August '08..perhaps I will be able to add teaching job in August '09) God's will be done!

Camping Trip

2009-06-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Right now I am sitting in my comfy bed with the air turned way down...ahhh...nothing like sleeping in a tent in June to make you appreciate your air conditioned home!! That's right people...the Watts fam went camping. It was 105 that day but after we set up the tent..it was smooth sailing. We learned a few things that we want to do differently next time...like Kenny and I both can't fit on a twin size air mattress...not even sideways...:) Camping is a fun family activity though...and after the initial purchasing of equipment it is a relatively inexpensive outing as well. I am really looking forward to trying it again in the fall..for more than one night too. It really is too much work for just one night.

Also, we just finished up our week at VBS. The theme was StudioGo and we had about 200 children attend! Avery absolutely loved every minute of it! Well with the exception of her melt down on Tuesday. She did not want the game at game time to have ANY rules... Her independence just reiterated to me that she is sooo ready for school. I worked Games outside for 2 days and played paparazzi the rest of the week. I put together a slideshow of about 250 pics for the big family night at the end of VBS. It totally made me realize how much I miss teaching.

In addition to camping this weekend...I went on a date!! We managed to plan out our next 12 years or so. It is a lot of fun to look ahead that far. We figured out Avery will graduate in 2022. A couple of surprises in store for the future as well. We will reveal them when we can...but I am excited! Soo, here are a few pics from our week.

Master's Master Plan

2009-06-20T19:50:00.001-07:00

Today we signed the lease renewal on our apartment. We have had it in our possession for a little over a month now. I waited until the last moment possible to turn it in just in case something else turned up. Nothing turned up..so we signed it and sealed our fate that we will indeed be spending another year here. The way I see it I have two choices, I can be thankful for the place that I have to live or I can be discontent and complain for a year. When things don't go according to your plans...you stop and ask yourself...I wonder if there is a purpose to this?? Does God exist, and if He does, does He have a plan for my life? Am I just wandering aimlessly? If He is real and He does have a plan does He care about the little details of my life? I am not trying to be too deep thinking here...but if we are honest I think we all have these questions from time to time. If you would ask me, Does God exist?, I would assure you that He does. Just step outside and look around...The magnitude of His awesomeness is portrayed in His creation. And if you would ask me, Does God have a plan for our lives? I would say yes, of course He does. If I am saying what I truly believe then why do I worry? If God is God and He is in control why do I spend so many moments of my life fretting over things? Do I have a job lined up for the fall? No! If it is meant to be will God make it happen? YES, then I need to learn to let it go. Either I believe God is real or I don't. This where I think the rubber meets the road. It is very easy for me to have 'faith' for you but I must also have it for myself and my circumstances. If Avery came to me upset and worrying about the electric bill I would feel terrible as a parent. She doesn't need to worry about those things. I want her to trust that we, her parents, have that covered. How much more does God feel that way towards us? He wants us to rely on Him for everything...even our very next breath. On the flip side of that...I am not just going to sit on the couch and wait for a job to come to me. I am actively pursuing a teaching job....but after I have done all that I can do I will rest knowing that God is ordaining the next steps in my life. I will not worry but set my mind on the truth that God is in control.

My former pastor, Frank Friedmann, drew an illustration on an overhead of a huge chair (kind of like a large lowercase h.) Then he drew a very small stick figure sitting on that chair. That stick figure was us trying to sit on the throne of God 'chair' and control the world. We were never meant to do that. I love that simple illustration.

So maybe living in an apt another year and not having a teaching job by mid-June wasn't what I had planned for my life....but clearly it is in God's plan. So, I will choose to be content. I will choose to trust Him and be thankful for what I have...because when you stop and look around..I have more than money will ever buy...I have my health and the family I have always dreamed of. God is real...He is good...and I am thankful that He has opened my eyes to that Truth.

I have so many pictures to share...and a few ideas for new ones...so I will share a few with a promise to add the rest soon!

The first three pictures are from Avery's 2nd 5th Birthday party. We invited a few friends from church and dance class. It was really amazing to see how many people came to her party. We had a lot of fun! Avery and I made the rainbow cupcakes for her party.

The next 2 are of Avery and Andrew @ Avery Elementary School. Avery is such a good sister to Andrew. About once a day, I ask her to 'babysit' Andrew for me while I do something around the house. She is always, always excited to help me. On this particular day, she told me I was not allowed to pick up Andrew from school yet because they were having story time. I had to run and snap a few photos of that before I made a quick exit. Getting time to get things done has become more of a challenge these days.

The next one is of Avery's 2nd birthday party. Yes, I had to bribe her to stand in that tree. She inherited my fear of heights.

The 7th one is of Avery at Emler Swim School. She had just finished up her first semester of swimming lessons. She went from being afraid to put her face in water to swimming underwater 5 feet. Mrs. Lisa, her teacher, was amazing! Unfortunately, Avery is very brave these days...she knows just enough about swimming to get herself in trouble..so she is enrolled in another semester of lessons with a new teacher at Emler.

The rest of the pictures are of the visit when Kenny's parents came up for a visit. They drove in on Avery's actually birthday to take us to The Great Wolf Lodge. We had a great visit. These photos were taken at the park where we had a picnic lunch after church. I need to upload the pics from the Great Wolf lodge from my small camera.

The mute button...

2009-05-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

I think that I have finally found a way to make the voices in my head to be quiet. My whole life as I can remember it I have always seem myself as overweight. When I look at pictures of me before kids I looked good...but didn't know it. As my awesome children have came into this world...I have focused my attention on them and put myself second..third..etc. As much as I try to hide from scales and mirrors...eventually you realize that you can't hide the fact that you are overweight..and well, fat. As I am approaching five years of being a parent next week, I realize that I as a person have developed a lot and I am beautiful on the inside..it is just my outside that doesn't match. As I sure you have heard me talk recently, 6 weeks ago, Kenny and I decided enough was enough. We want to be more healthy and be around for a long time. As of today Kenny and I have lost a total of 30 lbs. (15 each). That is three 10 lb bags of potatoes! I haven't eaten fried food in 6 weeks PEOPLE!! That is totally a record for me..since I love fresh hot fries with lots of salt. But the few minutes on the lips is totally NOT worth it. There is nothing worse than the voices in your head (and aren't we our worse critics) constantly accusing you that you are fat and then just feeling sad about that and doing nothing. There is nothing more empowering to me than hitting the pavement and just me, (no husband or kids..sometimes the dog) running until I can't breathe. The voices in my head don't have much to say anymore because I am making the changes that I needed to make. My husband keeps looking at me and saying what a difference he can see in me...and that feels really good.

