special hat...

Emma found a special hat in the freezer aisle in walmart. I promise, she did it all by herself. And we took a bath when we got home. :)

Emma and her friend, Jesus

(first, before I really start the "blog"... yes, I realize it has been over two months since I last blogged. Aaahh!!! Life has been crazy with the whole torn ACL-rehab, AP exams, end of year stuff, etc. We also were gifted with a computer that actually works so I can actually do stuff on the Internet now! I will try and catch up over the next few weeks!)

So lately, Emma has become fascinated with God and Jesus. Some insights:

- she loves to read from the Bible before her naptime. Her favorite: David and Goliath. She really laughs at the picture in her picture Bible of David with Saul's armor on. In her words... "That's silly!" And she does a great impersonation of the whale spitting out Jonah.

- I have come to realize how much she picks up on ...and learned I need to be more careful about what I expose her to! For example, I had the radio on the other day and Kelly Clarkson's new song came on. After about two bars, Emma turned to me and said, "this music is in your car!"...and yes, I have the CD in my car. We were listening to a praise CD in the car the other day and all of a sudden she blurts out - "This music is about Jesus!" She picked up on his name in the song. So now, she often asks to listen to "Jesus music" in the car. What is so precious is when she starts singing along to the songs! I can't believe she has picked up on the melody and lyrics so well!

- We have talked about how God provides our food, clothing, toys, etc. Well, again, in the car (most of our deep conversations happen in the car...don 't know why) one night she points to the white truck in front of us and says "he needs to thank God for his white truck...God gave him his white truck"

- And then the tricky question....I have the "Jesus music" in and she says...this music isn't about Jesus. And I say, "it's singing about God". And she says "God isn't Jesus, that's silly". So I tell her "Well, God and Jesus are the same person." Really, how do you express the idea of the trinity to a 3 year old?

- We were on our way to church, and Emma was excited because "Jesus was going to be there". So I say, "Well Jesus is everywhere- at church, at home, outside, and in our hearts".....pause to think about that. We pull up in the parking lot and she says "Jesus isn't here....I don't see his car!" and before I could respond she corrects herself and says "No..Jesus doesn't drive. He walks."

-Finally, the sweetest of them all. We were driving home listening to "Jesus music" and all of a sudden she says to Daniel and I " Remember when....Remember when I was a baby?....and Jesus came and took care of me?"

Yes, Sweet Emma Rose. Jesus did take care of you through all of your surgeries, the sleepless nights, the doctor's visits. And he will continue to take care of you, for He loves you greatly.

Football Injury....

So it's a little ironic, I think.

I was a competitive, stunting cheerleader all though high school. Worst injury: black eye.


I make one catch in the first powder puff football practice at school. I celebrate, turn and jump to be an aggressive defenseman. ...


... a crumple to the ground in a heap of pain and throbbing of my left knee.

In high school, I twisted my knee twice: skiing and playing basketball. I was hoping this was just the same.

But after a weekend of pain, and no reduction of swelling, things weren't looking too good. I took Tuesday off and went to the doctor who ordered an MRI. I got the news back today, and here's what was diagnosed (as best as I can read from my notes when talking to the doctor):

1. High grade partial tear of the ACL
2. Major Bone Bruise (Contusion) on the Conduils (sp?)
3. Fracture from impact on the posterior corner of the tibia.
4. Fracture from impact on the interior corner of the tibia.
5. Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) sprained
6. Patella has been shifted to the side.
7. Moderate Joint Effusion (i.e. fluid in the knee and lower leg)


Yeah.

She kept on going, and going, and going...it was like my problems were never going to end! So I have an appointment on Monday afternoon with an orthopedic surgeon. I'm supposed to use crutches (ugghh...so much pain).

Oh yeah, and Emma has been up for the last three nights in the middle of the night for a couple of hours. When it rains, it pours.

So that's it. More updates later. To bed and rest (and pain meds) for now.


Stupid Football injury. :)

Jesus Loves Me!

This video is a few weeks old, but it is pretty cute! It kept me company on my camera while I was in Spain!

Ola from Spain!

Hi everyone! It´s 9:45 pm here in San Sebastian, Spain...and 3:45 pm back home in Fort Worth! Just wanted to let you know that we are having a great time. Don´t forget to check the blog: lccsmissions.blogspot.com. Unfortunately, I´m not able to use all the wording that I want for a variety of reasons, so my updates sound ambiguous, but we are doing great!

