"O" Yeah!

Our Three Little Blessings...

2011-12-14T10:25:00.001-06:00

...it has been way too long since the last time I have blogged. I always get so frustrated with myself when I am away for this long, because I miss the opportunity to share so many special moments. I have been blessed in so many ways, and love to get to share our stories with family and friends.

This weekend my step-mom Cheryl went with us to an old, abandoned house to help us finally get some family pictures of our FAMILY of 5! She is so talented and I always love getting new pictures from her. I was very pleased with some of the pictures we got. Here are my three babies, and a little of what they have been up to.

Camden is 5, and such a little fire cracker. This girl has personality oozing from her ears. She is so smart, and like a little sponge absorbs everything (which isn't always good). Since her birthday is in late September, she didn't get to start Kindergarten, and to say she was highly upset would be an understatement. I often hear she is a mini-me. She loves school and all her school friends (I think she gets this from me)...she is quite the social butterfly. She is a HUGE help with the babies and loves playing the 'Big Sister' role. Like her daddy, she is super funny and very witty. She loves to read, write, play teacher, and play with her princesses and animals. She has a heart of gold, and loves to take care of others. I am excited to see how God uses her giving and nurturing heart in the years to come. Like I tell her daily, I love this girl to the moon and back!

Sweet Braelynn is 2. This little girl is going to give us a run for our money. She has a sensitive and sweet heart, but is also strong willed and stands up for what she wants! She too is FULL of personality. In many ways, these two sisters are alike, but in other ways they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Braelynn will be the one who fights someone who talks bad about, or hurts her brother or sister (future boyfriends and girlfriends better watch out!) I hate to admit it, but she gets this from me! She loves horses, playing with stuffed horses or toy horses or just pretending to be a horse. I am not sure where this horse obsession came from, but I love that it is something special to just her (not just because her big sister likes it). She loves to read, color, and be outside. She is a perfect blend of her daddy and myself. I look forward to see how God uses her love and loyalties to others in the years to come. Like I tell her daily, I love her more then cookies and cream ice cream!

Mr. Crayton Man is 1. This little dude is so much fun! There is never a dull moment with him around...he keeps us on our toes. He loves to climb up on anything and everything, often giving me a heart attack. He is so much like his daddy, and he looks just like him! I love watching Jay with all of our babies, but my heart melts when I watch him with his baby boy. He is so funny, and often cracks himself up. It is impossible not to smile when this little man comes around. He is really starting to talk, saying momma, daddy, tant tu (thank you), peas (please), cheese, ball, biaper (diaper), cracker and more. And if he is not using "real words", he babbles non-stop. He loves balls, trucks, chewing on princesses legs/arms, animals, pulling everything out of cabinets and being outside. I look forward to watching this little boy grow up into a man of God! I like I tell him daily, I love you BIG TIME BUDDY!

Dec. 2011

Life is so good!

4th of July...

2011-08-12T11:32:00.000-05:00

...I told you I was going to be jumping all over the place until I caught up, so just try to keep up. I still have two and half weeks of vacation to blog about, Braelynn's 2nd b-day, mini road trips, and a couple of other little things. But back to July 4th!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of our favorite things to do on July 4th is to go to the Ranger game. There is nothing better then getting to watch a baseball game, followed by some GREAT fireworks! Nonna drove in from Denver City to spend the weekend with us (Pops was on call, so he had to miss out this time). Uncle Terry was also able to drive over from Waco to spend the day with us...we always enjoy spending time with him! You can't have the 4th of July without delicious food! We skipped the traditional BBQ and went with something a little different...!

We started the day of with one of our new very favorite places!!

PIE FIVE!

It is delicious and so much fun!

When you go in, you pick your crust, sauce and all your own toppings. The sky is the limit. Here is just a small selection of the toppings.

Camden anxiously awaiting for her pizza to come out of the oven!!

Jay showing off his yummy pizza. He got the chicken carbonara.

Miss Camden with her master piece...cheese & black olives!

Miss Braelynn scoping out everyone else's pizza, and trying to decide which she will attack first!

She settled for cheese and black olive also!

I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of my pizza before I started eating, but obviously I enjoyed it! I chose to create my own, using mostly Greek topping...pepperoni, kalamata olives, banana peppers, red onion, green olives, feta cheese and basil. DELICIOUS!!

Family pics before heading into the ballpark!

Crayton & Uncle Terry.

Our seats were awesome. We were about 8 rows up from the field, off to the left of the third base dugout. The first 30 minutes were pretty hot, but once the sun set they were perfect!

Crayton checking out some of the crazies behind us!

USA!!!

Crayton being a little charmer!

The head of security was manning our section that night. He was letting people look and try on his American League Championship ring. (Jay modeling it for you). It was beautiful!! Hopefully this year we will have a World Series Championship ring to go with it!

Camden

and

Princess Bell

doing

the WAVE!

This was one of Camden's favorite parts!!

And of course...

HELLO WIN COLUMN!!

Braelynn and Nonna getting ready for the fireworks to start.

Braelynn got a ball "thrown"/given to her in between innings from the security guard. She held on to that thing for dear life!!

Enjoying the fireworks. This is the first year that the girls actually watched the fireworks. The noise is usually more then they can take. I was so excited that they sat and watched (most of the show)!

Even Crayton enjoyed them for a little bit!

Love this pic! Towards the end, Camden was amazed how many there were at one time. She was worried about Crayton, so she covered his ears through this part. She is such a WONDERFUL big sister!!

I LOVE THE BALLPARK...

all lit up from above!

Graduation #1

2011-08-08T15:11:00.002-05:00

Our baby girl graduated from Pre-K this year. She has done VERY well in school, and continues to surprise us each day with her knowledge. She loves to learn, know and understand things. She asks me daily when she gets to go back to school. She is going to be like me and LOVE school. The only down fall, she wants to go to kindergarten with all her friends, but she doesn't get to. She will be doing Pre-K again, because she is the baby of her class and doesn't turn five until the end of September (that means so misses the kindergarten cut-off date by 24 days). We are all a little sad, but I know that the Lord has BIG plans for this little girl. We told her she is staying in Pre-K because God and her teachers think she is a very BIG helper and they need her to help with the younger kids coming up. It worked for a couple of days, before she didn't like that excuse anymore, but she is slowly dealing with the fact that she will be doing it all over again. So, here are pictures from Camden's Pre-K Graduation #1!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before the graduation ceremony, the Pre-K classes put on a short program.

Camden had several speaking parts, which surprised me. She did wonderful!

Camden quoting a bible verse!

Camden singing her little HEART out!

Entering in her graduation robe. She looked a little
homeless (we were very rushed for time), but so big!

Receiving her diploma from her
teacher...again ignore her homeless
look!

Now we are bored!

And now angry...!

Now watching the boys goof around!

And now goofing around with the boys!

And then having to have her hat put back on from all the

goofing around!

This little girl brings us so much joy! She is so much fun, has such a special personality and I love watching her explore the world. I look forward to watching her continue to work hard in school, and teachering her brother and sister many things. I am so thankful that God blessed us almost five years ago with this sweet, baby girl. Miss Camden Jaye, WE LOVE YOU!

Where do I begin...?

2011-08-08T01:14:00.001-05:00

We have had an amazing summer from start to finish. I have a lot to catch up on, because we have had so many fun and exciting things going on! ALL of the fun started around the last 2 1/2 weeks of school. When I say we were busy, I mean, WE WERE BUSY!! We had a couple quick road trips with good friends; we celebrated Braelynn's second birthday; had a Pre-K graduation; a big fat, Greek wedding; the baby sibling graduated from high school, two and a half week of WONDERFUL family vacations, and a family, girls weekend to Galveston. Since being home we have been doing lots of swimming and enjoying home life together. Jay has already been back to football for two weeks, so things have slowed down for us. Now, I having a lot of post needing to be done in my last full week of summer time. Stay tuned and keep checking in, because I want you to be able to share and be apart of our SUMMER OF A LIFETIME!!

---------------------------------------------------

Coby & Bradey

June 4, 2011

I missed the last day of school, and we all traveled to Oklahoma for a jammed packed weekend of fun, tears, laughter, stress and heart filled memories. Bradey and Coby chose to get married at the most beautiful place ever, the Harn Homestead in Ok City. It was a breathtaking barn tucked in the midst of trees, cabins, and gazebos.

On Friday, we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. (For some reason I have very little pictures of this. BOO for me)

REHEARSAL!

Some of the brothers...

Crayton & Big Cam

Stylin' Sam!

Crazy Cory!

Bradey practicing her new signature before signing the marriage certificate.

She decides it looks good!

Now signing the "real deal!"

Coby's turn to sign!

After the rehearsal we had rehearsal dinner at Irma's Burger Shack. We had tons of amazing appetizers and the best burgers ever. What ever you wanted on the burger you could get...the sky was the limit. Jay and Cory had a contest going with who could construct the most unreal burger. Not sure who actually won. It was both delicious and lots of fun!!

On Saturday, we woke up to beautiful, HOT weather. After being lazy for a while, the girls went to get their hair done and then got ready at the hotel. I was so upset when I got back to the hotel and realized I didn't have any of my make-up!!! After having a minor meltdown (probably induced by all the pinned up emotions of my baby brother getting married), I gave myself a pep talk about how it WASN'T about me, "put on my big girl panties," and went on with the day! We headed to Harn Homestead to start getting Miss Bradey for her BIG DAY! From this point on, anything that could have gone wrong, did...!

1.The air conditioner went out in the little bridal house where we were getting Bradey ready. 2. The wedding cordinator didn't show up...did you hear me, SHE DIDN'T SHOW UP! Who does that?? So everything that was supposed to be decorated wasn't. So, me, my brothers and sister, and a couple of the other girls set up everything, all the while trying to convince the bride that there was nothing to worry about :o) Even the photographer and florist worked their booties off (two pretty special ladies if you ask me!!) 3. Then, as we are about to start pictures, some random dude showed up dripping of sweat and REEKING of alcohol. He told us he was the replacement for the no show coordinator who still hadn't contacted the bride, but could call some crazy drunk guy to take her place. He didn't stay very long! 4. Finally, we get the wedding on the road, and the DJ (who was also a replacement) played the wrong songs throughout the ceremony. (Are your eyes crossing from all the craziness yet?) 5. We make it through the wedding, and walk over to the barn to start the party. The DJ, announces "I would like to introduce, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Coby Mavroulis!" They walked towards the barn, crowd goes wild, and BOOM the sprinklers come on and start soaking everyone and everything! And the best part, the lady who was the rep for the Homestead, DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TURN THEM OFF!!! So there was family members and friends running around, trying to stomp down the sprinkler heads. 6. Then, remember how I said the sprinklers soaked EVERYTHING?? Well they fried the DJ's equipment... So, my brother found an iPhone and docking station so we could have some music. Thankfully after about thirty minutes, the DJ figured out just his mic and its connectors were fried, so we eventually got good music to get our grove on with!! BUT despite all of this CRAZINESS, the bride and groom kept their cool and kept smiling, and everyone enjoyed one of the best weddings ever (and probably most memorable)!

The BEAUTIFUL COUPLE!

The STUNNING bride, Miss Bradey, and my precious little flower girl!

Camden asked Bradey, "Are you are real princess?"

The handsome groom, my little brother, Coby.

Besides my personal groom, I don't think I ever seen such a good looking groom!

Camden and I

I love this baby girl. She did so good!

Mom, Coby, Bradey, & Dad

Coby escorting our Mom...love this one!

Introducing, Mr. and Mrs. Coby Mavroulis...

...Coby being a jokester and making fun of how girls pose for pics.

First dance!

At the end of the first dance, they asked for the parents to join in...and then Jay and I. It was really special to get to be a part of that sweet moment. There weren't very many dry eyes on the dance floor during this dance.

The couple looking out over the reception.

Making the toasts...

The bothers/Jay during toast...