As I look back on 2009, I will remember Avery's 5th birthday party as one of the best days of the year. It wasn't that the clothes I chose to wear that day showed off my newly lost weight (because that isn't the case), or that I had a good hair day (certainly not since I didn't get a shower that morning due to having to tie up some details on the slideshow and left at 7am) or because I won a million dollars that day...it was completely because of the friends and family that were there to celebrate Avery's birthday. I think moving away made me appreciate even more my roots. I felt warm and fuzzy for days after her party. Thank you too all of you that joined me in celebrating Avery on that beautiful Saturday afternoon. It was by far her best party yet.

Within the next couple of weeks we will be renewing our lease on our apartment. Kenny and I agreed today that this certainly wasn't in our 'master plan'. We live in a really nice apt with great amenities..but we would love to be in a house again. With all of the baby stuff around we sometimes feel like we have to tiptoe around to get from one room to another. But when you look at things with perspective you realize that a house really isn't everything..what is important to us is that we are living our dream together. Kenny has a passion for studying and teaching...and he is going to DTS to be trained in what he is passionate about. Sitting in his Sunday School class week after week I am more and more surprised at just how knowledgeable he is. I am constantly blown away by him. So I guess living in an apt on a budget is just the price you pay for living your dream. Being comfortable in a great house going to the same job that you aren't passionate about is just not living. I am looking forward to getting back to work soon and getting that house in June '10. (which will be here before you know it)

Here are some snapshots from our family over the last few weeks.

These are pics from Avery's Birthday party, Her AWANA graduation, and Saturday's picnic and getting exercise on the walking trails at Keller-Smithfield park.

It's May, and I have a lot to say!

2009-05-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Loyal Blog Readers,

SO sorry that I haven't been updating this as i should. I will start with the most recent things and work my way backwards.

The Biggest Winners:
Kenny and I have changed our eating and exercising lifestyle recently. I have battled my weight my whole life, but Kenny has an amazing metabolism and has never really had to diet. I love my 2 kids but they have totally messed up my body. About 6 months after Avery was born my thyroid stopped working, so I will be on Synthroid for the rest of my life. Sometimes the dosage is off and I gain weight very, very easily because it slows down my entire metabolism. This happened again in late January and I put on 10 lbs in no time. I was also feeling very tired and sad at times. I knew my levels were off so I went in for a blood test and they showed just what I was feeling. So, my levels are finally right, whew! :) I haven't had fast food/ fried food in two weeks now. I eat 5 times a day...but healthy food..like fresh fruit and vegetables. I feel so much better. Just today, we went to the Fort Worth zoo and Avery and I were skipping around...and it felt so great to feel good. Kenny and I have also been working out 5-6 times a week and going to bed at 10pm. All good things that make a huge difference. Many of you have been encouraging me lately and I really appreciate it. We are approaching this as a lifestyle change and not a diet.

Quote from Avery today as we were entering the zoo: "The best thing about the zoo today is that mommy didn't bring her camera." I had to agree...it is a lot more fun just living in the moment and not feeling pressure to capture it.

Birthday:
Avery is having her birthday party in Baton Rouge on May 16th at her Great Grandmothers house. Her theme this year is rainbows. She is already planning out the theme for next years party..gotta love a planner. Her invitations turned out really cute. I mailed them out this morning. I am also going to have a small party for her church and dance friends from here. Cupcakes in the Park...should be fun.

Beach:
We went to Seagrove Beach, Florida a couple of weeks ago for an entire week. We flew to BR and then drove to Florida. We stayed in the same house that we have gone to since 2005. The Hebert's were kind enough to lend us their expedition for the trip. Kenny had to stay home and work. It was great for me to be spoiled for a week with having so much help with the kids. The scariest part was when we lost Avery at the beach on Easter Sunday. She was playing in the sand about 10 ft from us. I turned my back to her to put sunscreen on Andrew...took 1 pic of him...and then looked around to find her and she was gone. Turns out she had gone back into the house to go to the bathroom. She said she couldnt find us. We were all right there...but it was so loud that day at the beach...very windy. The whole thing shook me up... But after all of that we really had a nice time. Special thanks to Mom and Steve for providing such an awesome trip for us.

Graduation Picture Visit:
The Hebert's came to the Big D for a short weekend trip. I took senior pictures for Jake..it was a lot of fun. We had a great time with some really great food..Mexican, BBQ and Hibachi!

"Pastor" Kenny:
Hehe..sounds funny huh? Kenny has enrolled for Summer and Fall seminary classes at DTS. I really enjoyed the break as he took this last semester off. He has gotten a lot of teaching experience this semester at church. Sitting in one of his classes I was amazed at how talented he really is. I am very proud of him!

Mister Andrew:
He is doing well. Growing, growing, growing! He is very good and has been a great addition to our family. Sometimes I look at him and I can't believe I have a girl AND a boy.

Teaching JOB:
No leads on a teaching job for me just yet....We sent out 20 resumes...so just waiting to hear something. I have my first certification test on Monday. Wish me luck!

Sooo, here are some snapshots from the last month or so.

video time!!!

2009-04-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

MOMMY SHOWS HER MAGIC!!

KRAMER & ANDREW BFF

got Avery?

2009-03-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

I took this picture of Avery after we planted some new flowers on our patio. This is one of my favorite images of her to date...and that is saying something! :) Just thought I would share this with you because I know a lot of you really miss seeing her.

Sneak Preview

2009-03-23T17:18:00.001-07:00

Here are our favorite pictures of my session with Jake. Gram, Jordan and Jake came to visit for the weekend. We had great weather, great food and lots of fun. I will post more about the weekend later...Here are the pics!!

Be sure to click on the images to make them bigger! :)

It's Spring...really it is...trust me...winter is just visiting..it's SPRING!!

2009-03-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hello loyal blog readers! I am announcing that Spring is indeed here...I have new patio furniture that I adore..and we sat outside every day last week..and this week winter is visiting. Back in the day, ( I learned this while visiting a plantation home) they would greet you with a pineapple when you arrived and then place a pineapple at the foot of your bed when your welcome was over and it was time for you to hit the road.. WINTER, here is your pineapple..now leave please.

On to updates:

Let's start with my favorite subject..ME!!
I am just fingerprints away from getting my Temporary Teaching certificate for Texas. I have to take two test within the next year to get certified in Early Childhood-4th grade. I am very excited to get back in the classroom. I will be over the moon excited if it works out to be with Avery at school as well. NOT teaching her just being near her. We have to go to storage to search for my birth certificate and SS card this weekend. In Texas, a valid LA license isn't an acceptable form of identification...who knew? I thought LA was part of the USA...guess not. My first test is May 3. I am going to have to study for this one..its been a long time since college...

I went to a Mom's Night Out event this past Wednesday...we had hibachi food..it was so nice to get out without any kids..or husband (though I love them dearly) Girl time is nice... I was even scandalous and treated myself to a latte before coming home. :)

Onto Avery and Andrew:
Avery started swim school @ Emler swim school..VERY awesome place! Her teacher, Mrs. Lisa is great with her. There are 2 other girls during her class time..so just 3 kids total. Avery is now putting her face underwater for a 10 count. The entire pool is surrounded by plexi-glass windows so we (Andrew and I) get to watch Avery throughout the entire lesson. This was my biggest issue with swim lessons back home..I couldn't hand my Avery over to a stranger and just walk away...gave me panic attacks just thinking about it.

Avery has memorized over 20 scripture verses in Awana this year. She picks them up in 10 minutes flat.

Avery is constantly writing, cutting and taping things. Her creations can easily take over her room in one day's time.

So it may be a little early to think about this...but for you grandparents who are wondering what to get AG for her birthday...more swim lessons and all kinds of craft supplies would be a giant hit!

Andrew..who is 5 months old now..it doing just fine. He is blowing raspberries..all day! He tasted sweet tea today...and pulled my hair to get closer to the glass. LOVED IT! The boy loves Kramer and Avery...he laughs every time he sees them. We certainly are blessed with another laid back child.. On Wednesday, we had grumpy baby Andrew and realized just how good he is normally. He is very, very ticklish. I love this little boy so much...he is such snuggle-bunny! We registered Andrew at The Primrose School for the fall. It is crazy expensive but really nice. I think he will love it there!

Kenny is doing awesome too. He is teaching Sunday School @ church for 6 weeks on Colossians. He finally got his 6 month review and got a great review from his boss. He enjoys his job and usually very busy so his days go by quickly. Now if he could just get me to do ALL the laundry his life would be perfect... :)

The Hebert's are visiting next weekend while I take senior pictures of Jake..then the kids and I are going to the beach for Easter.
Take care guys!
Alesha

Notes from Disney 2009

2009-02-17T21:50:00.000-08:00

I originally posted this on Facebook. I realize not all of you are on FB, so I though I would share it here as well.

Just a few notes to help me with journaling in their scrapbooks, when I get to that! :)

Favorite Souvenir: Magic Towels and she did buy a slinky dog with money from Christmas. I bought about 10 post cards..

Packing: Avery emptied her entire Piggy Bank into her purse to make sure she had enough money for the trip. Avery reminded us to take her suitcase as we were leaving...I shutter at the thought that we may have left it.

Funny Memory: While in Hollywood Studios, we were looking for the start of the line for the new Toy Story Ride. Well, as i was asking someone in line where the start was, Kenny came onto a green army man 'statue'. As Kenny ignored the statue and looked around for the start of the line...the army man jumped forward and Kenny let out a scream. The whole line saw it and was cracking up. It was pretty funny. We got a picture with him afterwards.

Character Meals:
Chef Mickey's
Crystal Palace
Hollywood & Vine
also, Hoop De Doo Review

Melt Downs: Avery lost it because she didn't get the right color boat for small world. and then for Peter Pan. We had a come to Jesus talk, and she improved...somewhat..until they were out of pink tea cups..well then, she cried buckets of tears..and we had to leave and get on after that turn was over. The very last ride was small world on the last day in DW...I prayed a quick prayer for Avery to get the red boat with pink seats...and wouldn't you know..that 's exactly what we got! She kissed it three times.

Adult Rides: Kenny and I rode Aerosmith's Rockin Rollar Coaster and The Tower of Terror while the Hebert's watched the kids @ Pizza Planet. Kenny also rode Space Mountain on the last day as I endured Small World with the two kiddies.

Favorite Ride: We all agreed that the New Toy Story Ride in HS is the best. We did that one about 6 times. Be sure to Fast Pass it if you go.

Changes: Avery was able to understand that HS is part of Disney World. Last year..anything besides Fantasyland in MK was NOT DISNEY! She handled the lines much better this year. The tea cups couldnt spin fast enough this year..and Dumbo stayed flying at the top.

Princess: In DW they call all the girls "Princess", AG didnt care for that too much. She enjoyed meeting Cinderella but not nearly as much as she loved meeting Buzz and Woody. She even wrote a special note for Buzz...it was sweet.

The People: One of things I enjoyed most about this trip was the people. We met people from all over the country..and a few from other countries. The outpouring of kindness shown by just about everyone we came in contact with was awesome. I LOVED watching family dynamics, esp. while waiting in line.
Grandparents: Note for myself when I become a grandparent. Seeing Grandparents after 3 days in the parks was a great site. It was so nice to have them with us...and to have extra hands. We had the opportunity to enjoy it all as a family at first and then with them. It worked out perfectly.

Godiva: Stay away from the Hot Chocolate in Downtown Disney...unless you want to see it again...real soon...that's all I'm sayin'
A little bit more, a little bit more.......