Off to Spain!!!!

Well, the arrangements have been made and it is time to head off to Spain!!!! I can't believe it is already time to go! We leave out of DFW around noon-- Newark first, then the long flight to Madrid. Go through customs (my favorite thing since I have such good memories of it in Miami.......sarcasm.) and then a commuter flight from Madrid to San Sebastian. San Sebastian is on the Atlantic coast of Spain, very close to the Northern border with France. We might even get to drive into France one day!!! The hardest thing will be being away from Daniel and Emma for so long. :( But I have a lot of pictures to take with me!

We set up a blog site for all 3 mission teams from LCCS this year. We all will be updating it so you can find out what is happening on 3 different continents- Europe, Asia, and South America!! How cool is that! Anyways- check it out at lccsmissions.blogspot.com. Thailand is checking in at the airport right now, we leave tomorrow morning and Peru is leaving tomorrow evening. I'm so excited to see what God will do through all of the teams!

On another note, Emma had an appointment today with her Pulmonary specialist, Dr. Dyson at Cooks. It's weird because we haven't been to one of the specialist clinics in 9 months! (Weird in a good way, of course) Anyways, we were checking up on her tracheomalcia, because she can still get pretty raspy and wheezing, and she should have outgrown it by 2. He said that everything is still pointing in that direction, but that it was unusual that she hadn't outgrown it. He said that the kids that don't usually are CHD kids, but its because an enlarged valve or artia is pressing against the trachea. Anyways, we did have a chest x-ray done while we were there. It was actually kinda cute-- at first, Emma really didn't want to have to sit for the x-ray. Luckily, she's big enough now that we don't have to hold her flat down to take it. The tech showed her the big camera but still Emma didn't want to sit on the table. Then I told her that she could have her lollipop after the pictures were taken, and she didn't have to wait until we left the doctor's office. Well...she just hopped right up on that table, and even smiled and said "cheese" as they took the pictures-- even with her arms being raised sabove her head by the tech! She did awesome. So the chest x-rays looked ok, which is good news. We decided to wait a few more months until the summer to see if she will outgrow everything. We have an appointment to see him again in July. If she still has symptoms, we are going to do another outpatient procedure where they sedate her, and then send a probe down her throat to look at what is going on. He said that if the symptoms are still there, ti could very well be that she has some scar tissue from a breathing tube that will need to be lasered off to get rid of the symptoms. Obviously, her growth and activity levels have not been affected by this, but she would forever sound like our little "monster" if that is was causing the raspiness and we didn't remove it.

So not terrible news, not great news, just ok news. It was our decision to wait until the summer because we are just not at the point where we are ready to subject her to another procedure right now. Both for her and us, I guess you could say!

So that's all for now...gotta go pack!!! :)

Addicted to facebook?

You may or may not know that I am going on a mission trip over Spring Break with my school. We are going to San Sebastian, Spain to work with missionaries over there with the Basque people. We are helping them make contacts with high schoolers in the area. I have started to get very excited about it- I've never been to Europe! Daniel and I were blessed to lead a trip to Panama in 2005, and he went to Argentina in 2006 and South Africa in 2007. (I was taking care of Emma those years- both inside of me and out! :) )

Anyways, one of the ways that we prepare is to fast two things for 40 days beforehand. Kinda like Lent for all my Catholic/Episcopal/Anglican friends. We are fasting one food and one activity. I will be getting a MEGA Dr. Pepper in the airport. ;)

My activity has been Facebook. I have gotten to really enjoy Facebook because I have caught up with so many friends from elementary school, high school, college, family, and beyond. Sometimes I get so caught up in my little circle of teaching and family, I cut myself off from others. So anyways, it has been really, really weird these past couple of weeks not accessing it. (Although it is easier when you don't have a computer at home anymore, and Facebook is blocked on my computer at school!) I feel so out of touch--which in the way a fast is designed, it helps me refocus on my relationship with God, my husband, my child.

But this is not a serious post. I found this article on the web a few days ago. By now, I don't remember who posted this or where I got it from, so I apologize for the lack of citation. Please forgive me English teachers. However, it is not mine--so no plagarism problems here.