...and then cheering on whatever was said!

During the reception, the girls ran around and did their own thing... Camden dancing in the grass, and Brae digging in the dirt. I think that about sums up their little personalities...

Brothers, Jay (honorary brother) and Breck (another honorary brother) doing the 'blue steal' pose...

Of course we made them take a good one two...

Bradey and her girls posing in the picture wall....super cute idea!

Uncle Sam, Crayton, Jay & Braelynn

My Aunt Anne snuggling Mr. Crayton

Sam and Cray

Jay and I inside the barn

After more pics, eating, and mingling, the REAL party started!!!

We DANCED....

...and danced...

...AND DANCED...

...AND DANCED!

It was so much fun. My kids loved dancing with Coby and Bradey, and all their crazy aunts and uncles!!

Coby and the sisters!

The MAV girls...

THE MAV boys...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture of Jay and Camden!

After lots of dancing and having to convince our girls to get off the dance floor, we sent the bride and groom off on their honeymoon! With sparklers lighting the way, they were off to start their new life together. (Sadly I can't find any of the pictures I took of the sparklers or any of the decorations, that were SUPER CUTE, so those will have to be added later.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coby & Bradey, we are so proud of you and love you both very much. Bradey, you are the answer to MANY prayers, and we couldn't have asked for a better fit for Coby or this CRAZY family. We look forward to a lifetime of many more special memories and events. WE LOVE YOU GUYS!

My Girls...

2011-04-18T12:14:00.000-05:00

A Daughter is...

A joy bringer,

A heart warmer,

A memory maker,

A Daughter is...

LOVE.

We have been so, super busy...and I HATE being so behind on my blog. Everytime we do something, I put in a mental note that this needs to go on the blog...the only problem, 95% of the time, it never makes it there. Here are some pictures of my sweet baby girls (taken by MY oh, so talented, mom-Cheryl). I really do have LOTS to catch you up on. :O)

Joy of Love: Day 13

2011-02-13T21:52:00.000-06:00

{Day 13: Routines}

Daddy's little princess loves shaving with her daddy!

*No one was injured in this photo shoot...there is a blade cover on her razor!

Joy of Love: Catch Up Time...

2011-02-12T23:29:00.001-06:00

...Man...I was doing so good. The end of the week was crazy around our house. I have three words that are world is revolving around currently... TRACK, SOFTBALL & and the worst one...TAKS! Ugh.

{Day 10: ~~Their~~ My Favorite Space}

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ice cream and frozen yogurt. I always feel like I am being so much healthier when I eat the fat free frozen yogurt, but then I add all these delicious toppings...!

{Day 11: Dreams}

Sweet Dreams...

Both of my babies LOVE their beds. The other night we were working in Braelynn's room, and they were both super sleepy. Jay laid them both in the Brae's bed. These two are going to be the BEST of friends when they grow up.

{Day 12: Eyes}

Love these beautiful eyes!

Joy of Love: Day 9

2011-02-09T20:56:00.000-06:00

{Day 9: Passion}

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this topic. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a very passionate person. I had so many things that I almost chose, but wanted something that not only defined me, but my family. When I thought about it in that mind set, it was a very easy decision. My family's life evolves around sports! I We love all sports...college, pro, high school...it doesn't matter. I loved growing up as a coach's kid and now love being a coach's wife. I now also greatly enjoy watching my kids grow up in the life of sports. There are so many cool opportunities that come from growing up around the field or gym floor. The high school kids not only love Jay, but they love my kids (and me) too! I love seeing the special bond between some of the "Big Bulldogs" and my babies!

My big boy enjoying the Super Bowl...

Braelynn watching the Bulldogs warm up...

Talking to one of the cheerleaders...

Camden working on her basketball skills...!

Watching the end of the girls' basketball game, waiting for the "Big Bulldogs" to start!

We <3 our Bulldogs!!!

Joy of Love: Day 8

2011-02-09T20:08:00.001-06:00

{Day 8: Gifts From the Heart...}

One thing Jay has "given" to our family is a beautiful house that we have for our sweet family.

Three amazing blessings...

But one thing I LOVE the most that Jay does or "gives" is the chance to learn and explore. When Jay and I were dating, we were driving back to Abilene from Denver City (one of the many trips through West Texas), and I told him that I had always wanted to swing on one of the hoses of an irrigation machine. So, without hesitation, he pulled over at one of the hundreds of cotton fields that lines the roads of West Texas, walked me over to the irrigation system, and said, "Have at it!" My heart swelled with love...he didn't make fun of me, look at me like I was crazy, or dismiss it as a stupid thought, he let me explore and enjoy! We have done many things like this over the years...So, it was NO surprise to me when he pulled over in a cotton field a couple of weeks ago to let our girls and one of our friend's son out to walk around a cotton field and pick cotton simply because the kidos were intrigued by the "white stuff" along the road.

Joy of Love: Day 6 & 7

2011-02-07T20:09:00.001-06:00

{Day 6: The Ones They Love}

Camden riding her daddy's shoulders in Downtown Ft. Worth

Both of my girls are VERY much Daddy's girls right now...and I LOVE it! I love seeing how excited they are when he walks in after practice, and I love watching them wrestle, run and play. Nothing can melt my heart more then watching our daddy with his babies!

{DAY 7: Generations}

Since I am trying to makes these pictures recent and up to date pictures, I am actually putting this theme on the back burner until I can snap some pics with our grandparents! Stay tuned...

Joy of Love...Day 4 & 5

2011-02-05T21:38:00.000-06:00

So, I am a day behind...I have a really good excuse, I promise. I will blog more about my fun night last night and what kept me away from the computer (clue to tease you: PRIVATE SUPER BOWL PARTY!) I really have a lot to update you on...we have been busy this week entertaining ourselves during this CRAZY winter storm!

{Day 4...What They Wear...}

PIGTAILS!

*I really had a hard time with this theme. I want good pictures that I
can actually use and enjoy, so I didn't just want to snap some pointless photos of what they were wearing.

{DAY 5: Love to Hate!}
*This was easy for me...I knew immediately that I would post pics of our Playstation 3.

Camden playing Frisbee Golf on PS3 Move...

Braelynn and Daddy playing PS3.

Joy of Love...Day 3

2011-02-03T21:20:00.001-06:00

{Day 3...Then & Now}

Today's theme was a little harder. Most of our 'old' pictures are on discs because we had to "save" them from our last computer right before it crashed (thank goodness!). So, I choose from the pictures that we have on our new computer, only dating back to last Christmas.

FEB. 2010 (Last year's snow days)...

Braelynn had to enjoy the snow from inside and watching through the back window.

FEB. 2011 (This year's snow days)...

Enjoying being part of the action this time around!

**Stay tuned for an update of all the fun we have had as a family on this week off! Even if we end up having to make up these days at the end of the year, I will forever be thankful for this unexpected break with my sweet family! I am so BLESSED!

Joy of Love...Day 2

2011-02-02T21:56:00.000-06:00

After I decided that I wanted to do a photo-a-day for the month of February, I found this photo challenge on one of my friend's blogs. I love taking pictures, and having pictures of my family and kids all over the house, but lets face it...I have a LOT to learn. This very talented photographer is offering these free tips over email, and I am going to do everything I can to become better. I was so excited when I saw this FREE offer and signed up immediately.

Here are the "requirements" for the class...

suggested class materials:

someone(s) you love
a camera
a desire to stretch your photographic skills

what you can expect from this willette JOY class:

a daily email during the month of february
the email will contain a photo idea and occasional tips
a public flickr gallery to share photos
an album template download at the end for all of your photos you take during the class
a journey to help you document your loved one(s) – whether it is a spouse, partner, child, pet, parent or friend

{DAY 2: What they look like...}

I decided to choose two pics again today. "What they look like" was the theme for today's pictures, so I wanted to show you my two boys and how much Crayton looks like his daddy. I LOVE these boys!

A Picture a Day...

2011-02-01T13:07:00.001-06:00

I have decided that I am going to try a post a picture a day for the month of February. February is the month of LOVE, so I am going to post pictures of things I love...most likely my family! I am so in love with our family of five, and overwhelmed daily how blessed I am to have each of them. I often feel with as busy and as crazy as our life is (especially now since Jay and I are both in season), that life is just zooming past me. I want to try to capture as many of these fun days and priceless moments that we share as a family as possible.

DAY 1

Since it is COLD, COLD, COLD outside and we are iced in (NO SCHOOL for us), I thought these pictures would be a good start to my picture-a-day goal (couldn't decide which was my favorite...and I was playing with different coloring effects). Those eyes and that little face warms my soul!

No Shirts at the Dinner Table...

2011-01-28T21:35:00.000-06:00

...can only mean one thing at our house...sPaGhEtTi NiGhT!!

My girls LOVE their spaghetti!!

Don't forget this precious baby...even though he did not get to enjoy the spaghetti!

What My Three Are Up To...

2010-11-03T14:25:00.002-05:00

We have been busy, as always, but I wanted to take a minute to update you on my three precious babies! We are having a wonderful time being a family of FIVE! It's hard to remember what life was like before... I have been so blessed by such wonderful and easy kidos!

Camden Jaye- 4

Camden is enjoying going to school and is soaking everything up (even things that I don't want her to soak up)! Even though she won't be able to go to kindergarten next year (won't turn 5 before deadline), they went ahead and put her in a Pre-K class (not sure what we will do with her next her). She LOVES centers, stretch-&-grow, writing her letters, reading and music! She is so funny and always keeps us laughing. Her personality is precious. She continues to be super competitive (not sure where she gets this :~) and HATES to loose! She is so like me in so many ways its scary!

Braelynn Grace~ 17 months

This year, Braelynn is staying at home with Crayton. A friend comes to our house to keep the two babies. The teacher in me worries about her not being in a "school" setting, without a curriculum, but she doesn't seem to miss a beat. She is the perfect mixture of Jay and I. She too is super funny. She is always making us laugh. She is our little busy body... into everything! She is more aggressive then Camden. Jay and I tease that she beats up on her big sister! She loves her big sister and her baby brother! She has a laugh that is infectious!

Crayton Brooks~ 2 1/2 months

My sweet baby boy... He has been another super easy baby! He loves to eat! He has started smiling and cooing. He loves to cuddle. He is already so STRONG and so alert. He is going to be a tough and patient kid, because he always has a sister ON him or in his face. The last couple of days, this precious baby has decided to start sleeping through the night, only waking up around 5 or 6 to eat. Momma LOVES getting her sleep!! This handsome boy is a mini-Jay.

My three precious babies...

Braelynn giving sweet kisses!

Can't you tell how much the girls adore there little brother!

Little mother hen!

Crayton's Story...Part 2

2010-09-14T23:27:00.000-05:00

Chapter 5-Things Go Downhill...

I love this picture. This was the only time I got
to hold Crayton on the day he was born. I couldn't
even keep my eyes open or lift my head to see
his beautiful face!

