Before and After

I wanted to post a thank you to Troy...aka T-Bone for making our little house look a million times cuter than I could have imagined.

(This is how he felt about scraping paint in the heat)
The savings in cooling bills we enjoyed this past Summer were dramatic thanks to the porch cover he constructed during the Texas heat in July. Our house faces west and it will be a few years before the trees we planted last year have any affect. He and a friend spent about 5-6 weeks scraping the house and repainting...we'll never do that again. I think we'd rather tear the whole thing down instead. Here are some before and after pictures of the front of the house.

Before
It's so cute now...we've gotten so many compliments. The only thing left to do is paint the posts and the ceiling.

After

Hey Baby....They're Baaaack!

No Doubt announced this week that they will be touring and recording a new album in 2009. The band has been talking about this for the past 18 months, but this was an official announcement with a new photo shoot and everything. We can't wait...we will definitely be going out to another No Doubt show! Aidan gets to go this time, so she is "super psyched". Check out NoDoubt.com for more information and to see the new photo.

Aidan is a Green Belt!

Saturday was our Tae Kwon Do belt test. Aidan graded for her green belt and did a great job performing her patterns, breaking boards, and sparring. She's kind of a B.A.! It's amazing how far she has come in the past 10 months since she started. She's gone from backing up everytime she sparred to being one of the more aggressive and successful students. It's been really good for her confidence.

Troy and I also moved up, earning our green-stripe belts. It was a long day, but it's always fun to see everyone move up and get their new belts.

Aidan's Report Card

We are so very proud of you, Aidan. I know it wasn't easy and you were so busy with after-school activities, but you stayed focused and worked hard. Great job, baby-girl!

What's With These Teachers???

So, some of you may know that this year has definitely been a challenge as far as Aidan's teachers go. She just brought home her 2nd report card of the year the other day and again made straight A's!!! We are so proud of her! She works so hard and Troy and I can be demanding of her sometimes. We try not to be, but it's hard when you see so much potential. She has two teachers; one for reading/language and one for math/science/social studies. At the beginning of the year, the math teacher was very difficult, either because she was inconsistent or because she was being intimidating leading Aidan to believe that she would be in trouble if she asked to use the restroom. After meeting with her and the principal, things have gone a little bit better, I have to admit. But now, it's the reading teacher. When I attended the parent/teacher conference at the beginning of October, things were great. Aidan really enjoyed her class and was getting 100's almost everyday. The teacher told me she was doing "perfect". But then, three days later, the teacher accused Aidan of lying to her about something that Aidan would have no motivation to lie about. The teacher accused her of lying in front of the whole class. Well, of course, Aidan was devistated and ended up bursting into tears after school, and told us what had happened. Long story short...Aidan thought she was asking her about something else and the teacher was not being clear. I went to meet with the teacher the next day and we ended up straightening everything out, but she never apologized to Aidan, which was really crappy since the teacher ended up being the one in the wrong.

Well, according to Aidan, this same teacher says things to the class like...

"put that book away and don't give me that stupid look"
"what, do ya'll think I'm freakin' stupid?"
"I can make your lives miserable" (she said this one yesterday)

My thing is, you don't talk to ANYONE like this, but especially not to children. If you can't control your temper and your attitude, you have no business teaching young kids. This is what we've been dealing with.

Sigh.....sorry about the rant. It just seems to be something new everyday! You know, we're not the type of parents that think our child is perfectly behaved, but I will tell you that she has never been one to lie. I guess my point is that Aidan has been working her little hiney off in school and EARNING her straight A's despite having teachers that really don't care about their students. We have really tried to keep her motivated, positive, and happy, but it's been difficult. These teachers are teaching to a standardized test and not focusing on the learning or on the kids. It's incredibly frustrating.

10 Years!!!

I can't believe it's been 10 years, but look at us in this picture. I was 22 and Troy was 27 when we were married November 7, 1998. We had no idea what we were getting into. We've been through so much and the most important thing I've learned (that I didn't know the day this photo was taken) is that marriage, like life, is not easy. It takes focused effort, dedication, and sacrifice, but the rewards are many. He still makes me laugh....it was the first thing that made me want to keep getting to know him. He is my best friend. You know, all we had in the beginning was talking, whether by email or on the phone, and we still spend a lot of time talking on the phone. I guess what they say is true....the more things change, the more they stay the same. We seem to see the world through the same eyes. Can you believe we met on the internet??? Crazy kids! Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

This Sunday Night

Guess who did this to Aidan's Magna-doodle??? Yep, Uncle Jeremy and Aidan will always have their team rivalry, and as far as this Sunday goes, Aidan says....BRING IT ON, DEADSKINS!!! Aidan is 6-years-old in this picture.

The Barbarian headed for the ENDZONE!!!

Meet Charlie Bucket

Well, T-bone let Aidan bring home a kitten that her friend, Autumn found in a wooded area of her backyard. She had been playing with him at Autumn's house for a couple of weeks and knew she couldn't even ask us if she could have him. "My daddy hates cats" is what she has always known to be true, but on Saturday Troy looked at me and said, "if you guys want the cat, I want to get it for you". We decided to reward Aidan's constant straight A's especially since this year school has been such a big transition from the previous year. So....This is Charlie Bucket, named for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character. Some of you may know that Aidan (she was 4 and 1/2 at the time) desperately wanted Kim and Jeremy to name their first child "Charlie". When he was born and she found out that they named him Jacob, she cried and was very confused as to why they wouldn't want to name him "Charlie". Needless to say, she has her Charlie now.

Aidan reading to her baby Charlie on the night we brought him home. I went into her room to check on her because she had been in there for awhile. This is what I saw when I walked in....Aidan reading with the kitten fast asleep in a blanket in her arms.

End of Season

The fall soccer season came to an end on Sunday! The girls learned a lot about passing and playing their position. I think we're going to try and get the team together a couple of times a month to keep their skills sharp. It was fun and we got very attached to the girls. Aidan had a great season and really improved. I had to talk Troy into coaching because I knew that he would do a great job.....and he did. He was really dedicated to the girls and taught them more than they had ever been taught. The girls had never been coached to play their positions or to PASS the ball, if you can believe that....but now they do both! The parents were awesome and did an unbelievable job of getting their players to almost every practice.

This girl is fast!!!

A Proud Day

BARACK OBAMA BECOMES THE 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!
I am so excited and hopeful of what the future holds. An amazing man has been elected to the presidency, and we have so many expectations. I am so proud to have been part of this campaign. I cried as I watched Obama take the stage last night and speak to America. I never thought I would see this day. The bottom line is....this was the right candidate at the right time. Our nation now has a strong, thoughtful leader that is committed to the task of bringing our country back together. Congratulations President-Elect Obama!!!

Election Day 2008

Wow, this day is so exciting! Doesn't it make you proud to be an American? We are so fortunate to be born and live in a country where we are free to speak our minds and form our own opinions. Today, cast your vote and exercise this great priviledge! Troy and I early voted on Friday and it just felt great to be a part of such an important and historic election. Aidan was excited this morning because her school is having a mock election for the students today. I printed out an election crossword puzzle for her, as well as a map of the U.S. so she can color in the states as the election results come in tonight. She has had so many insightful questions about the election process and it has been a great learning experience for her. I am proud to say that I campaigned for my candidate during this election season and it has been an amazing learning experience for me as well. Get out and VOTE!!! Go Obama!!!!