Flight: Ahh, yes... We were wise this time and only booked direct flights. The flight out of DFW was delayed 2 hours. Which in retrospect isn't horrible, but when you are all pumped to go on vacation, 2 hours is a long time. It put us getting to our room at 2:30 AM EST..not good! AND, then the return flight..We arrived @ the Airport over 2 hours before the flight...so let's say 5pm..our flight was delayed THREE HOURS...so instead of leaving at 7, we took off at 9:50. Of course despite my efforts of changing Andrew's diaper right before the flight, he filled it quite nicely and promptly fell asleep on my chest for the entire flight home. We made it home at 1:30 CST. Poor Kenny had to go to work the next day.

Red Balloon: I was saving the red balloon treat at Magic Kingdom for a reward for good behavior after we met up with some friends in Disney World. That didn't quite work out, so she ended up with one anyway (Thanks to Gram and Poppy). She adored the balloon...took it everywhere with her. Then we figured out we couldnt take it on the airplane. So I explained to her that she would either have to let it go...or find a friend to give it to. Avery decided she would pick a special girl to give it to in Magic Kingdom on our last day. She whispered to me that she found her 'special girl', after I gave her the ok, she walked up to the girl and without saying anything just placed it in her hand. It was really sweet and the girl had asked for a red balloon too from her mom the previous day.

MORE THOUGHTS...

Magic Kingdom: Kenny got picked to be "that guy" during the Monsters Inc. Laugh Show..they showed him on the large screen several times as part of the interactive comedy show. It was really funny. This attraction is located in Tomorrowland and is a MUST SEE.

Another SOUVENIR: They have the coolest Mr. Potato Head accessories in DW. We ended up getting 2 boxes of them..on in Toon Town and one in Downtown Disney. We love them.

Hope I am not boring you...yes, more disney pics!

2009-02-09T13:35:00.001-08:00

Disney & MORE

2009-02-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

We certainly had a nice time in Disney World. We were very happy to see The Heberts after 3 busy days in the parks. Here are some pics from our trip...tons more to go through!

Kenny & Avery went to a Daddy-Daughter dance tonight. They had a great time. Avery was very interested in dancing and the punch. This is their third DD dance they have attended. We missed last year's but hope to keep the tradition going. Kenny's date sported a new Valentine's dress thatshe begged for from Gymboree. We painted her nails pink and gave her a little blush to set off her look. She adored the flowers Kenny gave her...and they are in a vase in her room. I love that they do this together each year.

Andrew is officially 4 months old tomorrow on the 8th...so here is his pic one day early! I cannot tell you how much I love this little boy. To tell you the truth I didnt think it was possible to love another child the way I adore Avery. But somehow, I do. He is the happiest baby I have ever seen.

DISNEY WORLD 09

2009-01-31T06:17:00.001-08:00

Just in case you miss us!

2009-01-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

My laptop died..and i miss it so much! I lost pics from Oct-Jan. Hopefully we can recover them. Anyway, I have a few pictures to share with you since I am stuck inside with ice storms. Thankfully, we leave tomorrow for Disney World! Hopefully I will have lots of fun pics to share with you.

I had considered going back to work early, but changed my mind when I discovered the price of childcare around here. WOW! Two kids in DC would be about 400 a week!!! So I decided to just make the most of the time I have with them and plan to go to work in the Fall.

We are getting a lot more involved in church. We have found a great place that really loves children. I am now teaching AWANA to 8&9 year old girls. We are in the new member class and a small group. It feels great to be involved in such a great church.

I am also starting to get involved with a local mom's group. There are a lot of these around here. So cool. We are also looking into getting Avery started in a Soccer league. Lots on the horizon, but I will leave you with these pictures.

Take Care,
Alesha

75 Degree FUN!

2009-01-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

Avery filled her jelly bean jar twice so we took her on a mystery outing! We took her to Putt Putt golf. The place was awesome! Avery had a blast! Check out the pics from our day!

Also, we are headed to Disney in a couple weeks. Avery and I made a poster to help countdown the days to our big trip. We are all very excited to get away for a almost a whole week.

The Mickey's on the poster are actually FREE paint samples from Home Depot. Everyday she puts a sticker on one of them.

Avery has some news to share.....

2009-01-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

no we're not expecting...ha!

She has been asking a lot of questions lately...plus she has learned a ton from AWANA. She came to me (Alesha) and asked me how she could get God in her heart....so we talked about it and she prayed a simple prayer. We are proud of her...and grateful that she has such a loving and sensitive heart.

Our Christmas!

2009-01-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas in Baton Rouge. It was great to hang out with family during this special time of the year. Once we get our house next year, it will be much harder to leave on Christmas..so not so sure we will leaving our home in 09. Anyway, without further ado, here are some pics from our holiday. (These are all straight out of the camera..didnt get a chance to edit them)

We spent Christmas Eve with the Bonds, Christmas Lunch with the Watts and Christmas Dinner with the Heberts. We are so blessed to have so much family.

Santa was very generous to Avery this year, as he gave her a trip to Disney World. She is totally excited. We will be flying out on Jan. 28th.

My favorite part of Christmas this year was creating new traditions in a new town. We had a great Christmas season!

Special thanks to the Bond Bed & Breakfast for taking such awesome care of us!

Christmas Card 2008

2008-12-18T22:34:00.001-08:00

Avery has a message for Abby!

2008-12-09T05:40:00.000-08:00

video

2008-12-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time in the city...

2008-12-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday we went to the Christmas Parade. It was reviewed by Avery as, "the best parade ever, Mom!" We were a little chilly at first..but once the parade started we hardly noticed. Andrew slept through the whole thing.

our life, in pictures

2008-12-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

It seems like I have many more pictures than words lately. We headed out to take pictures for our Christmas Card on Saturday. We ended up with great pictures and had a wonderful day at the Botanical Gardens. This week's plans...Monday..stuck home..Kenny has the van and his Expedition is in the shop getting a new transmission. (Nothing like $2000 in car repairs right before Christmas..so if you wonder why your christmas present isnt that great...now you know..lol)
On Tuesday, we are going to Dance class and then to Chuck-e-cheese. Wednesday..we are headed to the Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine to visit Santa, Mrs. Clause and real reindeer!!! I am way more excited than Avery. :) On Saturday we have reserved seating tickets for the huge Christmas Parade in Dallas. It promises to be the best parade any of us have been to so far. Stay tuned...more pics coming your way in a few days!