As I mentioned, I was feeling fine for a little bit after the c-section. I can remember most things that went on in the operating room, which means I was still doing pretty good. But, by the time I was moved to the recovery room, my blood pressure had dropped significantly and I was having a hard time keeping my oxygen levels up. I had lost a lot of blood during the surgery, which since my counts were already so low going in, ended up not be a good thing! In the recovery room, they tried handing me Crayton a couple of times. Each time, my blood pressure would drop and I would get really dizzy and feel like I was going to pass out. After a couple of unsuccessful tries of me holding Crayton, they finally sent him and Jay on to the nursery. Back in the recovery room, the tried many things to make me feel better; they tried changing my lying position, how much oxygen I was getting, etc. Nothing seemed to work. I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker. I don't remember much of anything after the recovery room. I was starting to become pretty out of it. I was exhausted, but to scared to fall asleep. Every time I started to fall asleep, it felt like I wouldn't wake up...my breathing would become so shallow that it felt like I was drifting away (that's the best I can describe it). When I finally got to go to my room, family and friends were allowed to come and visit. As the day went on, the worse I began to feel. The doctor's were hoping that my body would "perk" itself back up, but as the day wore on, it was starting to look as if I would have to have a blood transfusion. Sometime in the early evening, the nurses finally made my family and friends leave. They took Crayton to the nursery, where he had to stay throughout the night (I was still unable to hold him...which is hard for a new mom!) Around ten o'clock, they finally decided that my body wasn't going to recuperate on it's own, and that I was going to need a transfusion. At this point, I didn't care...I just wanted to feel better!!! I still hadn't fully fallen asleep because of the fear I wouldn't wake up; I felt horrible, I was tired and I wanted to HOLD MY BABY! So finally, around 10:30 my blood transfusion started. Throughout the night, they would come in and hook up more blood to me. I was constantly being monitored and continually had people in and out of the room. Around 4:30 am, the transfusion was FINALLY finished and I was already starting to feel better. I finally fell asleep and was able to sleep off and on for the rest of the night. By the next morning, I was extremely ready to see my baby boy. I hadn't held him since early in the previous day, and I couldn't even picture what he looked like in my head...

I also like this picture. This is my daddy feeding me,
because I was too weak to do it myself. Daddy's will
take care of their babies no matter how old they are.

Some pictures of me during the blood transfusion. I was still hooked up to oxygen to get my levels

regulated. You can see the blood in the IV sacks.

Crayton's Story...part 1

2010-09-07T21:29:00.000-05:00

Ch.1: The Morning Of

On August 17th, we spent the morning being lazy and laying around in bed. We were trying to enjoy the last couple of hours as a family of 4! Around 9:30, we got up and started getting ready. We did some last minute packing and then started saying our goodbyes. I was extremely emotional telling my girls bye... they however were more concerned about spending time with their grandparents and figuring out what was for breakfast.

Lil' Big Sis helping us with some last minute packing.

Our last picture as a Family of 4!

*Please ignore my super fat face!

On the way to the hospital, Jay and I talked about what it was going to be like to have a little boy added to the mix, how fun it was going to be having three little ones at home, things we were excited about, things we were nervous about, etc. It was good to have a little bit of time to ourselves.

Ch. 2: Getting Ready

When we got to the hospital, we checked in and I was admitted. We went through all the questions and pre-op procedures and then did a lot of sitting! The longer we sat, the more nervous I became. Even though it had been a little over a year since my last c-section, I had forgotten how things went and I was becoming very anxious...

Sitting and waiting...

Ch. 3: Meanwhile...

While we were waiting to be taken to the operating room, our family was arriving. We are so blessed to have so many special people that wanted to share in this special day! Everyone was finding ways to stay busy and to help pass the time...

Nonna & Cambo

Lil' Big Sis & Big Sis waiting "patiently"

My beautiful big girl!

Pops keeping Braelynn entertained!

Ch. 4: It's Baby Time!

After waiting for what seemed like FOREVER, it was FINALLY time to have the baby!! They wheeled me back first to give me my epidural. I'm not sure why they insist on you being the only one in the operating room, since that is one of the worst parts. It took the doctor forever to get my epidural in...he said my muscles were really tight around the back bone, so they poked me four different times. YUCK!! Finally they let Jay into the room and Dr. Neal came in to start the c-section. Before Dr. Neal started, he let me know that my iron and blood count was extremely low. He compared me to a gas tank and told me that I was only about of a fourth of a tank full. He told me that after my c-section, I would be closer to an 1/8 of a tank full. He also told me that there was a good chance I would need a blood transfusion after the surgery. Honestly, the information went in one ear and out the other, because I felt just fine and I was ready to have the baby. The c-section went well and soon we had our BEAUTIFUL baby boy. I still felt pretty good after the surgery until I went into recovery, then it was downhill from there...

Crayton Brooks Ocheskey

7 lbs 11 oz (BIG BOY!)

Daddy admiring his baby boy

Meeting Crayton... I was instantly in love!

First family picture (minus the girls)

Our AMAZING doctor!

1 week countdown...

2010-08-09T21:54:00.000-05:00

My beautiful baby girls!

A daughter brings sunshine

to brighten your day.

A daughter brings joy

through her loving ways.

A daughter is a blessing

that comes from above.

A special and beautiful

treasure to love.

We are a week away from becoming a family of FIVE. Can you believe it? This time last year, we were still in the early stages of adjusting to becoming a family of four. Here we are one, short year later, and we are about to add another to the Ocheskey clan.

This time around, I am way more nervous than ever. I am not sure if it's because we are adding a boy, or because I am anxious to see how everyone does in this transition. I feel like my sweet Braelynn is getting the short end of the stick on being the baby. She won't even be 15 months old when brother arrives, yet she will be the "big sister."

Our final week is quickly ticking away. Daddy is in football most of the day, and I am trying to get everything checked off my to do list...both at home and school. But needless to say, we are SUPER excited to add a baby boy to the mix. Please keep our family in your prayers over the next couple of weeks! Stay tuned for a baby update...

Summer Time Fun 3: Braelynn Turns 1!

2010-07-01T06:17:00.000-05:00

At the end of May, our sweet baby girl turned one. We decided to have her party the same weekend as the wedding since so much family would already be in town. I still haven't decided if that was the best idea or not, I felt like I was running around with my head cut off, but it turned out good anyhow. Poor Braelynn was super sick, but was still a little trooper.

The theme of the party was rubber ducks. It was a lot of fun to put together. We had it at a local park. It was HOT, WINDY, but I think everyone still enjoyed themselves. Each time we have a party for one of the girls, I am humbled by how loved they truly are!

The adorable cake that my Aunt Nicole made. She is amazing!!

Papi helping Braelynn dig into her cake. She LOVED it! I thought for sure she would end up puking, but she was fine.

Wondering why her mean momma took the delicious cake away.

Cute little icing beard...

Our sweet little birthday girl!

Summer Time Fun 2: Ryan & Laura

2010-06-29T10:33:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks before school was out, we got to enjoy seeing Ryan and Laura get married. Ryan is Jay's youngest brother (can't you tell...they look just alike :) Jay was a groomsmen and Camden was the flower girl. I was really worried about her making it down the aisle, but she did great! I was so proud of her. The wedding was beautiful and went off without a hitch (despite Laura, the sweet Bride, having mono!) We had so much fun and as always enjoyed being around the Ocheskey family!

We started the weekend off with getting our toes done. This is one of Camden's favorite things to do. She chose a "beautiful" orange color.

Camden enjoyed watching Nonna get her nails done too!

That night, the rehearsal dinner was at the Ballpark in Arlington. I have to say, it was one of the best rehearsal dinners I've ever been too. The Ocheskey's know how to throw a good rehearsal dinner bash!! We enjoyed BBQ, a great baseball game and then fireworks. Sadly, somehow I don't have any pictures...

The following morning, we woke up, ran some last minute errands and then got ready for the wedding.

Here is Camden cooling off in front of the vent, waiting for the wedding to begin. She looked so precious!

After the wedding (I have no pictures from during the wedding, because I was the wedding coordinator and also was juggling a crazy 11 month old), we went to the most beautiful house for the reception. Here is Camden and two of her favorite cousins, Gavin and Gage (the ring barriers).

Braelynn visiting with Ryan and Laura. Laura looked beautiful even though she was so super sick!

Braelynn obviously enjoyed Ms. Pat's delicious chocolate Groom's cake (it is still all over her face!)

Most of the girl cousins.

After the wedding, and sending Laura and Ryan off on their honeymoon cruise, our side of the family returned to the hotel for pizza and swimming. Here is just part of the family sitting around the pool.

Braelynn and Daddy enjoying the hot tub.

Camden playing with her Uncle Justin.

Summer Time Fun 1

2010-06-24T23:30:00.004-05:00

We have been busy the last couple of weeks of school and the start of summer. I have a lot to catch up on, but I'm not going to make any promises! :) I am still trying to get used to using a MAC (even though we got it for Christmas, I am rarely the one who is on it!)

To kick off the end of the school year and start of summer, we got to go watch Cam and the Midland Chaps play in their conference tournament at La Grange field. It was super hot, so we sat in the outfield...therefore I have very few pictures.

Camden and her Uncle Coby

Big Cam and Randi

The Brothers

Little Cam and Big Cam

ACU Graduates

2010-05-09T21:27:00.003-05:00

We are so proud of Ryan and Laura! Both graduated yesterday from ACU! We had a great time celebrating with family & friends.

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-04-21T13:56:00.003-05:00

I said it was 'Wordless Wednesday', but I lied. Post coming soon with a lot of juicy details about our little, family of four! Until then, here are some pictures of my beautiful baby girls!

Braelynn is 10 1/2 months & Camden is 3 1/2. We have been truly blessed with such precious babies!!

2009-07-28T15:41:00.003-05:00

"In the cookies of life, sisters are the CHOCOLATE CHIPS!"

Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk

2009-06-28T14:27:00.005-05:00

Everyone that knows me well, knows that I love being outside, love physical activity and love being surrounded by family and friends! This November, I will get to put those three things together and be apart of something truly special. I am SO excited to be participating in this year's Breast Cancer 3 Day walk. I will be walking with some of my very favorite people. Over the course of three days we will be walking 60 miles.

I heard about the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk a couple of years ago on the radio. Every year I talked about doing the walk, but never went through with the idea. The thought of having to raise so much money scared me, or I didn't want to miss a district football game, or not having anyone to walk with. But this year...NO MORE EXCUSES!!!

Eleven years ago this month, my grandmother passed away from breast cancer. She was an amazing woman of God, a great mother, wife, grandmother and friend. Her life ended way too soon to this horrible disease. Grannie, was a gentle spirit that always radiated love. It makes me sad to know that some of my younger cousins never got the chance to meet this incredible woman, and at times it scares me that I don't remember as much about our time together as I used to, so I can think of no greater way to honor her life then to dedicate my three day walk to her.

This year more then 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly 40,000 will die from the disease. Everyone of these people has a story to share and it's important to me to help this cause. Every woman deserves a lifetime!

As I mentioned before, I will be walking with some of my favorite people. I am walking with two of my best friends; my mom and stepmom, Terri ( a long time family friend and breast cancer survivor!), and my Aunt Nicole. I am very excited to share this special experience with these ladies. I am sure that we will share lots of laughter and tears over the course of the walk, and also make many new memories.

Before the big event, I must raise $2200 in donations, so I need your help. I know for most of us money is tight, but every little bit helps me get closer to my goal so any donation would be greatly appreciated. No amount is too small! All proceeds go to support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment. You can donate towards my goal here or by clicking on the 3Day Icon on the right hand side of my blog. When you make a donation, if you would like to donate in memory or in honor of someone, please add there name to the honor roll so that I can recoginize and honor the special people in your life too!

If you are unable to support me with a financial donation, please remember me and my team in your prayers. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Destin Bound...

2009-06-24T23:50:00.003-05:00

I have two different post saved in my blog files, that I haven't posted because I can't get the pictures to load. I am really getting discouraged because I want you to see my sweet baby girl (s). We are currently some where in the middle of no where (also known as backwoods, LA) on our way to Destin, FL. Life with two girls has been lots of fun! It is funny how differently you do things with your second. Braelynn hasn't gotten a break since she has been home. You just pick up life right were you left it before heading to the hospital.

Here are some things Braelynn has already done in her four short weeks...

*Attended a high school graduation

*Watched Big Cam in a All-Star Baseball game

*Spent 6 hours on the boat enjoying the lake

*Several trips to the pool to watch Big sister swim

*Packed up mom's classroom

*Trips to the public library for story time and checking out books

*Currently on her first road trip to Destin...only to be followed by her second to Miami!!

I promise I will keep working on getting the pictures to load.

She's Here!

2009-05-28T14:31:00.004-05:00

Braelynn Grace arrived Wednesday, May 27.

She weighed 6 lbs 2 oz and was 181/2 inches long.

Dad, Mom, and proud big sister, Camden, are all doing well.

Here are some pictures to hold you over until they get home and can post some more!

Not So Little Any More...

2009-05-21T21:21:00.005-05:00

It is hard to believe that in less then 6 days, my baby girl will become a big sister. She is growing up so fast and in so many ways. She is such a blessing and joy in our lives. She is so full of LOVE and PERSONALITY that there is never a dull moment in our house. The other day, I walked into her playroom and said, "Cam." She looked up at me, with her huge, brown eyes and said, "Shh Mom...I am on the phone." Oh...excuse me missy prissy. Man do I have my hands full!

BIG GIRL...

we have been working on being potty trained. She is doing really well. I am so proud of her. We are still struggling with pooping on the potty...I am up for any ideas. After she filled up her first sticker chart...full of her potty goals...we headed to Wal-Mart to pick out some surprises!

Showing off her full sticker chart... Picking out a new dress...My little girl is OBSESSED with dresses (not sure who she got that from).

She also picked out new stickers for her new chart and some pretty bling! Showing off the bling!

BIG GIRL BED...

We also moved Camden over into a big girl bed about a month ago. The transition was a lot easier then I thought it would be and she LOVES her bed. She likes to go to sleep by herself and tells us to leave and come check on her later. I think the transition was harder on me then it was for her. I loved laying with her on the couch until we feel asleep.

The big girl bed.

(this was before we got her room all put together)

Her favorite thing to do is read in her new bed! I am so excited to have a kido that loves to read. If I can't ever find her, I usually find her laying in bed with a stack of books.

Reading with her Daddy.

Her first night in her big bed!

Hard to believe that this family of three will be a family of FOUR in 6 days!

Camden Story...

2009-04-13T12:28:00.004-05:00

A couple of days ago, Jay and Camden were taking a shower while I was getting ready for school. I always enjoy listening to what their conversations are about. It always makes me smile and warms my heart. This is what I heard...

Cam: "I wash you daddy."

Jay: "okay"-Jay squats down so that Camden can help him wash.

Cam: "Look daddy, I am washing your deltoids."

Jay: stunned silence...then "yes you are!"

Camden has stretch and grow at school once a week. They learn body parts as they stretch and exercise. Camden can name and can point out her biceps, triceps, deltoids, obliques, abdominals, and of course her gluteus maximus!

Braelynn update...

2009-04-08T09:34:00.002-05:00

Sorry, no pictures today...just wanted to give everyone a quick update. I went to the doctor yesterday and met with the doctor and the sonogrammer. They wanted to check my placenta sack and my cervix (has a name, but can't remember). It was low when I had my 20 week sonogram and wanted to see if we have made any progres...Well, it is actually lower now :(

Any how, long story short, I had to schedule a C-section for May 28th (12 days before my due date). There is not enough space in between the placenta and the cervix for me to have a natural birth.

So, we will have a May baby. Better get busy...just lost 2 weeks!

My Baby Girl is Getting SO Big!

2009-03-25T11:09:00.001-05:00

These eyes make my heart melt!

A Few Things...

2009-02-28T09:32:00.023-06:00

I finally found my camera cord so I was able to upload all the pictures from my camera. Here are a few things I meant to blog about, but never got around to it.

1. GREAT WOLF LODGE

In November, while we were still in the football playoffs, we didn't get a Thanksgiving break, but we did get one day without practice. So, we headed to The Great Wolf Lodge with some other coaches families to enjoy our one day of vacation! We checked in that evening, played until closing time, ate a wonderful dinner, slept in our very cozy room, and then woke up the next morning and enjoyed a full day of the water park. We had a great time...that place is AMAZING!

I made Camden wear a life jacket most of the time, because I was so sick and sitting on the side instead of being in the water with her. She liked playing in the fountains.

Sad that Mom was not joining her in the water.

She did a couple of slides, but her FAVORITE thing was the jet ski that she could sit on and squirt people. She and Jay had lots of fun trying to spray Mommy!

2. CHRISTMAS

Christmas is always a fun and crazy time for us. We have to squeeze in Christmas with four families (who live all over the state) into the five days Jay gets due to basketball. This year was no exception. It is always well worth it and such a joyful time around our families! We are very blessed to have such amazing families that are flexible and enjoy their quick visits.

Jay and Camden did a GREAT job decorating our tree. I was sick on the couch...just in charge of taking pictures.

Camden talked to Santa at Mrs. Baird's. She did really well!

Before heading to Pops and Nonna's house in Denver City, we did Christmas as a family of three. Here is all the loot.

Modeling her new sun glasses.

After our Christmas, we packed up and made the trek to DC.

When Camden woke up the next morning, she was ready to put her new Jeep together.

Helping Pops put the Jeep's wheels on.Camden "enjoying" her jeep. It took a little getting used to!

At the O's house, we open presents on Christmas Eve. Here she is "patiently" waiting for her first present.Opening her new baby. It was a big hit!

Aunt Ashley got a new stethoscope for nursing school. Camden was very interested in listening to her heartbeat.

Mama and Camden making cookies for Santa. Since I was so sick, we took the easy way out and made reigndeer cookies out of Nutter Butters.

Working hard...
Putting on Rudolph's nose.Writing her letter to Santa. She worked so hard on this letter...it made her mama proud!
The finished product.
The next morning, we opened stockings and headed to Levelland for the McHam Christmas. My heart stopped when a looked over a saw Cam playing with this...luckily it ended up being fake. The McHam Family

We headed Abilene to visit my family there. For some reason, this is one of the only pictures that I got. Camden LOVES her Big Pawpaw.

3. My Little Kitchen Helper...

Camden has really become intersted in helping around the kitchen. She loves to help cook anything that we are making. During Christmas break, Aunt Randi came and stayed with us for a couple of days. Randi and Camden decided to make Rice Crispy treats for Jay's basketball boys.

One of her specialties... Sweet Tea! She is probably the only two year old who can tell you exactly how to make it...

4. My Little Artist...

Camden has also decided that she really enjoys anything artistic. A couple of weeks ago, we got out the water colors for the first time. The little artist proud of her hard work!

Camden's first water color master piece.

5. Bulldog Basketball...

We did really well this year in basketball. Jay's freshman won district for the fourth year in a row! The varsity made it all the way to the Regional Tournament before we lost by one on a last second shot to Palo Duro. I am very proud of the coaches and all the Bulldogs!

Camden and Jay playing in between the girls' game and the start of the boys'. I am scared that I might have a future cheerleader on my hands :(One of our very FAVORITE Bulldogs, Tre'. He will be a Baylor Bear next year. We look forward to watching some Baylor football games next year.

All smiles after a BIG Bulldog win!!!

6. A Little Bit of Randomness...

Looking cool in her new glasses!

Camden modeling her first french braid.

We got to meet baby Lauren at Kristen's birthday. Camden did really well with her.

THE GIRL LOVE CUPCAKES!

This is the face I usually get when I ask her to look at the camera...YIKES~

Enjoying a day at the stockyards...

Tag, Your It...

2009-02-03T13:33:00.002-06:00

I have been tagged by my best friend Thompson. Since I am sitting at school benchmarking all day, I figured I would take some time to blog.

The rules are as follows...
1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.
2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were tagged.
3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

I HATE conflict. Being a part of a conflict, or just seeing people who are arguing or mad at each other, stresses me out. I would rather keep stuff to myself, then let other people know how I am feeling if there is a chance someone would be mad or upset.
I am a BIG time worrier (aka stresser). I worry about everything whether I can control it or not. Money, school, TAKS testing, health, love, people's relationships... I worry about things that my family is going through, my friends and stuff in my own life. Jay gets frustrated with me and tells me that I am going to make myself sick. It is something I pray about, but just can't seem to let go of. When I am stressed out, I suffer from terrible migraines.
If your mess with my family or friends, you are going to have to answer to ME! Even though I shy away from conflict, and hate being in the middle of it...I will put you in your place if you mess with my family or friends. I am not afraid to stick up for the people I love and not scared to go up against anyone. Two prime examples, the man that I chewed out for making a rude comment about Coby after he struck out in an at bat for A&M. After I chewed him up one side and down the other, he apologized:) Or the time that a Dad (did I mention he was HUGE) was complaining about Jay's coaching during a football game, and I started yelling at him (from about 6 rows up) about his ignorance and if he was such a talented coach and had such a vast of knowledge of football, then he needed to go back to school and graduate with a coaching degree. I got a large round of applause and a personal escort to my car after the game. (The man never made rude comments again)
I LOVE children's books...reading them and collecting them. If you ever visit my classroom, you will see my rather large collection. I have close to 300 books that I have collected in the five years I have been teaching. I am very protective of these books and I'm constantly lecturing my students on how to care for books. I also have a problem with buying books for Camden. Every time I come home with a new book, Jay reminds me that Camden doesn't know how to read yet. She probably has close to 100 books already.
I love running! In high school and college I was a sprinter, but now I enjoy running long distances. I would often consider quiting the track team if I was ever asked to run over a 1/2 mile, where as now, my shortest runs are usually around 3 miles.
I often feel guilty about being a working mom (but honestly don't want to be a stay at home mom either). I feel like Camden sometimes misses out on neat experiences being in a day care all day. I read some of my friends blogs, and see all the amazing things that they do with their sweet babies, and feel that I am not as good of a mom, because I don't share in these experiences with Camden.
Before I had children, I only wanted boys! I wanted four or five boys and MAYBE one little girl (maybe). Since I have had Camden, I am in love with sweet, baby girls. I secretly wanted baby #2 to be a girl, but was ashamed to tell people that I had a preference. I still want some boys, but I'm so blessed and thankful to have girls too.
One of my biggest fears in life is to go through a divorce. I am a child from a divorced family, and thank God daily for the way that he worked through our family situation. I would not change a thing about my family if I was given the chance. I have two AMAZING families that I love dearly! But in saying that, I never want to go through a divorce as an adult.
I LOVED growing up as a coach's kid and always planned on marrying a coach. I now love being a coach's wife and knowing that our kids will grow up as coach's kids. I enjoy the life of living on the field or at the gym. I enjoy the relationships that are built between the athletes and the coach's families. I smile every time we pass stadium lights and Camden gets excited because she thinks that we are going to watch a Bulldog football game. Any large lights she sees she calls Bulldog lights. I love that anytime Jay is gone, Camden asks if he is at the gym. Even though there are many challenges, and your job and future depends on the performances of 16-18 year olds, the life of a coach and it family is very rewarding.
Sports is one of my passions. Playing, watching, reading about...anything that has to do with sports I love. My favorite sports to participate in are volleyball, track, and flag football, but I will play or try to play anything. If I stink at a sport, it is one of the most aggravating things to me. I love watching sports on TV or better yet, LIVE. I am a die hard Cowboys and Ranger fan. In high school, I often spent Sundays in my room...not by choice, but because my mom had sent me there because I was so pissed off at the Cowboys for playing badly. I love high school football games, and live for the excitement of Friday nights. On Saturday mornings, I enjoying waking up and vegging out in front of the TV for College Game Day. I go to bed every night watching ESPN. When Camden was born, ESPN was on in the background...the big news story was about the Monday night football game between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons (it was New Orleans' first game back in the Super Dome since Hurricane Katrina). SPORTS, SPORTS, SPORTS, and more SPORTS!

I tag...

Shara-because I don't think you can come up with 10 things I don't know about you.
Heidi-because you are one of the funniest and most creative people I know.
Leigh Ann-because you haven't updated since November and maybe if more then one of us tags you, you might actually do it.
Andrea-because I miss you and want to see what things a new mom of two can come up with.
Sara Hejl-because you are freaking hilarious and you have a very wide span of knowledge and randomness.
Auntie Anne in California- because I love find out stuff about you I didn't know and listening to stories about you, my mom and the rest of the Floyd family.
Cassi-because you are one of my Kojie friends that I miss seeing on a regular basis.