Pretty much everyone I know has a Facebook account. I use it for emailing, messaging, sharing pictures, and more. That sounds pretty reasonable, right? Well, Facebook has a way of creeping from something useful into a major contributor to carpal tunnel, burning eyes, procrastination, and mindless clicking.
Haven't seen people you went to high school with in ten years or more? With Facebook it's no problem. Since you can view everyone's friend list as soon as you connect with one person, the floodgates open, and you're back in your hometown, for better or worse.
Want to see what people are up to but have no interest in really talking to them? No problem with Facebook. If someone has an open profile you can click around on their page like you are their BFF, seeing all their pictures, friends' comments, and status updates. You can locate exactly where someone is and how they're feeling today in 3 minutes or less.
Got something to promote? It's no problem with Facebook. Set your favorite site as your status, create a link to your project and your friends will surely check it out. Got a new business? Create a Facebook group and your friends can join and keep in contact with all the updates of your company.
Ok, obviously I am a Facebook user. I enjoy seeing a picture of my friend when I send them a message. I am a fan of the status update. I even like notifications and am only mildly concerned when I am friend-requested by a total stranger. I enjoy clicking through pictures of my long lost friends' houses in the suburbs and seeing their kids covered in spaghetti. It's sort of exotic to a country girl transplant like me.
So here is the problem, well, my problem. And I am assuming I'm not alone on this one. I'm on Facebook all the time! I go to the site not even conscious that I am going to it. I turned on my computer this morning with the intention of opening Word first thing, and where did I find myself? You guessed it. Facebook. I am addicted! Admitting is the first step to recovery (bankers take note). Sign me up for Facebook rehab.
Pope Benedict XVI has warned us about getting in a pickle with Facebook. Now I'm not one to go around quoting any kind of Church, especially if you knew the extent of my Catholic grade school story, but this was sort of interesting. The Associated Press brought us his thoughts about how Facebook (and MySpace, a whole other topic mostly about kids and bands) can foster friendships and understanding, but warns that they also can isolate people and marginalize others. Benedict welcomes as a "gift" new technologies such as social networking sites, saying they respond to the "fundamental desire" of people to communicate. But he warns that "obsessive" virtual socializing can isolate people from real interaction and deepen the digital divide by excluding those already on the sidelines. He urges producers to ensure that the content respects human dignity, and of course the "goodness and intimacy of human sexuality."
What about burning eyes, carpal tunnel, hunched shoulders, stiff hips, and monkey mind? Those issues are more interesting to me as a health, yoga, and psychology geek.
I would friend-request the Pope. What would his status updates be? "Slipping into Prada loafers getting ready for mass."
So here I am, busted by the Pope! On one hand, he's got a point. Cyber-bullying is not a joke. The horrific suicide of 13-year-old Megan Meier from Missouri in October of 2006 was the direct result of her former friend's mom taunting her through MySpace. Being a teenager is hard enough. I can't even imagine what kids go through now. There are so many new ways to torture each other. I know a few teens in NY that have problems with teasing each on Facebook too. It's a mess.
I'm sure adults have had problems with taunting and other social blunders on Facebook too, but the majority of problems adults face is just plain over-use. Let me reference my "25 random things." If you're a Facebook user, you are well aware of the "25 random things" that have been going around in the last few months. Maybe you've written yours. Or, maybe you think you won't get pulled in. Good luck.
I should be writing at this moment. July 1st deadline will be here soon. FB is one big distraction really, but I do firmly believe in its usefulness. And its ability to deliver BlockBuster-esque horror, comedic, and dramatic episodes in the disconnected yet intimate way only the modern web experience can.
Correct me if I am alone on this one, but the reality of our lives displayed on Facebook splattered with debauchery is a big part of the fun!
I've come up with some warning signs here. This may be the start of developing a support group for Facebook addicts. The group will be listed on Facebook, where you can become a fan of the group, add pictures, look at pictures of other cute people who are in the group, and write on the wall.

10 warning signs that you may be addicted to Facebook
1. Facebook is your home page.
2. You update your status more than twice a day.
3. You have over 500 "friends" half of whom you've never actually met.
4. As soon as you step away from your computer you're on FB on your phone.
5. You are a FB stalker. You qualify as a FB stalker if you
a) click on someone's profile more than once a day even if they haven't messaged or tagged you in a photo.
b) have dragged and dropped more than 3 FB photos (not from your own profile)
c) actually go to a place mentioned on someone's page in hopes of seeing them in real life...creepy!
6. You change your profile picture more than a 12-year=old girl.
7. You have checked your FB page while reading this article.
8. You clean up your "wall" so it looks like you spend less time on FB.
9. You are a member of more than 10 groups and respond to every event invitation "attending" even if you have no intention of going.
10. You change your relationship status just to mess with people.

Luckily, I do not exhibit any of those signs!

Emma....the photographer

Emma has become obsessed with taking pictures with my camera. Here are some of her better shots!

Fridge letters (notice the finger in the bottom left corner!)

Who wouldn't want to take a picture of the trash can?

Or perhaps the trash inside a trash can?

A blue ball.

Our friend George.

Sometimes, she doesn't realize that the camera is facing the wrong way and we get self-portraits.

Once she took the picture of the mop bucket, though...I took the camera away.

Update on life.

We don't have too much of an update on our lives at this point. We haven't heard back from the police, and at this point, we don't really expect to. Unless something comes up with identity theft issues, we are not going to claim the break-in with our insurance, because between the deductible and increase in premium, it is just not worth it right now. We have been uplifted by the generosity of our friends and from those we never would have expected it. We were especially touched by two letters (real, snail mail letters---those are the best!) that were so encouraging to our spirits- one from a college friend and one from a former student. Their words and giving spirits meant so much to us.

The office is still a mess....it's like we can't get ourselves to face the disaster that was created. Maybe this weekend. I need to get taxes underway, so I really need to do it soon.

The night of the break-in, we finally ended up at my parent's house to sleep and spend a couple of days until we could get a new door. Friday night, we played the piano and Emma was, of course, very interested. We danced and sang and had a great time. Here's Emma playing at the piano with her Nana:
And then she was very curious to figure out how this piano-thing worked! (just like her mommy in that regard!)

Daniel decided to go ahead and go on his annual Montgomery-brothers ski trip at the end of January, and the day he left, I came home from school to this:

Emma was given a special green bath crayon by my best friend. We thought it was just like her other crayons, but nope...it's soap that turns the bath green! She has enjoyed it so!

I was blessed to have two days off due to icy weather, and spent those two days cleaning, cleaning, cleaning! Emma helped...occasionally!

I also took my last tests for Texas licensure two weeks ago. I'm still waiting for the results, but I should be licensed to teach 8-12 mathematics and chemistry with a gifted and talented supplemental certification. Phew.

This past week, Emma has not fallen asleep!!! She is staying up until 10 consistently...even when we are putting her to bed at a normal time of 8! She isn't getting up and playing (for the most part) she just lays there...and doesn't fall asleep!!! Then she keeps on getting up at the same time (7 ish). Poor girl....poor mommy and daddy!

OK....those are the random thoughts for the evening!

Stock Show!

Two weekends ago, while Daniel was skiing with his brothers in New Mexico, Emma and I headed to the Stock Show with Mom and Dad. We were able to see my brother, Em, compete with his palomino, Foxy, and then we checked out the rest of the grounds for a few hours! Of course, Emma wore her new cowboy boots she received from her daddy at Christmas!

Waiting for the pony ride, getting a prime seat to watch the action! (No, we did not spend $10 for a picture....)

We did, however, spend $10 for the neccessry Cowboy hat from the Stock Show. Pink (of course), witha princess tiara on top.

She rode this truck ride all by herself! What a big girl!

At the petting zoo, she really liked the chicken!

...and the goats, of course! It was great to see that this year, she was really interested in petting the animals and feeding them. Last year, she was a little scared of them!

Uncle Em waiting to show Foxy!

At the 4H barn, looking at all of the animals!

...and seeing Foxy up close with Uncle Em. Notice Emma's expression on seeing Foxy eat the carrot! (Not that I blame her....)

We were robbed! Literally, unfortunately...