-Alesha

Dear Santa...

2008-11-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update...We hope to have some funny outtakes soon from our Christmas card session we are planning for tomorrow. We spent a week in BR and had a great time. My mom turned 50! We are decorating for Christmas this weekend...oh and we had a great quiet thanksgiving at home this year. Today I spent the whole day shopping while Kenny watched the kids....can you say FUN! :)

Just a few pics.

2008-11-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

Our crazy girl insists on eating pizza with gloves on. Keeps her hands clean..and protects them from the hot pizza...so she says.

Can you believe it, I have 2 kids...wow!

this just makes me laugh!

Just a few pics from our week.

Andrew is 1 month old!

2008-11-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Our sweet boy, weighing in at 9 lbs. We just love him so much and can't wait to get to see his personality shine soon. Doesn't he look SO much like his daddy?

FYI: This is an outfit I bought @ Build A Bear back in July...so they would match.

You are sick, Alesha!

2008-11-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

"Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them."

Question: Do both people have to be completely conscience? Why do I ask this?..well

On Thursday night, I started with a fever...followed by one of the longest nights that I can remember. I had the shivers for hours. Friday, same thing...I would feel better when my fever would break (thank you Advil) and then the shivers again. Well Friday night, I was so tired of feeling so horrible. Laying in bed, I nudged Kenny to wake him. I said, "Baby...(he grunts) (my teeth chattering) Can you please pray for me? I feel horrible. He grunts again...pats my head..and I wait...and wait..he never prays for me. I find this so funny seeing that my husband in Seminary no less. Guess you had to be there..but it was pretty funny.

Diagnosis: So what is wrong with me? Well I went to the doctor on Friday...(you know I am sick when I go to the doctor). The awesome dr decided that I had some type of infection. They took a few blood test and one showed that my white blood count was up. He seems to think that I have some sort of UTI even though I am not experiencing any of the symptoms. He prescribed a strong antibiotic that Andrew can't be exposed to soooo, Andrew is strictly on formula for 10 days. I was upset about it at first...but I must say it has been a blessing in disguise. Kenny has been able to help me at night...and during the day for me to nap. I plan to nurse after these 10 days but I am also going to use formula when I need a break. I havent been this sick in a long time. Besides the whole praying thing..Kenny has been awesome with picking up the slack for me.

Chillin': Kenny called one day this week and asked what Andrew was doing...to which I replied, oh Andrew is just chillin' in his swing....Avery said...Oh, is he cold? silly girl

Baptism: This morning at church several children were baptized. Avery was so happy for them. She said, Mom, I want to be in the water too. I told her that we would talk about it after church. So later, Kenny told her that she had to be a Christian first and I asked her if she had any questions....she said yes...how many miles to Disney World?

I hope to get Andrew's (aka Little Kenny) one month pic up soon...but I have to take it first...hey what can I say, I have been sick.

Thanks for checking in!
Alesha

On Motherhood...

2008-11-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

So I don't have a picture for this post...but I am afraid it might be a little frightening anyway. I will try to paint the picture with words instead.

If I hear, you sure are lucky you can nurse...again anytime soon...I may throw something. Yes, I am so lucky to feed a newborn 10 times a day at all hours of the night. I am the only one that can get up because I am the only one with the 'equipment'. Lucky, lucky me. And while I am nursing one one side, I am lucky enough to have the other side pouring milk down my shirt. I hate nursing in public so I have about a 2 hour window to get out of the house and return to get anything done.

And when I am having an especially lucky day, Andrew will somehow manage to get his fresh diaper to leak on me. It must be a boy thing but somehow he manages to do this at least 3 times a day.

I am also very lucky to be able to stay home and not work this year. But i have to say that sometimes you feel like you are going a little crazy..when your day is filled with entertaining a four year old. My life is filled with playdoh, noggin, simon says and all the imaginary friends our apt can hold. Today I fell asleep on the couch for 15 whole minutes when I opened my eyes to see Avery right in my face holding a juice box for me to open while trying to feed me her newest ice cream play doh concoction.

Then this evening I tried to go to the bathroom...alone for a few minutes...when Avery decided to grace me with her presence. She felt the need to put on a play by getting in the tub and announcing her newest act from behind the shower curtain...while Andrew cried at the top of his lungs while in his swing. All I wanted was 3 minutes to myself...man am I lucky or what??

So today I feel that I am going a little crazy...wanna come along?

PS As I was reading over this before I published it, Avery looked over at me and said,"Mommy, what friends are we again?...We are Wall-E friends mom... Mom, you look kinda sick looking." So on that note I will officially sign off. :P

Fall is here!

2008-11-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Well lots of pictures to share and things to write about. The tour of the grandparents is officially over. :( We enjoyed all of the help and company. Avery misses all of you guys.

Scientist in the making? From time to time Avery comes up with little experiments she want to perform. This week she tried to make herself float away by holding on to all the balloons she could find. She was a bit sad to see her 'experiment' didnt work.

Jelly Bean Incentives: To help encourage good behavior from Avery, we started a jelly bean jar. When she does something, like picking up toys without being asked, we give her a scoop of jelly beans. When she reaches the line she gets to choose her reward. She has chosen to go the museum and this week to the roller skating rink. Other choices that she can choose from are a date to starbucks with daddy...nails with mommy...and even a trip bowling. This works really well to get her to do what we want. She loves it!

Gaining weight: Andrew went to the dr last week and he gained 7 ounces in 7 days. That is great news. He is a good eater...gets up every 3 hours or so...even at night. :) Can you believe he will be one month old on Wednesday?! He will go back to the dr in another week or so for shots.

Trick or Treat: We had a really great time last night Trick or Treating. Avery was very excited about going door to door for candy. She was very particular with what she chose from everyone's buckets of candy. Red suckers were really high on her list. Andrew did manage to get a pack of skittles from a cute little boy. Avery and Andrew both wore pumpkin costumes. Because we live in an apt, we went to the 'cape cod' neighborhood and it really was something straight out of a hallmark commercial. It really made me want to move there...such a perfect place.