Texas de' Brazil

2009-01-27T09:52:00.003-06:00

Last week, Jay and my dad worked out a big plan to get the family to meet downtown for a surprise meal at Texas de' Brazil. It was a great surprise! The food was delicious as always and the company was even better! I love having my whole family together for a meal. We always have so much fun laughing and talking. Here are some pictures of our night... href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lUYx7zN21xM/SX8uboxqoSI/AAAAAAAACQg/X8avfVOUT0c/s1600-h/mavs.jpg"> The whole fam...minus Camden (she is under the table playing). Please ignore my appearance...it was a surprise remember?!?! I would have looked a LOT nicer if I knew we were eating here!
YIKES!

Camden was interested in the BIG knives that the meat arrived on. She did so well, and even enjoyed some of the delicious food. I felt sorry for the gauchos; they were way more nervous about putting the knife in front of her, than she was to have it there!

Camden and her Big Popi.
Can you believe how big my baby girl is?

Sorry for the delay...

2009-01-22T08:23:00.001-06:00

IT's a baby...............GIRL!!!!!! We are super excited to be adding another sweet little girl to our family. No name yet, but coming soon.

Tomorrow is the Day!

2009-01-20T08:28:00.002-06:00

I have so much blogging to do to try and catch up that it is over whelming! I most likely, if I am going to be totally honest,will just start from today and never go back to what I've missed. We have had so much going on and so much more on its way, that I don't see myself back tracking. Oh well. My New Years resolution was to be a better blogger...but seeing that it is already January 20th, and I am just now making my first post, we will see how that goes:) But now to the title of this post...Tomorrow is the Day! Tomorrow is the day that we find out if Camden will have a baby brother or baby sister. We are super excited to know who will be joining us in June. Our appointment is at 4:30 (not sure what I was thinking when I scheduled it that late in the day), so I am sure that tomorrow will drrrraaaaaaaggggggg on.

Leave a comment and guess boy or girl. We will see who is right!

I know...I know...

2008-12-03T11:34:00.005-06:00

It is has been FOREVER. What else is new? I have been cursed with the sick monster again this pregnancy. I am not throwing up as much, but just as sick. YUCK! This is the worst part of being pregnant... but all worth it in the end... I feel like the sickness is slowing down, so hopefully the blogging will pick up!

I have a ton of catching up to do, but I am going to do it in a bunch of smaller post instead of one, ridiculously long one. The Bulldogs are still in the playoffs and going strong. We are 13-0. This week we will be refacing Stephenville in round 4. This will be our toughest game so far. We beat them earlier in the year (during district) 56-3. We hurt their starting quarterback in their first offensive drive, and it went downhill from there. This game won't be like that. They will be out for revenge. Hopefully our kids will keep their heads straight, and play their game! (My palms are sweating just thinking about the game!!) I will keep you updated. We play Saturday at 1 in Waco.

Last weekend, we played Big Spring at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene. (Talk about bringing up some memories...I felt like I was in high school all over again. Except instead of watching my daddy's team, I was watching my husband's). We won 55-15.

Man, Cheryl is talented!!! Here are my favorites from last weekend!

Camden swinging on the concession stand bars after the game.

Nothing more special then a sweet, little sister!

Having fun on the field after another Bulldog victory!

Coach O in action...

I am so proud of my Coach!

The O kidos...

Part of the O clan.

Camden has a secret...

2008-10-16T20:19:00.004-05:00

...that she would like to share with you!

Here are some clues.

Momma

Baby

Tummy

In case you couldn't figure it out...

Braggin' on the Lil' Bro

2008-10-14T18:50:00.002-05:00

The Record Breaker

CAMERON MAVROULIS #11

Last Friday, Cam broke the record for All-time receiving yards for Boswell High School. The old record was set last year by one of his former teammates Paul Jacobs Jr. Cam now is the All-time leading receiver with 2,032 yards! We are so proud of him and of his accomplishments! Here is the link for the full story http://www.boswellsports.com/index.php?section=1.

Two Years in Pictures...

2008-09-29T18:20:00.010-05:00

I know that I am about a week late with this post, but I was sick with the stomach flu and spent the week trying to catch up. On the 26th, Camden turned two years old. It is hard to believe that she is already two. I can't remember what life was like before we had this little ray of sunshine. It is hard to put into words how much Camden means to us. There is no words to express the love that you feel your child. She is a beautiful, smart, confindent, sweet and loving little girl. She is imaginative, talkative, and playful. I love that she is so independent, yet still wants Jay and I to play with her and cuddle with her. I love her joy and innosence; and the way she loves her family, friends and her teachers at school. I will never get tired of her saying, "I love you," or her singing Jesus Loves Me, or her sweet prayers that she says at the dinner table and at night before bed. She can brighten your day in a matter of moments, and she reminds me that there are more important things in life than the small things that I find to worry about. She inspires me to be a better mom and person.

A look back...
September 26,2006...Our beautiful baby girl!

October 2006

November 2006December 2006

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007May 2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007 Happy First Birthday!!

October 2007

Novemeber 2007

December 2007

January 2008

February 2008March 2008April 2008

May 2008

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

We love you sweet Camden! Oh, how sweet it is to be loved by you!!!

Sneak peek...

2008-09-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

Check out Kristin Cook's blog for a peek at our photo session we had over the weekend.

http://www.kristincookphotography.blogspot.com/

September 21-27...

2008-09-21T11:28:00.005-05:00

...is one of my favorite weeks out of the year! Why? Three of my favorite people celebrate birthdays in the same week. Each of these three people are very important to me. I love them each for very different reasons and more than words could actually express. Without these three people, my life would not be the same!

Alison Camp (Thompson)

The week starts with Thompson celebrating her birthday first (Sept. 22nd). Thompson and I have been best friends since the first day of volleyball two-a-days our freshman year of high school. We grew up across the street together, rarely spending a night apart. We have been through many highs and lows together and have celebrated birthdays, mourned loss of loved ones, helped mend broken hearts, celebrated marriages and also births. She held my hand through some of the roughest days of my life. She will always hold a special place in my heart. Happy birthday Thomp! I love you!

Randi JoAnne Mavroulis

The next birthday we celebrate is my baby sister Randi (Sept. 23) who has always been a ray of sunshine. We are so alike in many ways, yet so different. Even though we are 13 years apart, we are best friends. It is hard to believe that she will turn 16 this year... watch out world, here she comes! She has grown into a beautiful young lady and a woman of God who seeks Him daily (hard to find in high schools today)! Happy birthday sis! I love you!!

Camden Jaye Ocheskey

Wrapping up the week of birthday celebrations is my baby girl Camden. She will turn two this year. YIKES! Where has the time gone? I remember bringing her home from the hospital like it was only yesterday. She is a loving, energetic little girl who can brighten a day in flash of an eye. She has filled our lives with so much joy. I look forward to many years of love and laughter with this little angel. We have been blessed. Happy birthday baby girl! Your Daddy and I LOVE YOU!

Abilene, Abilene...

2008-09-12T12:20:00.001-05:00

...the sweetest, little town I ever did see.

Who knew that I would grow up to love and miss Abilene? I love going back to Abilene. Everything seems slower and more relaxed. I can almost feel the stress melt away when I pull in to A-town. Last weekend, Camden and I headed back to Abilene to watch Cameron play a football game vs Cooper (my almamater). I was super excited for two reasons; 1. I love watching Cam play football 2. Cory was finally going to be home from Hawaii. The weekend did not disappoint! We enjoyed a pretty good game, enjoyed seeing lots of family, and enjoyed being a part of the slow pace for a least a couple of days.

Cooper played really good, and won easily, but Cameron had a great game!

Mavs after the game. Notice the West Texas Fair in the background. It made me think of the days when I was in high school. One of my favorite memories of growing up in west Texas... high school football and the fair!

Big kids playing on the toys at Pawpaws. We had a BLAST!

Goodbye summer...

2008-08-16T17:32:00.000-05:00

Since Jay has started back to football, things have slowed down for us. Camden and I spend the afternoons playing and picking up around the house. When Jay gets home all the fun begins! We have gone to Ranger games, cooked out, watched a couple of movies and drove around in the jeep. But overall, not much has happened (compared to the rest of the summer.) Jay and I celebrated our fourth anniversary. It's hard to believe that it has already been four years. I look forward to many more great years. Camden is currently sick with her third bladder infection since July. We hope to get back into the urologist and getting this taken care of for good. Please keep Camden and her kidneys in your prayers. Camden and I start back to school tomorrow. She will be starting a new school with a bunch of cool perks. She gets to go to pe and chapel (her two favorite things; singing and playing outside) so, I know she will love it! That's all from the O casa. Here are some of my new favorite pictures.

Another Wonderful Summer!

2008-07-23T11:12:00.000-05:00

Summer is not officially over, but Jay has started football so it is just Camden and I during the day. Every summer we spend as much time as possible traveling. Once football starts we get very little time to do anything. Jay works seven days a week, until around Christmas. This summer we traveled for almost four straight weeks. We started the summer off with a great long weekend to Marble Falls to spend time with some of our friends from ACU. We came back and finished up the last week of school. I then headed to Houston for a girls weekend with some of my best friends from high school. When I returned we hit the ground running!

Our first trip was to Mexico. This trip was special because it was just Jay and I (and another couple from ACU.) It was the first time Jay and I have been on a trip alone since our honeymoon. We had LOTS of fun! (see earlier post for more details)

We were home for one day before we headed to Branson with the Ocheskey clan. This is always a trip we look forward to because we get to spend time with Grandma O. While in Branson we spend time on Table Rock Lake (possibly the most beautiful lake in the USA), spend a day at Silver Dollar City, and my favorite go the shows. As always, we had a great time and loved seeing Grandma. (see pics below)

Again, we were home for only a day before Jay, Cam and I headed to Destin, FL. This is our fourth trip to Destin. For the past two years, we have spent spring break and a week in the summer there. This year we decided to stay a couple of extra days and head over to Panama City Beach. It was a nice addition to the trip, but we were all wishing to be back in Destin (it is nicer then Panama City.) We always go with a couple of families that Jay coaches with. This year the trip was even more fun, because we were able to meet up with my family one night and play around in Destin.

Jay headed back to Texas as planned, but Camden and I decided to extend our vacation and join my family. We headed from Destin to Atlanta for a week to watch Cam play baseball. We had fun spending some time with the Mavs and watching Cam. (see pics below)

After almost four straight weeks of vacation, we were ready to be home and to spend time as a family! We only had a week with Jay before he started football, so we crammed each day full of togetherness.

BRANSON, MO

Silver Dollar City

Milking the Cows with Daddy

Cam and I sharing some Dippin' Dots .

Trying to cool off under Pop's Hat.

Jay and I waiting for the evening show to start.

Camden loved the shows. She really liked the show at Silver Dollar City because it was outside.

My favorite thing about Branson are the shows! This is Camden making friends at Pierce Arrow (my very favorite!) Look closely...she is eating popcorn out of this lady's box. I was horrified and offered to buy her new popcorn, but she said she didn't mind sharing. Camden ate her popcorn throughout the whole show.

Family pic after Pierce Arrow.

My second favorite thing about Branson is the Hard Luck Diner. The waiters and waitresses are all aspiring singers. They sing while they wait tables. A lot of them are very good! Here is one of the waiters (I forgot his name). He was in the top 25 on American Idol this year. He stopped at our table and sang directly to Camden. She was instantly in love! The whole time he was singing to her, she was staring at him and saying "kiss, kiss."

Listening intently...
She loved it!
Lake Table Rock

In Branson, we always play on the lake. Here is Camden trying on her new life jacket.

Holding the orange flag to let the other boaters know we are pulling skiers (a VERY important job).