So here's the latest saga in our lives:
Thursday (1/15) afternoon, I arrived home at about 5:30. The front door was closed, but unlocked and so I just thought to myself "Daniel must have been in such a rush to get out the door this morning with Emma that he didn't lock the door. Good thing no one came in and stole anything." This thought came because the TV that Daniel's brother gave us was still sitting in our living room. I put everything down, and thought it strange that our cat didn't run out to greet me like normal. So I start walking to the back of the house, and when I arrived at the back, I saw that the back door was wide open, and the glass enclosure that housed the blinds on the inside of the door was on the floor. I immediately turned around, not stopping to even grab my purse, and walked out the front, got in the car and called Daniel as I drove away.
So I drive to the elementary school near our house and call 911 while waiting for Daniel to arrive. I can see the back of our house from the parking lot, and yep, our back door is just wide open. (Our house backs up to a greenbelt, or pasture land.) Eventually, my best friend Kristen arrives, and Daniel with Emma. Kristen takes Emma home while Daniel and I wait for the police so that they can clear the house. The police arrive and check out the house. We believe that they broke in the back, then unlocked the front to carry stuff to a vehicle. We check out the damage, file a report, and have the crime lab come to try and lift any prints.
Here's the lowdown:1. They took our computer in the office, as well as our videocamera that was charging in the office. Hence why I haven't updated facebook--no computer to do it on. For some reason, they found my old laptop that weighs about 25 pounds, runs Windows 98, is missing the 'm' and 'y' keys, and can't read a USB drive....and left it behind. (I don't know why---I'm sure you can probably get at least $25 for it now adays. :) ) So I was able to find an extra ethernet cable today and we are re-connected to the Internet ...but that's about all you can do on this laptop! But, unfortunately, the last time I printed off photos was August, so the only photos we have since then are the ones I have uploaded to facebook and/or our blog. Also, the disc in the videocamera was from Christmas, so we have lost those memories, too. They did leave our printer in the office, but trashed out the room pretty well looking through bills, statements, hunting for stuff, etc.
2. They also hunted throughout our room for valuables- under the bed, between the mattresses, in Daniel's dresser drawers, etc. They also trashed our closet trying to find things. They found our little fire safe box that had all of our social security cards, Daniel's passport, Emma's birth certificate, car titels, etc. It also had two very meaningful things on a personal note- the slides from Daniel's parents wedding photos (we made printed copies for them a couple of years ago, so at least they have those prints), and a letter that I mailed to my future daughter on her wedding day...mailed on my wedding day. They also found a jewelry box in the closet ...but it was from my childhood and only had kids jewlery in it. (They must have been disappointed there!) They didn't find my real jewlery- the like 3 pieces of worth that I own. Note to self: don't hide the safe box in an obvious location...use the kitchen or something!
I also discovered on Saturday night (our first night back at our house) that they took my pillow case! Arrghh. That means they touched my pillow. They also took our collection of batteries in the laundry room.
What they did not take: TVs, DVDs, and they must not have even walked into the kitchen because my digital camera was sitting on the countertop charging. My passport by a miracle is up at the school. I'm going on a mission trip to Spain with the school in March, and normally I just turn in my number in order to buy the tickets. But I had it out for another reason this Christmas, so I just turned in the whole thing instead of writing down the number because I was slightly lazy. Thankfully that means my passport is safe. Also, I had our wedding license out for the same reason this Christmas, and just hadn't put it back in the safe yet, so we still have that. Oh...and GABBY!!! (our cat!) She was hiding behind the office desk and scared the police officer with her eyes glaring out- she was freaked out, but in good shape!
What we have done: closed out all of our credit card accounts and got new cards, called Dell and got our serial number for the computer to report that, closed our checking/savings account and opened new ones, put fraud alerts on Daniel and I's social security numbers with the major credit bureaus (I couldn't do Emma's number...I guess she is too young? Anyone have advice on that?). I have gotten a new copy of Emma's birth certificate and we will go get new social security cards on Thursday. Daniel handled getting a new back door, and that was installed on Saturday.
On top of all of this, throughout this weekend Emma has come down with a terrible ear infection- the worst one that I can think of (and she has had her share). She hasn't really slept more than 30 minutes at night since Saturday. It's a little bit more pitiful when she's at the point that she can tell us that her ear hurts and "I want my mommy." She has run a fever pretty much since Sunday morning, and it really hasn't broken as of tonight. I was on the phone with the pediatrician's office about 3 minutes after they opened this morning, and was able to see one of the doctors in the group 15 minutes after that. We are on several medicines now (including the dreaded nebulizer again....the bane of my existence...but at least we just have to do it 3 times a day, and not every 3 hours- night and day- like we did her first year). Blessedly, this is a weird week at school (no school on Monday, short classes tomorrow so that we can watch the Inaguration, and then most of the high school leaves on Thursday at 10 for the state Texas Youth and Government conference, and field trip for those remaining on Friday). So I have taken off tomorrow, and was already planning on taking Thursday off as a gift for making it through accreditation last week. So hopefully we can get Emma and our house back in order soon. (Oh, and on another note...I hate getting hit with the "prescription deductible" every January....spent $175 on copay and prescriptions today! But I am thankful to have health insurance...I have thankful to have health insurance...)
Oh, and did I mention that our VCR broke tonight? With one of Emma's favorite movies (101 Dalmations...or the Pongo movie as she calls it) stuck inside??? Good week. Good week.
So, we are praying that angels are surrounding all of our idenity theft issues---any other suggestions of things we should do anyone? Unfortunately, unless the ID theft causes problems, it is not worth claiming the break-in with our homeowner's insurance due to our deductible and how much it would raise our insurance rates. But that means that I have no idea how we will replace the computer and video camera- we won't at this point unless God provides another way. Every extra penny is going towards paying down our debts, not taking on new ones. A need? No....just convience and memory makers.
So I think that's a wrap. It could have been a lot worse, and hopefully, it won't. They didn't damage the house, except for the back door. I'm still a little uneasy at night, but I am praying for God's peace to reign in our house and our hearts. I'm sure they had to have been disappointed by the lack of expensive items in our house to take!!!
Oh, and if anyone has photos of us from 2008, would you email them to me? d_l_montgomery@sbcglobal.net. Thanks!

I did it!

So, as I mentioned in the previous blog, one of my goals for 2009 is to run a 5K race. I have been training pretty steadily since Thanksgiving (got a little off due to strep before Christmas, but getting back slowly). Anyways, tonight, I really didn't want to run on the treadmill, but I made myself. Warmed up walking for 2 minutes, then ran a mile. Walked another 2 minutes, ran another mile. Now, this second mile is most definitely harder, but I had done this run on Monday so I was like...don't be a wimp..you've done it once, do it again! The last quarter was killer but I did it. And then this crazy thought came to my mind as I was finishing (must be the oxygen depravation)...why don't you just try and do a total of running/walking of 3.1 miles = 5K? Just for kicks!


So after the second mile, I let myself walk back down to normal and ran another .76 miles (yes, .76 not .75...believe me, that hundredth of a mile is meaningful to short legs!).

I did a 5K in 37:37!!!!!

Now, yes, I was on a treadmill which is not as hard as running outside. But I have found that running outside is easier for me because there is something to keep my mind occupied. In the garage, I continually run toward this dot on the garage door but never quite get to it. Crazy. Outside, I can look at houses, cars, people, etc. The mind is definitely my weakness when running.

So yeah! You must understand that I have EXTREMELY short legs. My best friend Kristen (who is 6 foot) and I wore pedometers for a couple months at school. We would walk the same distance to the other building, but I would have taken twice as many steps as she! I always have to get my pants hemmed! It's like a built-in expense to buying the pants. So this is a big accomplishment! The other two times in my life that I have really gotten into running I lost 30 pounds one time and 20 pounds the other. (Unfortunately, gained the 30 pounds back through the first couple years of teaching and the 20 I still don't have, but was primarily Emma pregnancy/stress weight.) So I am trying to be diligent in not only running, but also what I eat and drink. so here's to being healthier!!


And here's to the hot bath that awaits my aching legs.... :)

The Year in Review...

Well, we didn't get a Christmas/New Year's Letter out this year (no time, not a good picture, and too expensive this year!)...so I thought I would reflect on what happened during the past year, and what is coming up for us!



So...2008


...Emma had no surgeries! It's a first!

...Laura had surgery on her hand on election day.

...Daniel performed in two productions over the summer: Jesus Christ Superstar at Fort Worth Theatre, and Naughty Marietta at Regal Opera

...All of Laura's AP Chemistry students passed the AP exam in May! (Yes, there were only three of them, but still, that's cool.)

...Laura got selected to be in the pool of people who can grade the AP Chemistry exam.

...Laura finally got her Teaching License for 8-12 Mathematics transferred from Tennessee to Texas.. and with her married name, to boot!

...Daniel had his 10-year high school reunion in June.


...Emma had her first official haircut.


...We all went down to Houston and Galveston for a little summer vacation in August. Sadly, the houses we played in front of on the beach are probably not standing anymore. :(

...We went back down to Houston in December to celebrate Christmas with the Jones family. It was so much fun!