Here are a couple of pics from our trip to a couple pumpkin patches too.

2 weeks and counting...

2008-10-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

We made it two whole weeks! Mr. Andrew went to the doctor today for his check-up. He only gained 2.5 ounces from last week. They were hoping he would gain about 8 or so. I am disappointed because I have been very diligent to nurse him EVERY 3 hours (day and night)....which is quite the task. They are going to weigh him again on Friday, if he hasnt gained at least a few ounces they will supplement him with formula. I am not terribly worried since I know he is a great eater and doing well other than that.

I have some really good pictures of Andrew that I have been working on. (Shocking, huh?) I haven't posted them yet because I am saving them for the birth announcement. I hope to have them to you in a week. I just received the proof today...and they are beautiful!

Kenny's parents visited over the weekend and spoiled Avery by taking her to Chuck-e-cheese and the Texas State Fair. Kenny is staying busy with school and work. His grades are all great...and he is getting smarter everyday! :)

I have a check-up tomorrow, but things are going well with my recovery. I told Kenny that I feel like I am at bootcamp though. I am awakened every few hours at night, and forced to stay awake for hours at a time. :) It's just all part of the fun.

Hoping to make it to the pumpkin patch this weekend while Grandma will be visiting. Both my kiddies will be pumpkins this year. Keep watching your mailbox, I hope to have a birth announcement to you by late next week.

Thanks for stopping by! Here are a few outtakes from our week!

Alesha

Nap Time

2008-10-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sure he's saving his energy for the LSU-Florida game... :)

Andrew, Day 2

2008-10-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

Little Andrew is doing very well, although it's been a little rough from time to time. He was circumcised this morning, and was none too happy about it! He apparently swallowed some amniotic fluid in the womb, and spits some up from time to time. On the bright side, he is now eating very well - he just finished up a 45-minute feeding session! Also passed his hearing exam, which is good news.

Gram and Avery came by for a while... Avery is very excited to be a big sister, and loves holding him in the rocking chair. She can't wait to play with him.

Alesha is recovering nicely - she's up and moving around, albeit slowly. She has a new best friend - Vicodin! :) She's been quite the trooper through all this, I must say.

Here are some more pictures... do check back regularly as we'll do our best to keep them coming.

Welcome Andrew!

2008-10-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

Our little bundle of joy, Andrew James, came into the world at 7:29 AM. He weighs 7 pounds, 12 ounces and is 19 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing great... God has truly blessed us immensely!

As promised... here are a few photos.

Big Sister Boot Camp

2008-10-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

The to do list has been made...pages and pages long..and all have finally been checked off. The house is as organized as possible..every nook and cranny has been overturned and improved. The nesting bug has officially worn me out. Tomorrow includes a dance class, pre-op appointment and a short doctors appointment. We are all so excited to meet Andrew. I cant wait to just hold his little hand in mine. :) He will punished for his first couple of weeks for the excessive kicking...:)

I am adding a couple of pics from Avery's class on how to be a big sister. She loved it!

Check in here for the first glimpses of Andrew on Wednesday!

This time next week....

2008-10-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

Less than one week to go until we meet Mr. Andrew Watts! So how am I feeling? Well physically, I am a bit uncomfortable...creating a baby takes its toll on you. Mentally, I am anxious...the needles, surgery...not to mention a NEWBORN... I am sure everything will be just fine..it's just the anticipation that is tough. We have managed to keep Avery alive for four years...so that is something right?

Just in case you want to know: Andrew will be born at Baylor All Saints Hospital in Fort Worth in the new Saint Andrew's Wing on Wednesday, October 8th at around 7:15 am. We will make every attempt to upload pictures to this blog, my flickr site www.flickr.com/photos/averysmom , and to our facebook accounts.

The Hebert's will be helping out with Avery for the birth and a few days following. The Watts' will make a short visit the following weekend and Alesha's Mom will come the end of the following week. Avery is so excited to have everyone visit her...and has already begun making lots of 'plans' for her grandparents.

Avery had an ear infection this week..we caught it early so she really hasn't acted sick. She was more than happy to throw her medicine bottle away today...that really was the nastiest antibiotics I have ever tasted...and I taste them all. Just glad she will be better in time to meet her little brother.

Hope you are all doing well...feel free to drop us a line. Thanks for stopping by!

So how much do you think this little one will weigh?? Avery weighed 8lbs and 1/2 ounce.. Comment below with your guess....

2 weeks and counting...

2008-09-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

We are quite excited to welcome Baby Andrew into our family. He will be born around 7:15 am on October 8th. The nursery is all set up..just waiting on our little boy! Avery will be attending a Big Sister class at Baylor All Saints Hospital this Saturday to learn all about safely taking care of her little brother. We had a fun girls day today that included getting our nails done...the princess is now sporting hot pink nails.

Here are a few pics of our girl who is looking way older than 4 these days!

Wow..it's been a month!!

2008-09-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Not a day has passed that I didn't think about writing this blog update...I don't have a 'job' so I don't know why this is so hard to keep up with.

Biggest & Best News:

We sold our house in Watson! We put our house on the market January 1st of 08. So 8 months and 28 days later it is SOLD. What a relief! We are so excited to free from the financial burden of it all. God is so good to us. Our prayers were answered!

Back to School for Kenny:

Well..one of the main reasons we moved to DFW was for Kenny to go to Seminary @ Dallas Theological. With the burden of virtually 2 house notes, Kenny dropped his classes he had scheduled. Wouldn't you know we received a purchase agreement the day before the last day to register!! So, Kenny is indeed enrolled at DTS this semester taking 6 hours. One class on Monday nights and one online. He really enjoys his class and the professor is awesome. Can I just say for the record..Kenny is the best husband any girl could ask for. I am truly blessed!

Avery Grace:

Avery is doing just great. At 4, she is quite the talker. She takes a ballet dance class on Tuesday mornings, attends AWANA on Wednesday nights, and loves children's church on Sundays. She also begs to go to a place called Play Time where parents can drop off their children and pay for childcare by the hour. Kenny and I have brought her there twice while we enjoyed a quiet dinner together as a date night.