Jay and I wake boarding together. When we got home from Branson, the O's bought me my own board. I think they felt sorry for me after watching me board on Jay's for the past three years. I LOVE it! It is so much easier boarding and jumping on a board made for someone my size!

Jay and Cam playing in the water.

The O's on the Sea Doo.

On our last day on the lake (with only about an hour left of skiing), we drove over something under water and busted a prop. The prop on the left is what the prop is supposed to look like and the prop on the right is the one we busted. Notice, no blades are attached.

Since the boat wasn't working, Camden had to find ways to occupy her time. She decided to play with her diving sticks and pool toys and do some swinging (picture above~look closely...she is hanging...her feet are off the ground). This is her favorite thing to do...I think we might have a future gymnast on our hands. She is strong and can hang for a while.

After the prop was fixed, Jay decided to get in some last minute boarding and jumps while we headed back in.

Destin, FL

Camden and Lila building sand castles.
Cam working on her surfing skills! The next Coppertone Baby!

I think she was amazed of how far the ocean stretches.

Jay buried under tons of sand. I thought he looked like he was extremely pregnant!

Sharing apples with Lila was one of Cam's favorite things on the beach. Lila would take a bite (to get rid of the skin) and then Camden would take a bite...then Lila...then Camden.

Telling me shhh because the lady next to us was asleep. She said this every time she saw someone laying out.

Cam's little cabana on the beach.

Some how we spent a whole week on the beach without managing to take one family beach picture. I did however get one of two of my favorite people.

Sharing kisses with Daddy out on the pier.

One of her favorite things right now is "sippin" from our drinks. She points to our drinks and says, "I wanna sip please!" Hard to deny her when she is being so polite :) Here she is enjoying Daddy's sweet tea...one of her faves!

Camden and Lila hanging out on the pier outside of AJ's.

The best picture I could get of the two busy bodies.

I wish you could see the background of this picture better. We were standing out on the end of a pier with beautiful boats behind us. The water was so calm that the lights seemed to be dancing across the water.

Jay and I waiting for the swing to start rotating.

We are now at the top. This ride was so scary...I was soothed by the fact that Jay was screaming just as loud as I was :) I had to ride it twice...once with Jay and then again with Melissa. I had no voice left after two rides of screaming my head off.

Family picture in Sand Destin.

Our "Destin group" posing for our traditional group picture in Sand Destin.

The Ocheskey girls hanging by the fountain.

Jay and I have very few pcitures of just the two of us...it is like I feel bad when I don't put Camden in the picture. Here are the two of us in Sand Destin listening to the live music.

Cam relaxing after a shopping trip.

Camden and Jay playing at the pool while I relaxed back in the room.

Waiting for the fireworks to start.

Finally the fireworks start! We were so close. It felt like the were firing them right beside us.

Unfortunantly she wasn't a huge fan. Notice the ugly bruise on her cheek. This happened while trying to wait patiently for fireworks... she fell face first on some brick steps. We were VERY lucky it didn't cut her cheek open.

Jay tring to tell the fireworks that they were too loud, but that didn't work...

So the rest of the time we sat like this. No, she is not asleep...just trying to block out the loud BOOM!

PANAMA CITY BEACH

Our hotel in Panama City

Sharing her first Smoothie King with Daddy.

If she doesn't turn out to be an Olympic gymnast, she might give swimming a try. She definitly looks the part.

Camden and I out front of Five Guys. Those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE hamburgers and french fries. Five Guys had one of the best hamburgers I've ever eaten!!!

One of the nights we were in Panama City, we decided to head back into Destin and go eat at Fudpuckers. I was super excited because we got to meet my family for dinner. Whenever we are with the Mavs, we are always garanteed great pics, because Cheryl is there snapping away. Here is one of my favorites of Camden on the playground at Fudpuckers.

Peeking to make sure Gram is still watching.

The girls.

Another favorite. Camden was cracking up about something.

The MAV kidos, minus two. (We love and miss you Coby and Cory!!) Randi, Camden, Cameron and me.

I love this picture! My two favorite Cams. Big Cam and Lil Cam checking out the aligators at Fudpuckers.

Cameron trying to get Cam to sit on the big aligator. She would have NONE of it!

We decided to start slow. She was slowly warming up to the gators.

Getting bravier...

NO FEAR!

She loved getting to hold the baby gator. I was more nervous then she was.

After Fudpuckers, we all decided to head over to The Track. We love to race go carts, play miniture golf and much more. This year, Randi, Mel and I decided we wanted to ride the Sky Coaster.

Getting last second instructions. Notice how tight we are gripping each other's arms.

At the top...trying to act brave, and laughing hysterically.

My dad looking worried that his girls might not make it through this!

ATLANTA, GA

Dying in the Georgia heat and watching Cam play baseball. This was the only day we saw the sun. The rest of the time it rained cats and dogs.

One night, we went bowling. I haven't been bowling in forever. This was Camden's first time. She had a blast. She loved helping out and playing with all the colorful balls.

Rolling the ball together.

Celebrating our STRIKE!

Helping me bowl. The sad thing is I did better when I was holding her hand or when she was on my hip. It helped me from following through across my body.

Two of my favorite girls.

Collecting rocks to put in her pockets.

Camden playing with "her bat". She would swing the stick and then take off running in no particular direction. When she would reach the base (in her mind), she would stop and plop on her bottom and yell "safe." Is it obvious that she come from a family full of baseball players?

Taking a nap in between games.

I love this sweet little face!

Talking about Cam hitting the ball. She is always very observant and always has something to say.

Waiting for Cam to come out of the dugout.

We enjoyed getting to watch Cam play baseball. Baseball comes so natural to my brothers...not only do the have the skills and great talent, but they all have the knowledge. That is something that can't be taught... it is just a second nature that flows from their brain. It is just natural.

Camden and Randi weren't always totally into the game.

We spent a lot of time watching baseball, but we spent even more time in the car due to rain. Many of the games were either canceled or postponed due to solid week of rain. No worried though... we always had lots of fun while chillin' in the car. And yes we traveled hillbilly style. Since Camden and I were unexpected travelers, there were only 2 seats in the van (yes 2 seats for 4 kidos). Since one had to have Camden's carseat in it, that only left one seat for the other three. So, we got the bright idea to put up a lawn chair so that only one of us had to ride on the floor or cooler. Everytime we would stop, we got some serious looks.

After a long day of baseball and chillin' in the car waiting out the rain, we decided to grab chicken and head back to the hotel to just relax, watch tv and play some cards. This was the world's coolest Kentucky Fried Chicken. The mouth of the chicken opened and closed and the eye went in circles. I took video of it, but Jay made so much fun of me that I decided not to post it (if you look at the mouth in the two pictures, you can tell that it is in different spots.)

After watching an episode of America's Next Top Model, we were inspired by the action shots that the models took and decided to try some of our own. A little bit harder when using a self timer.

One night we went to Dave & Busters. We had a BLAST. Here are the girls celebrating after hitting the jackpot on one of the games.

The Cams riding a Harley.

After another rained out day of baseball, we headed to Marietta, GA to eat at the world famous Marietta Diner. This diner is owned by a Greek family and was featured on one of our favorite Food Network shows. It did not disappoint! We enjoyed Greek salads, spanikopita, pasta, baklava and much more.

Camden eating spanakopita for the first time. She loved it! I was so proud to see some of her Greek roots shining through!

My little all American girl!

Thank you for those of who stuck it out through this insanely, long post. I am so thankful for my family, friends and the summers that we are blessed with each year!

Something to tide you over...

2008-07-18T11:25:00.000-05:00

I am working on an update...another LONG one covering our three weeks of vacation. But, this is Jay's last week at home (he starts football on Monday), so I don't want to waste anytime with him. We are enjoying being home and having some good, quality family time. Here is one of my new favorites of Camden. Cheryl took this picture while we were in Atlanta watching 'Big Cam' play baseball. My little girl is SO big and talking non-stop! Longer post coming soon!

Way too long...

2008-06-20T07:42:00.000-05:00

I apologize in advance for the post you are about to embark upon! It is way too long, but if I don't do it now, it will be even longer later. We leave tonight on Vacation #2 - Branson, MO with the O's, quickly followed by Vacation #3 - Destin, FL with the Tinkers. For all those reading this who are NOT teachers - SUCKS TO BE YOU!!!

Memorial Day...Marble Falls

Over Memorial Day we headed to Marble Falls to spend time with some old friends from ACU. We always have lots of fun with this group; this year was no different, with one exception - our uninvited quest - Mr. Stomach Bug. We took turns playing host to this mean little bug (for most, it lasted about a day and a half...for me, three days. Nice.) Jay and Chase were the only two who did not get sick.

Chase, Cooper and Camden sitting on the porch in their pjs cheering on all the golfers! We made a lot of friends and a few enemies with our little cheer section.
Baby Colt and his squeezable little cheeks.
A HUGE moth. I thought it was dead and I was really excited becuase I wanted to keep it and take it to school. It turned out it was a momma moth laying her eggs. Gross.
My sick baby girl.

Cam's first night back home!!

This was Camden's first night back home after her last week in Denver City. Jay and I couldn't get enough of her. We miss that little bugger when she is gone!

Hiding her face in the Bible.
Camden reading her Bible.
Reading and "discussing" dogs
Momma and Camden reading Mickie Mouse Club. She's flapping away just like Donald Duck.

Camden reading one of her many Touch and Feel books!
She is going to be a book worm like her Momma!!
Reading up on horses!
A sweet picture.
Rocking her babies to sleep. She is already a good little momma.

Camden found her shadow and she is a LITTLE scared of it.

High School Girls Weekend

A couple of weekends ago, Camden and I headed to Houston to spend the weekend with some of my very best friends from high school. We stayed at Hotel Schultz (Andrea and Marcus' brand new home)...it is BEAUTIFUL. We had fun relaxing, talking, laughing, eating and just catching up. I love these girls with all my heart and I am already counting down to next year's reunion.

Camden and I waited for Thompson and Baby Caden to drive in from Abilene. We decided the trip would be a lot easier if we could make it together!! Camden instantly fell in love with Caden and wanted to help with everything! First, she wanted to feed him (he doesn't look so sure, but both did very well).

Camden is showing Caden how her play mat works. She is going to be such a good big sister!

Meeting Laura's little Laney girl for the first time! What a sweety!

My girls: Camden and I, Leigh Ann, Thompson, Molly with Caden

Laura and Laney, Andrea with baby #2 in her cute little belly!

This year we all decided to take the kiddos and properly introduce them. It was so fun seeing everyone interact. Andrea also has Camden's buddy Mason, but she needed a weekend to catch up on sleep and take care of her little belly and baby #2. We decided next year it would be newborns only.

Camden LOVING the little splash park outside the restaurant! Sweet Cheeks Laney!!
It is a big secret why Molly is making this face, but know we were having FUN!!!
The girls minus Laura and Laney who had to leave early. We just finished stuffing our faces.

Camden going for a ride.
Out on the dock at Hotel Schultz.

These next three pictures are some of my favorites of Camden. I took these in Andrea's living room where there are wall to wall windows and the light was perfect behind Cam.

*Check Leigh Ann and Laura's blog for more pictures and fun stories from the weekend. Thomp and Molly are further behind than me!

Our Little Fish!

Miss Camden's new favorite thing is swimming. She asks me about a hundred times a day, "go to pool?" She is very good in the water and has no fear (which is not so good sometimes). Some of our favorite pool pictures and a quick video showing off her skills:Playing in the baby pool and patiently waiting for daddy to come and take her to the BIG pool!
Swimming with her favorite person!
Walking around the pool, trying to decide on the perfect spot to jump in.
Working on her swimming! Kick, kick, kick!

Mexico~ Cancun & Isla Mujeres

Luke & Sara Hejl, Jay and I headed to Mexico last Friday. I was a little stressed out (okay, a lot stressed out) to be flying on Friday 13th. I was even more stressed when we walked on the tarmac to get to our plane! A lady after the flight even suggested that I tried Prozac the next time I flew. After I flipped her off in my mind, I smiled and said thanks for the advice!

Just checked in at Grand Sunset Princess and heading to drop our luggage off at the room. Check out the link for for pictures of the BRAND NEW Beach Front 1,400 room resort. I'd go into more detail about this place, but the easiest way to sum it up is "WOW!"

Being silly!

The famous foot picture...looking out at the beach. Check out my cute manicure (thanks to Melissa for the idea and encouragement...it was my "out of the box" Playa del Carmen look.

Jay and I in the main courtyard after our first dinner. They had a live band and some very talented martial arts/gymnasts people.

Jay and I before dinner on our last night. Funny story; the buffets had no dress code, but the "specialty" restaurants required men to wear long pants - needless to say, we were unaware of this stipulation. Jay didn't pack any pants. (even though I advised him too:~) So, luckily Sara had a pair of her baggy jeans that Jay was able to SQUEEZE (Jay asked me to stress the word squeeze) into. He wasn't thrilled to be wearing womens' pants and scowled each time we started to giggle about his newfound 'fashion sense', but he took one for the team so we could eat at the Japanese Restaurant - the BEST place at the resort. Even Jay said the food made the two uncomfortable hours he spent in womens' pants WELL worth it. I had a really good picture of Jay in the jeans, but it magically disappeared (hmmm.) This is the best one I have. If you look closely, you can see the 'girly' button front pockets.

Luke jamming to the music after dinner!
Jay and I on the last night in Playa del Carmen.
Luke and Jay striking a pose in front of the ferrie. This ferrie took us from Cancun to our next destination... Isla Mujeres. These two places were polar opposites. Playa del Carmen was very crowded and a hopping party place... Isla Mujeres was on the other side of the spectrum. Very quiet and authentic.
Waiting to board the SUPER FAST ferrie!
A view of the pool that sits right on the ocean.

Jay and Luke sitting on the edge of the infinity pool looking out at the ocean. Again...it was BEAUTIFUL!
A view of our quaint, little resort, Hotel Playa la Media Luna. (check out the link) There were only 22 rooms... a far cry from the resort in Playa del Carmen where there were 1,400 rooms!

Our room was the third floor balcony on the right... just below the palm tree.

Sitting at the pool.
Waiting patiently for our food. The pace of life is SO much slower in Mexico. So, if you are in a hurry, you're out of luck! We had to learn to sit back and enjoy ourselves.

Jay and Luke playing pool at one of the restaurants. The atmosphere on Isla Mujeres was SO relaxing.
Our bill after our first meal on the island... if you forget that everything is in pesos, you're in for a small shock when the bill arrives.

We rented a golf cart for a day and had a blast cruising around the small island. It was BEAUTIFUL. Amidst the beauty, there still remains several third-world characteristics. There were homes, more accurately described as shacks or lean-toos, with no electricity or running water and mats or hammocks for beds. Because of the absence of zoning laws, these shacks were often found next to nice resorts or beautiful million dollar homes on the beach. It was hard to believe that a country so beautiful could be so poor. It was a very humbling sight.
On a cliff (75 - 80 foot drop) overlooking the water.
Jay and I by the Myan Rocks. It was too hot to make the long walk down and see them, but we did take pictures from afar.
One view of the beautiful water of Isla Mujeres.

Making friends with the Mexican government. I figured it was better to have them on our good side... just in case we needed them later. They had guards at this post 24 hours a day guarding the Myan temple at the far South side of the island.
A small Bed and Breakfast called Isla Bella we found while exploring the island. It is owned by an American couple.
Enjoying a homemade pina colda in a coconut shell. YUMMY! The best drink of the trip.
Sitting in a small pool surrounded by rocks at the beach. The scenery was breath taking!
Exploring

Enjoying our last night on the island. We ate at a restaurant called JAX owned by Texas folks. We enjoyed some southern food: cheese fries, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, RANCH, etc. It was a great last meal surrounded by an amazing atmosphere.

One of my favorite things was seeing the iguanas walking down the street. Each time I saw one, I got excited like I hadn't EVER seen one before.

A few of our friends from the island...

Some trip highlights not pictured: 1. getting locked in our hotel room without a working phone, all I could think about was this is like a scene from a horror movie. Luke had to walk out onto the balcony (remember we were on the third floor) and yell at a lady who was laying out at the pool to go to the front desk and get help. The mantainence man had to break the door jam and put in a new lock. 2. Almost dying in every taxi ride we took (picture no lanes and jam packed streets) 3. One of the taxi drivers cutting off a truck filled with Mexican soldiers, and then honking and giving hand gestures when then cut back in front of us. I wanted to ask the man if he could see their machine guns.

Trip to Mexico...$900.00

Doctor Visit for the funky rash I got in Mexico...$195.00

Hearing your baby girl squeel in DELIGHT the first time she sees you in a week...

PRICELESS!

Jay and I had a blast, and enjoyed our break to just be a couple, but we missed our baby girl BIG TIME. By the last day of the trip, we couldn't get home fast enough.

Jay and I brought Camden some maracas from Isla Mujeres. We thought she would enjoy those more then anything else...
Boy were we right...they were an INSTANT hit!
Playing the maracas while sitting on her daddy!
Shakin' and Jammin' with momma!
Mowing... but still holding on to the maracas.

PARTY!!! Mommy and Daddy are hoooooooooome!!!

She Isn't Missing a Beat...

2008-05-29T09:26:00.000-05:00

We are on our second week (of two) for Camden to be away from home. I can hear the gasps now...but she was actually home for a week in between. Why you ask? Let me refresh your memory. About four weeks ago, Janice, the lady who has kept Camden since she was 8 weeks old, decided to go to nursing school and gave me 5 days to find some where for Cam to stay. Not a simple task. I am not bitter, I promise:~) So, Jay's parents came to the rescue and have kept Cam for the last three weeks (and will keep her next week also.) Camden is actually having a BLAST and enjoying every second with Pops and Nonna. It has actually been harder on Jay and I than it has for her. She is such a little toughy (one of my favorite things about her:)!! Saying goodbye this time around was a LOT harder since she was sick. She had been throwing up for two days when she left. But, all is well and she is back to being herself.

Like I said...she is LOVING every minute!

Scrambling to Catch Up...

2008-05-19T20:04:00.000-05:00

Once again, I'm scrambling to catch up. A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks and a lot is coming! Where do I start? This long post will be followed with several cute pictures that will make it worth while!

Some things that have happened over the last couple of weeks...

Two weeks ago, my baby sitter who has kept Camden since she was six weeks old, quit to start nursing school. It wouldn't be such a HUGE problem, except that she gave me five days notice to find a new daycare (FIVE DAYS!) So after having a 3-day emotional break-down, my WONDERFUL in-laws stepped in to help. They told me that they would take care of Camden for the last four weeks of school with the help of some of the Aunts and Uncles. The only downside is that we have to be away from Camden for two of the four weeks (we did survive our first week away from her, and FINALLY picked her and "Pops" up and the airport last night...that's another story). They took her to Denver City for a week, Pops is now here for a week and will take her back to DC for a week. Finally, Nonna will spend the last week of school here. Thank GOD for Grandparents!!!
My sweet brother Cory moved to Hawaii...yep you read that right...HAWAII!! It was hard telling him bye, but you have to let them live their lives! I already miss him terribly and look forward to our future web cam chats!
My mom had major sugery. She had three feet of her colon removed (I honestly had no idea that your colon was that long). Man...what a week. Camden, Aunt Carolyn and I drove to Abilene to spend Mother's Day with my mom and help her get ready for surgery...NOT FUN! After about 60-something pills (I'm not exaggerating...they were to clean out her stomach), no food for two days (that was just before the surgery...Friday was her first day to eat-since two Saturdays ago), and some throwing up, we drove her to the hospital Monday morning for surgery. My uncle Dave was also there from Arkansas. It meant a lot to have everyone there! My dad and I couldn't have done it without them! It was hard watching them roll my mom away into the OR. She was in surgery for about 3 hours and then in recovery for about 2. It was a LONG day - with an even longer night ahead. My Aunt Carolyn and I spent the night at the hospital. Mom's blood pressure was very low and her pain medicine had relaxed her so much that she stopped breathing numerous times. I was scared out of my mind!!! I prayed with all my heart, mind and soul that God would get her through that night! At about 4:30 am Tuesday morning, after putting her on oxygen to regulate her breathing, I texted a bunch of my family and close friends asking for prayers (sorry to whoever I woke up). I started getting immediate responses and my closest friends and family hit their knees in prayer. Around 8, they finally got her blood pressure leveled out and her breathing regulated. God is Good! Thank you for all the prayers. My mom was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon and is now recovering at home. It's a long process...please keep her in your prayers!
Jay and I had a week alone (hard and rewarding all at the same time). We had a lot of alone time! We went to eat out (not fast food!) and watched several movies...I highly recommend Ironman and Baby Mama. On Sunday, we went to church and spent the afternoon shopping. I got some multi-vitamins to help keep me healthy during my marathon training (did I mention that I am running a marathon in November??) and some clothes. We then drove to the airport (we were a little anxious and ended up taking an hour nap in the parking lot). We went in and waited, and waited, and waited. I had done really good all week long, but that last 30 minutes was a ROUGH!! I cried off and on waiting on my baby girl, but everything was PERFECT when I saw my sweet baby coming up the ramp in the airport!

WHEW!!! WHAT A COUPLE OF WEEKS!!!

Watching Barney...
She wouldn't look at the camera, but did give me a big, sweet smile!
Camden made friends with the Royals pitchers (see them in the bullpen). She kept waving and saying, "hi boys!" They were very nice to her and continued to wave over, and over, and over. One of them finally threw her a ball.
Playing with Daddy and her new baseball!

My girl loves playing outside!!! It is WWIII trying to make her come in...

Playing on her slide. I moved it to the front yard so the dogs would leave her alone and let her play.

Did you catch that slide on camera??? Wow!

Waving to the planes that were flying over her house!

Silly Smile!

Camden saw this bee and said "ewww, bee bite! ouch!"

I forgot to mention that Jay bought a new jeep. It is a beauty and we love it! Camden only likes riding in it if the top is up...she calls it her tent!

Helping Daddy work on the engine.

Still working...

Cleaning Daddy's tools for him (that's one way to do it.)

Cleaning up the garage...every great mechanic cleans up his/her mess!

Mommy was working hard too :~)

All smiles because we got a package from our friends Alison and Chloe!

BOWS!!!! Alison is soooo talented! Look at all these amazing bows. My favorite are the Everman bows (black and purple). And of course mom made her model them ALL at once. Daddy and Camden were not impressed!

Little Beauty!

A little scratch on the booty to make sure she isn't perceived as being too girly!

Cute pigtails with bows from Alison...smelling the flowers!

I love these two pictures...she loves playing and goes into her own little world! I love watching her imagination work!

We had a going away party for Cory. It was so good to hang out with family and send Cory off with best wishes and lots of love. Camden loved playing with her cousins, and actually having someone smaller than her. Here, she is feeding Meg grapes...one for you, two for me...one for you, two for me...

I LOVE ice cream...and Brewster's is my favorite. Camden and Lila making sure they are still short enough to get a free kiddie cone! Yippee!

SWEETNESS!

Last weekend Pops and Nonna came to hang out with us and to get Camden packed up for her week in DC. On Saturday, we packed the day full of fun! First we headed to the Fort Worth Zoo!!

Watching the monkies.

The swans were beautiful. If you look close, you can see an egg under the mom!

Camden and Jay trying to talk the Hippos in coming out of the water.

One of the coolest things they have at the FW zoo, is the bird feeding cage. I was worried that Camden would be scared, but she loved it! Jay showed her how to hold the stick and let the birds eat the seeds off. She sat very still and let the bird eat all the seeds and even nibble on her finger.

Camden's turn..
I LOVE the next two pictures. It is a close up of her perfect little hands feeding the bird.

After the zoo, we headed to the Rangers game. We had great seats for the game!

Camden doing her best impression of Marylin Monroe.

Watching the boys (she calls all baseball players Cam) warmup. Like I said, our seats were awesome!

In Abilene, modeling her new dress and trying to cheer up Mamaw before her big surgery!! Camden looked so big in her dress and headband.

~Only 12 more days of school!!! I can't wait for summer and the fun and family time that comes with it. We have lots of trips planned that I am so excited for. Hope everyone has a good week and enjoys the sunshine!!

A Little Bit of This...and a Little Bit of That

2008-04-21T21:48:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize how far behind I was until I started downloading pictures off my camera. I was looking back at pictures, and thinking "oh, I need to blog about this, and that...and that too." So, this might be a little long and even a little more random, but I promise it will be full of a LOT of good pictures. So sit back and enjoy.

Downtown Fort Worth

A couple of week ago, Nonna and Pops came into town to hang out with us. We ALWAYS love when they come and visit! We always try to take them to different places to eat since they are limited to Sonic, Pizza Hut and McDonald's in DC. We headed to downtown Fort Worth and ate at Billy Minors...YUMMY. Afterwards, we walked across the street to Marble Slab and then sat and enjoyed the great atmosphere and beautiful weather!

Camden and I "hiding" behind the light pole. I thought it was really funny, but Camden thought I was a little crazy!
Sunday after church...Camden loves to walk in my high heals...she is actually quite good at it!
Just a cute picture of my big girl!
Camden and her Nonna

I love this picture because it shows off some of my very favorite things about Camden...curls, thighs, sweet chunky wrists, little belly, rolls and her cute little tush!

Central Market with Friends

Two weekends ago we went to Central Market in Southlake. It was really good to hang out with friends that we hadn't seen in awhile. The school year is always a hard time for Jay and I with football...then basketball...and then track, and we don't get much time with our friends. So, we always love when we get the chance to hang out!! We went with some of our best friends; Shara, Rick and Maddox; Ben, Elizabeth and Hampton; Jodi, Derick and Hudson; Alison, Blake and Chloe; Nick and Belinda; and Brad and Jenny. We had so much fun and enjoyed the music, food and beautiful weather!

Rick and Maddox, Ben and Hampton, and Jay and Camden

Camden and Maddox (this was the best picture I could get of the two kids who wanted to be playing.)

Camden LOVED the playground and went 100 mph. Her favorite thing was the slide!

Camden and Hampton on the BIG slide!

Some more of Camden's friends who came

(but were two little to hang out on the playground)...

Miss Chloe Hughes-we love this sweet, little girl. She is so precious and is always dressed to kill! (Look at her amazing bow...her mommy made it:) Isn't she so talented!)

Hudson Ross Tuley-We were so excited when Hudson showed up to play. He is such a sweet little man. He is already getting so big!

I love this little girl!

Elizabeth, me and Shara. I love both of these girls and enjoy when I get to spend some time with them!

Camden trying to talk to her new friend 'the Dragon'

The boys

Maddox showing off how cute he is!

Mexican League Baseball

Cory and Coby are playing for a team in the Mexican league. Two Sundays ago, we went to watch a game. Oh my gosh...what an experience. If you enjoy baseball, and have never been to a Mexican league game, this is something you must try! Just think...lots of beer, loud Mexican music, and Mexican trash talking...

Gram was trying to warm Camden up...she of course would have nothing to do with it. It would require her to actually sit still.

Camden talking to Uncle Coby through the fence.

Sisters! There is nothing greater then a sister that you can share silly moments with!

YIKES!!! Scary hair!

Camden talking to her Uncle Cory! She loves all of her uncles, and shares a special relationship with each!

Caden Thomas Camp

April 18, 2008

4:35 pm

7 lbs

20 1/2 in

This weekend, Camden and I rushed to Abilene, to see sweet Caden enter the world. He was a little stubborn in coming out (his arm was above his head), so Thompson had to push for over two hours (this was after being in hard labor since 9 o'clock the night before), and then had to be stitched up for another two hours (this girl was amazing...and no it wasn't a c-section). I don't want to ruin any of the details that Thomp might share, but let me tell you...she did amazing. She is a true super woman!!! I am so proud of you Thompson! We already love Caden more then words can express.

Sarah, Thompson and Me (does she look like she has pushed for two hours??)

Ally & Thomp...used to be a twosome...now we've grown to a foursome!

I love this picture! What an amazing thing to share with your best friend! Caden is beautiful and perfect in every way!!

Seriously...who looks this good after having a baby?!?

While in Abilene we got to stay at Mamaw and G-daddy's house. She loves play andsliding on their floors and bossing the little dogs around..Camden had fun playing with her Uncle Sam at Rosa's!

We love Mamaw and G-Daddy!!

Pretty Toe Nails...

Last night, Gram painted Camden's toe nails for the first time. She loved it and kept saying pridy (pretty)...she was so proud of them and loved showing the off.

Mama and Cam's matching toes.

Good Excuse...

2008-04-12T14:31:00.000-05:00

I know it has been awhile since I blogged last (what else is new), BUT this time I have a really good reason!...our computer has been broken, so I have only been able to blog at school on my conference period.

So, I don't have much time, but I wanted to post a couple of my new favorite pics and a priceless video! ENJOY!!

Camden and her friends...(Hudson, Chloe, Cam and Maddox).

Cam loves being outside and coloring with her sidewalk chalk.

Helping herself to her own snack. She was using a stack of paper plates as her stool.

Big Cam and Little Cam sitting on the top of the fence looking at Maddie (family cat) who was sitting in the neighbor's yard. BOS had a "pinkout" game on Thursday to raise money for cancer research. Everyone wore pink and the players/coaches wore pink armbands. Big Cam was helping Camden get set in her "blocks." She is going to be a little track stud!!Playing football and cheering for Cameron and Big Papi at the pinkout game!

~I have no idea what happened to my pictures and why they are all over the place.

18 Things for 18 months...

2008-03-31T12:05:00.000-05:00

Camden turned 18 months on Wednesday. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. She is so big and so independent! I hear "I do it" about forty times a day. It is hard to remember life before Camden. She has blessed our lives in so many ways. Jay and I ask ourselves daily how we got so lucky. She is such a joy. I laugh constantly and often go to bed with a side stich from laughing so much. The girl is a hoot!! Here are 18 things about my sweet baby girl...

She got her gift of talking from me! She talks from the minute she wakes up to the minute she goes to sleep. She often talks as she is going to sleep (anything to keep her awake). There are way too many words to list, but some of my favorites to hear her say are...cuse me (excuse me), potty (she tells me all the time that she needs to go potty, but has yet to do it while sitting on the toliet), mere (come here), hands (when she wants to hold hands), peeese! (please), whoa Daddy (when Daddy is driving crazy), hi boys.
She LOVES to sing. The sweetest thing is when she sings at the top of her lungs at church (even though she doesn't know the words she sings the same note as loud as she can). Whenever I need a stress reliever, I put on one of her CDs and listen to her sing all her little songs. It makes me smile every time!
She would eat hot dogs for every meal if I let her. (another trait that she got from me)
Her favorite books are 5 Little Monkeys and Tickle Monsters (after we read Tickle Monsters she walks around as says "tickle, tickle).
She likes to sneak up on people and scare them (I will hear her coming up behind me saying shhh. Then she jumps and yells roar). Of course, we think it is the scariest thing ever:~)
She loves playing outside!!!
She wakes up with some serious bed head!
She loves shoes and loves playing with any shoes that she finds lying around.
She got her love of milk from the Ocheskey side of the family (they have a fridge in the garage especially for milk! It is scary how many gallons they can go through in one week when all the kids are in town!) She would drink it from sun up to sun down if I let her.
I think she has the sweetest profile ever. Her little lips, nose and eyelashes make my heart melt!
She is a Daddy's girl!
She loves to run and is pretty fast already! I beam with pride everytime I watch her run...and secretly hope that she will be a STUD track runner one day!
When she starts getting tired, she loves to cuddle!
She can almost sing all of her ABCs. (video coming soon!)
She loves to watch Barney!!!! I often find myself with a dumb Barney song stuck in my head.
She is going to be a world traveler...she had already been to LA, California; Destin, FL (three times); Gulf Shores, AL; Missouri, Arkansas; Lake Tahoe, NV; San Francisco, CA; and many, many places in Texas.
She is a true Coach's kid! She loves to watch any sports! She can distinguish between a baseball, basketball, football and soccerball. She loves to be around the big kids and being involved in what is going on around her.
She has a sweet personality! She melts my heart with her hugs, kisses and I love yous!

An Attempt at Catching Up...

2008-03-29T22:43:00.000-05:00

Spring Break part 1...

Over Spring Break, we headed to Destin, FL. This is Camden's third trip to Destin. She seems to enjoy it a little more each time that we go. My camera died after our first day there and of course I hadn't packed my charger, so I don't have very many pictures. Paula Tinker of course took care of us and took plenty of pictures, but I am still waiting to get those from her. These will have to do for now.

Driving into Destin. The girls were so excited and could hardly wait to get to the water.

Once we got into Destin, we stopped and ate breakfast and did some shopping for beach necesseties...here is Camden and Jay enjoy the beautiful sunny day (little did we know at the time, but it would be the only sun that we saw the whole time we were in FL.)

Playing on the beach...Notice the hair full of sand...

Giving "fishy" kisses to the camera.

Checking out the waves...

Blowing bubbles with Maddie...

Can you believe how much my baby girl has grown...

Spring Break '07Summer '07

DINOSAUR VALLEY!!!

2008-03-14T12:04:00.000-05:00

I have a lot to catch up on, so this post will mostly be pictures (I know you are sad). A couple of weeks ago, we headed to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas. We had a BLAST! The weather was perfect...I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

And we're off. You roam around the park looking at all the dinosaur prints. There are a bunch of different trails that lead to different prints.
T-REX!
Lila and Camden by the Long Neck...(sorry it is so dark)
Same thing...
Camden doesn't like dirt on her hands!

Playing in the river.

Playing in the stream. She didn't like how cold the water was, but kept going back for more.
I thought this was a cute picture of her muddy kicks...she didn't like the mud on her shoes.
Dino Valley Hikers!

Playing in the leaves!

Camden looking raggly in the rocks :)

We are sitting in front of one of the dinosaur's prints. They have the prints roped off, but they are still cool to look at!

Camden walking along the river's path.

Jay and the "Big boys" decided to hike to the top peak of the park. Jay is standing in the tree at it's highest point. You can barely make him out (he is wearing a gray t-shirt and is on the right side of the tree.) Look close...I promise he is there!

Check back soon for 17 months update, Spring Break and Easter. We've been busy!!

A Good Laugh...

2008-03-11T09:15:00.000-05:00

I got this from my incredibly, funny friend, Molly...aka Juicy Tamales! I have a whole lot of fun stuff to blog about, but since I am at school I have no pictures. We all know that blogs aren't fun without all the pictures!!!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car): Saedee Tahoe

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Cookies & Cream Flip Flop

3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal): Purple Dog

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born): Brooke Lubbock

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name):Ochal

6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Pink Dr. Pepper

7. NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Samuel Wallace Elwood James (that is hillbilly!)

8. STRIPPER NAME ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent,favorite candy):Vanilla Peanut M&M

9. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): I can't remember what her last name was??? Help me out mom. I think... Gee Garland

10. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Summer Daisy

11. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing rightnow): Banana Pants

HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Granola Magnolia

Some of my Favorites...

2008-03-04T13:32:00.000-06:00

My stepmom, Cheryl, is so talented! Most of my very favorite pictures of Camden are ones that she took. Here are two of my new favorites...