...Emma finally started talking after her 2nd birthday! Now she talks all the time!

...Emma learned her ABCs and can count up to at least 15. We are working on singing the ABCs right now!

...Emma can recognize her written name.

...Have to replace roof that was ruined by April hailstorm. boo.

...Had to buy a Volvo transmission in June. boo. boo.

...Had to buy a new house A/C unit in September. boo. boo. boo.

...Both started training for a 5K in November.

...After attending CityView for two years, decided to start attending Lake Country Church. We love the people at CityView and they were a ROCK for us during Emma's surgeries, but wanted a church family that was closer to our home, and not a 40 minute drive away.

...Laura begins her 6th year teaching at LCCS.

...Emma learned that Christmas was Jesus' birthday, and so we get to have PRESENTS! Oh...and she wasn't scared of Santa this year!

...We spent many summer afternoons and evenings swimming in the lake at Ms. Mary and Mr. Rick's house. And played on the boat!

...Celebrated Daniel's Grampa Leslie's 90th brithday with a huge family reunion in June. Three days of a lot of memories, fellowship, and fun!

...Emma experienced snow for the first time during a freak snow storm in March.

...We all went on a short-term mission trip to Commerce, Texas with 12 students from LCCS where we helped paint and landscape the church of our good friends, Adam and Suzie Hailes.

...Celebrated my godmother's 100th birthday in March. She didn't really recognize me, but at least we have a picture of her and Emma. She passed away in the fall.

...Emma discovered the joy of bounce houses. And bicycles. And tea parties. And finger paints. And Dora. And Toy Story. And Hide-n-go seek. And singing. And baby dolls. And bubble beards. And cooking. And Chuck-E-Cheese.

...Emma learned that the reason she has a scar on her chest is due to her heart that is all fixed now.

...Emma learned how to trick-or-treat. (or "ick eat" in her own words). She dressed up as a yellow duckie for the second year in a row.

...Emma finally reached the 25 pound mark. Still wearing 18-month pants when they stay up.

...Emma potty trained. And then regressed.

2009...

...Laura will need to go back to doctor for her hand. It still hurts. :(

...Laura takes her Chemistry license examination on January 31. Way to be official!

...Laura goes to San Sebastian, Spain for a LCCS mission trip over Spring Break.

...Daniel turns 30, Emma turns 3, and Laura turns 30 in 3 consecutive summer months.

... We predict that Emma will be able to read easy words in the next year!


...Daniel goes on annual ski trip with his brothers in January.


...Stock Show & Rodeo in January to see Uncle Em and Foxy.


...Daniel and Laura's 8th wedding anniversary.


...Laura starts her 12 year in some aspect at LCCS. (5.5 years as a student, 5.5 years as teacher...I came in the middle of 7th grade.)


...5K sometime this spring.


...Emma has another appointment with her pulmonary specialist because she is still having trouble with raspy breathing and coughing. Of course, we have to wait 3 months for the appointment.


...Hopefully, Emma might be wearing 2T pants by the end of the year. Maybe.


...Laura's students take the AP Calculus and AP Chemistry exam in May.


May the Lord Bless You and Keep You in 2009!

Christmas and New Years Pictures!

We had a great Christmas, with a lot of visits to family and friends! It was great to really see Emma start to enjoy the Christmas Spirit! She definitely knows about presents, but she will also tell you that the reason we get presents is because it is Jesus' birthday! enjoy!

Emma jamming on her new mp3 player...it plays nursery rhymes!

With Grandad Rick, Cousin Zeb, and Gigi:

Emma and her Daddy:

Opening Christmas presents on Christmas morning! She is very excited about her Dora "packpack"

Listening to her personalized greeting from "Santy Claus"...ie. Granddad even though she doesn't recognize his voice!

Singing with the musical card:

Can we open presents yet????

Helping Aunt Ronna open her presents:

Dress up as a princess!

The Family on Christmas Day

Playing around:

Showing off her new boots!

Hitting the pinata!

Then, on New Year's Eve, we headed over to Kirk and Janice Holland's house, our good friends from high school. After Emma and their Harrison headed to bed, Daniel and I got to experience RockBand for the first time. It was such a blast! We were so into it we missed the dropping of the ball at 11, and the official New Years at 12!

Kirk showing off his true Rock Star spirit:

Happy New Years Everyone!