The other day, Avery insisted on carrying this little bible around..at one point she opened it and said, "Look, Mommy, the Bible says we should eat something cold and white." How could I argue with the bible? So for her creativity I gave her some ice cream.

She asks every single day...if it is halloween yet. (she and Andrew will be pumpkins) If we can go to Disney World today AND If Andrew is going to be born today. We have scheduled a Big Sister class at the end of the month for her to attend at the hospital where Andrew will be born. I think she is going to be a great big sister.

Andrew...Well I have had a LOT of doctor drama since moving here. But I finally saw a doctor this past Monday. She said that I am measuring really big..(sounds familiar from Avery)..so we are going back next week for an ultrasound to see when this little boy will be born. My friends and family got together to plan a surprise Baby Sprinkle for us. Unfortunately, it was interrupted by our friend Hurricane Gutav. I was really touched by all of your thoughtfulness though. So thank you very much!

Alesha...I have adjusted to life here in DFW. I must say that I love my apartment. It is the perfect size for us and is way easier to keep clean. Even though I am taking on the appearance of a beached whale...I have kept the weight gain down to about 10 lbs. My major craving with this pregnancy has been ice..especially Sonic ice. I can't get enough! I am getting excited to meet Andrew and I am bracing myself for the first month..because I am experienced enough to know how hard it will be. I haven't made any real friends here but I am not too lonely...as I get older I am more of a home-body anyway. LOL

Kramer: He is doing just fine. About 6 oclock every afternoon he goes a little crazy though..because a female boxer passes right in front of his yard. Kramer loves it here because he gets to spend a lot of time inside...and it isnt near as hot and humid as it was back home. Avery is in charge of feeding him everyday...and they have a love/hate relationship for the most part. She is sweet to him sometimes...but loves to lock him in the bathroom whenever she can as well.

That's about all I can think of to say right now. I am attaching some pictures of our apartment as well as a couple of pics from Avery's dance class. I hope you are all doing okay. Please feel free to drop us a line when you can. -Alesha

our living room & andrew's 'room'..so far

It's a good thing I don't have to pay by the smile...because she loves this class.

Life With A Four Year Old...........

2008-08-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

A few things that happen regularly in our house....to remind us that though she is mature in many ways...she IS still four.

Having a cold little hand touch you at 3 am, saying, “ Daddy, you know my name is Luigi” (goes back to bed..and right back to sleep)

Having her come to you and say things like, “ I want to save money and live better, too.”
(Wal-Mart’s slogan)

Having her come out of the bathroom with a dripping wet sponge…saying, “ I cleaned the toilet for you mom, so you won’t throw up.”

Lots of ice cream..crayons, and band-aids.

(Mommy) Falling unconscious on the couch from hours of Noggin on the tv…and waking up to being covered by a blanket. ( so sweet)

Being told 30-40 times a day that a different character loves you.. “Mario loves you mom.” “ I love you too Luigi”

Having to figure out exactly what she wants to eat.. “Avery, what do you want for lunch?” Um, something round, and yellow and red…ahh Pizza..okay.

Trying to explain differences in race.., “Mommy, brown people are brown because they eat too many potatoes.”

“ I can’t wait to go to my new dance class, so I can practice my skating.”

She is ahead of her time technology wise, because she thinks that she can hold something up to the phone and people can see it.

She likes to keep her door shut to her room while she is in it..but when the door opens..you don’t really know who is coming out of the door: She has been different characters daily for over 1 year now. She gets very offended when we accidentally call her by yesterday’s name.

Sweet Home, Louisiana

2008-07-28T13:23:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delayed post..as many of you know we went home this weekend. We wanted to surprise Alesha's brother, Jake, for his 18th birthday. It was fun..and he had no idea we were in town. We had a nice time catching up with everyone...even though we were spread very thin.

When we arrived home last night..we had a note stating that there was a serious sewage problem and we could use the apt upstairs for bathroom facilities. Hello people, I am 7 months pregnant..can you just picture me in my pj's and disshoveled hair walking up a flight of stairs at 2 am?? um, no So if you guys want to give me an early Christmas present I will take a Pot O'Gold please. Thank you very much...oh but one more thing..the good news is that they 'should' have this problem resolved in 10 days...oh goody!

In other news, I met my new OBGYN doctor last week. Yes, I was indeed lost, very lost..in the hospital for like 30 minutes while trying to find the drs office. Avery and I found it finally and really like our new doctor. The hospital..man oh man...it is beautiful! It just opened this past spring. We are going for an ultrasound next week to get a definate due date and to check on his kidneys..they were a bit dialated in May..which they say is pretty common. On the way home...lost again..but knew I was in trouble when I saw Martin Luther King Jr. drive...yikes..quick U-turn.

On Tuesday of last week, Avery and Alesha went to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. We had a picnic and a small photo session. That place is a little piece of heaven..so beautiful.

Please continue to pray for our house to sell...we lowered the price today..and really hope this helps to seal the deal...its been on the market since January..looking forward to saying it is SOLD very soon..we will keep you posted and really appreciate your prayers.

If I forgot anything..I will be sure to post again this week. Thanks for checking in...stay cool..especially you Louisiana people...man it is SO humid there..

WANTED!!

2008-07-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

WANTED... a nasty creature called 'Stinky the Monster'! He is shorter than dad, but taller than mom. He has one eye, is red with orange hands and green feet. This wretched beast has been terrorizing poor Avery from time to time during the night. Unfortunately, he seems to disappear once Dad comes looking for him, so we've never actually laid eyes on him. If anyone happens to come across him, be sure to let us know!

WANTED... Alesha Watts, for failure to pay highway tolls! Brave Alesha ventured out to the far country of Frisco, TX one day in search of the fascinating cultural phenomenon known as IKEA... and "far" it was indeed! It took her well over an hour to get there, as she tends to prefer the "scenic" route over the most direct route as provided by Kenny (aka Human Mapquest). However, Kenny's directions failed to mention that the route included a long stretch of toll roads, requiring you to fork out $1.00 every few miles or so. Having run out of cash, Alesha just kept on going and eventually made it home. We will keep you posted as to any jail time that Alesha will have to serve.

Alesha and Avery began Preschool at home this week. Avery is a great reader already but is learning some of the basic sound blends using her Hooked On Phonics Kindergaten curriculum. Thanks to Gram and Poppy for the materials. They also took a 'field trip' to the Fort Worth Zoo this week where they saw lots of animals, rode the train and the carousel. They even packed a picnic lunch and fed some birds watermelon.

In other adventures, Alesha told Avery they were going to the "Baby Store" when they were on their way to Babies r Us. Avery gasped and said, " Are we getting a real baby there?" I had to remind her that real babies came from the hospital but we were just picking out stuff for her brother. She was very, very excited and wanted to buy everything that day but settled on some Little Einstein band-aids instead. Her favorite item was the cool stroller that she will be able to stand on while Andrew rides in the front.

On Saturday, we went to a pool party at our apartment... here are some pics:

Bears, Baseball, and Back-Home Flavor

2008-07-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking in on us! Hope you enjoy these updates as much as we love writing them.

Alesha took Avery to Build-a-Bear the other day... she had been begging to go and has been a very good girl, so we thought, why not? She picked out a brown teddy bear and decided that it was a boy. She told the Build-a-Bear lady that she wanted to name him Andrew - guess all those talks about her new brother are starting to sink in! Alesha decided to buy baby Andrew an outfit to match Bear Andrew's... you'll have to wait a couple of months for that picture!

On Friday night, we went to our first ever minor league baseball game, to watch the Grand Prairie Air Hogs... yes, the Air Hogs! We still have no idea what an Air Hog actually is though... feel free to enlighten us if you happen to know! Kenny's employer is a corporate sponsor, so a few of his co-workers decided to go and bring the families as well... so Alesha and Avery finally got to meet everyone. When we got there, Avery immediately jumped into the lap of Kenny's boss, like she'd known him for years - how's that for a good first impression? We didn't even pay her! :)

Saturday was a fun day... we were in the mood for some 'back-home' cooking, so we drove up to Lewisville to the nearest Raising Cane's. There are a whopping two Cane's locations in the entire DFW Metroplex and they are not exactly right around the corner, so it is somewhat of a treat. We decided to bring Andrew (the bear) with us, but wound up forgetting him in the van during 100-degre e Dallas heat. Poor Andrew... hope this is not a foreshadowing of things to come! (ha ha). Later that afternoon, we went swimming in our apartment pool for the first time. Kenny and Alesha got a tad sunburned (especially Alesha!), but Avery just turned tan. She must get that from her daddy!

In other news... Alesha read "The Shack" in one day! Highly recommended! We had heard a lot about it, but didn't realize just how great it was. Also, you can see some pictures of our apartment here... it's hard to believe we've been here three weeks already!

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

We had a great Fourth of July weekend! I (Kenny) was off on Friday, and it was great to have a three-day weekend.

Friday highlights... had some delicious barbecue and went to the Fort Worth Botanical gardens for a fireworks show which included a performance of patriotic music by the FW Symphony Orchestra. Avery fell asleep on the way there, so I had to carry her halfway to our spot (which is becoming harder and harder as she gets bigger!). Here's the kicker though... Alesha had brought three little American flags for Avery to wave, but just grabbed two of them as we left the van... no problem, right? Well, it turns out one of the flags was made of softer material than the other two... and it so happens that that one was Avery's favorite... and of course, that is the one that was left behind. As we were walking to our spot, we were accompanied by a cranky, snot-nosed little girl who continuously begged, teary-eyed, for her "soft flag". Fortunately, she eventually got over it and had a great time (once we convinced her that the fireworks wouldn't burn her).

Saturday... Avery woke up once again wanting to go back to Disney World (she doesn't grasp the concept of distance yet, I don't think!). Once we shattered that little dream of hers, she became eager to take her dad to the Dallas Children's Museum. She had the best time feeding popcorn to the pigeons (her "friends") and chasing them around the lake.

Sunday, we went to The Exchange C hurch again and loved it... it is a brand new church that is meeting in an elementary school for the time being. We plan to check out some of the small groups (called Lifehouses) that meet throughout the week.

Another funny story from the weekend (not one we're necessarily proud of, mind you)... Avery was pretending to be Scooby-Doo (her character of the day) , and Alesha sent her to wash some sticky stuff off her hands. When she came out of the bathroom, her hands dripping wet, she proudly said "When we need to wash our hands, we just put them in the toilet!!" (Maybe that's a Scooby thing... I don't know.)

Alesha, besides denying her child of her soft flags, is doing well... she is now six months pregnant, and baby Andrew is kicking a lot! Yes, we have definitely decided on Andrew as his first name... still contemplating what the middle name will be though. Myself, I am doing well... the new job is going great, and I am definitely looking forward to being a dad again! I'm also looking forward to beginning my studies at DTS in late August. Will probably take a light load this semester, as I am already enrolled in the "night shift" come October (when Andrew is due)! :)

Welcome

2008-07-02T20:06:00.001-07:00

Greetings from K2 A3

(Kenny, Kramer, Alesha, Avery and Andrew)

We've created this blog for you - our family and friends - so you can keep up with our adventures here in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We'll be sure to post regular updates - everyday happenings, funny stories, a few pictures here and there.

So far, we are loving it here! While moving from a house to an apartment has been quite the adjustment, we really do love our new place. We've met several of our neighbors already - the couple next door has a little girl close to Avery's age, which is neat. Kramer has already made friends with a Boston terrier from down the way. Avery has discovered the nearby water park
and loved it immensely, which prompted her grandma to buy season passes for us (thanks, Grandma!)

Right now, we are looking forward to the 4th of July and finding some good fireworks! Also, we are currently looking for a new church in our area. We know it will be difficult to find a place we will love as much as our old church in Baton Rouge... but we will see!

Funny story of the day: when Alesha and Avery were cleaning/organizing Avery's room, the little one found some coins and immediately put them in her "flag" coin purse (from MaMa) and immediately declared, "I'm saving money for Disney World!"

Also, Avery is adjusting well to the... ahem... cultural differences here in Texas. We took her ice skating last night, and at one point, a little Hispanic boy fell on his rear just ahead of us... which

prompted AG to cry out, "Oh no! Handy Manny fell down!!"