How are things going with us?? Good question!

Once again, I've neglected my family blog for while. This new phase in our family's life is very time consuming, unfortunately. So here's the update:

Grace: Smart as a whip..of course. She has started off the new school year with all 'A's' and continues to challenge HERSELF with new stories, songs and poems. She has made a lot of new friends. We're reading a book together called, "The Doll People" by Brian Selznick. We enjoy reading a couple of chapters a night before bed.

Ryan: What a mess! He is growing into a very smart little boy, if he can just stay out of trouble at school! He seems to like being the class clown! Other than that, he can write his name, spell a few words and add some easy numbers. Most importantly, he can ride his bike without training wheels! He's just a natural! We are so proud of him!

Eli: So incredibly smart! I know...he's only 16 months, but a mother can tell! He says a few words and understands so much more than you can imagine! He reminds me a lot of Grace. He LOVES books! He's also started dancing and jumping around the house! Now if only all his teeth will come in, we'll be on our way to complete happiness! ha!

Rick is starting basketball season this week. Practice is in full swing, which means supper, bed, bath and book is all up to mommy until March. :( With me working such a demanding fulltime job, it's extremely tiring and a bit frustrating, but you do what you have to do.

I'm so glad the holidays are coming up! I'll be spending quite a bit of time at my parent's enjoying the slow life of the country. Only two weeks until Thanksgiving break! Yay!

Rick decides to campout with the kiddos!!

So, Rick decides that, after many years, he should camp out in the backyard with Grace and Ryan. I love it!! We cooked hotdogs, made smores, watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, and then decided it was time to settle  in the tent for the night.

Now, I must say, this tent was a tent my dad gave us quite a few years ago. I thought we had lost it, but upon moving, found out we had put it in the attic! I have to say, I was QUITE impressed with myself! I put it together all my by myself! (Okay, it wasn't that hard-but still!)

Grace was NOT impressed! It took a lot of convincing to get her to even stay out there for a quick story! She was scared away by a bug, and then was sure the neighbor's dog was going to jump the fence and get her! Too funny! I'll post some picture tomorrow morning. It's way too dark to get any tonight.

We're all settled in!

This past weekend was CRAZY...but we're all settled in and enjoying our new home! I have, almost, everything unpacked. I know! I'm OCD! I can't sleep if there is anything overwhelming that I need to accomplish! The house is really looking nice and coming together as if we've lived here for years. We ordered the kiddos bed's yesterday. Grace's was put together today, and we went and got her some super-cool bedding:

Ryan's and Eli's bunkbeds will be delivered in a few days. Ryan is so excited to have bunkbeds! I just hope he doesn't do the inevitable...pretending he's Superman and jumping off!

Surprise! Surprise! **sarcastically**

We are moving to Katy, TX! If you remember, we lived in Sugar Land for about 2 years before we moved back to East Texas (Beckville), so we are already familiar with area and know what we're getting into~lol! Katy was an area we would drive to when we lived in Sugar Land, thinking it would be a great place to raise a family. Little did we know we would actually be doing just that someday!

Rick accepted a job as Asst. Varsity Basketball coach at Madey Creek Highschool in Katy, and I accepted a teaching position (4th grade L/A/Reading) at Wilson Elementary in Katy as well.

At first, I was very nervous about telling Grace, because she has experienced moving before, but once we visited Katy and she saw what all it had to offer a little girl with a huge interest in everything imaginable, she got very excitedj!

We love our house we're moving into! It is 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath with a gameroom. PLENTY of room for our unexpected family of 5! It is in a GREAT neighborhood and has a huge water park for the kiddos to play in during the summer.

Of course, Ryan and Eli just kinda go with the flow. Except, I must say, I'm in a bit of shock over the difference of daycare prices in Katy compared to Mt. Vernon! Do they think everyone there are millionaires??? We are looking for a reasonable place, although it may be a bit out of the way.

Here is an updated picture of the little ones:

Finally changed my blog address!!

My sister pointed out to me a while back that I really needed to change my blog address. If you don't remember, it was "mommy2twomiracles", now it's appropriately named: "mommy2threemiracles". Three beautiful blessings! Yes, it's been shocking, scary, worrisome, stressful, financially and emotionally draining, but I wouldn't change a thing! I was browsing pictures and came across this one of Eli's first Christmas. He looks soooo much like Grace and Ryan ! His temperament seems to be just like his brother and sister as well. Pretty laid back, a little needy, already understands so many concepts (yes, he's a genius!) and loves the outdoors!

The Halfway Mark!

I can't believe Eli's first birthday will be in less than 6 months! He is almost crawling, eating solids like a champ and desperately trying to sit up on his own. Time is flying by, as usual. The other night, I only got to see him for a few minutes that morning before work, so when I got home late that night, I snuck into his room and held his sleeping, sweet body for a few minutes. I felt his little hands and feet, and rubbed his soft head...he sighed so softly I could hardly hear it. I remember doing the same thing with Grace and Ryan on more than one occassion. It's like a short glimps of heaven, I'm sure of it. Why you might ask?

Soon, Eli will be pulling up, walking, trying to say words and getting into everything. Soon, he'll bring me books to read to him and laugh uncontrollably when we chase him. Soon, he'll be able to sing little songs and pick flowers....I can't wait, yet I dread it.

I know it's coming-that day when he'll pull away from me and want to do things on his own. The day when independence kicks in.
That's why...

Back again!

Last October, Rick and I were thrown for a loop...after many years of infertility, and finally conceiving Grace and Ryan via IVF, God decided to bless us with our little miracle, Eli Richard. NEVER would I have EVER believed I could conceive naturally. But God is greater, and knows far more, than any doctor on this earth. It's HE that is in control, and no one else.

So that's my explanation to why I neglected this blog for so long. I was in a state of total shock through the entire year last year!! I mean, I'm 39 years old!! Rick and I have been marred for 18 years and were starting to think about what it would be like to NOT get up before 7:00 am on the weekends! Having a newborn was the LAST thing on my mind! We started over from scratch--my house now looks like Babies R Us threw up in it, but I love it!

Eli is such a blessing! He is perfect in every way possible. He looks a lot like Grace did when she was a baby, but his actions are a mixture of both she and Ryan. I've always said I've got "silly kids", and he fits right in! His smile lights up the room and melts your heart. He's a genius..I'm sure of it! Here is a perfect picture of him:

So what's going on with every one else?

Grace: She is sailing through 1st grade! She was accepted into the GT program, but we didn't need a test to tell us she was oh-so-gifted and talented! She was recently invited to move up in gymnastics to Level 2 as well. She is so dedicated and will start practing 2 hours a week this week, working her way up to 4 hours within a few months. In addition to all that, she also started guitar lessons! Santa brought her a "real" guitar this year. She had her first lesson last week and came home playing "Jesus Loves Me". Very impressive!

Ryan: sweet, sweet Ryan.... He is such a mess! So, so smart! He says things that crack us up all the time and keeps us on our toes! He turns 4 on the 31st. I can hardly believe it! He finally started going to Wednesday night AWANAS and is going to be starting T-ball in the spring. He is a VERY good big brother! He is already teaching Eli how to play with his racecars!

Rick is working on his Masters degree right now in school administration. He is not coaching this year, but hoping to pick that back up next year. He really misses it, but it's been so helpful having him around with a new baby.

Picture of my "babies" at Christmas: