It's Been Too Long

Time has gotten away from me again.  Has it really been since William's birthday and baptism that I last posted on here?  It seems like a lot of my friends have been letting thier blogs go by the wayside too.  Well, I still want grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and old friends to be able to see what we are up to from time to time.  So, despite huge gaps between posts, I will try to keep this blog occassionally updated.  Below is a glimpse into our life over the last 6 months.

Grandma and Grandpa Packer came to visit us down here in TEXAS for William's baptism in March!  We took them to a historical ranch and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  March is a great time to visit us down here for those of you who like country music, great food, and cowboy stuff - And its not even too hot yet!

William and Cicialy participated in Spring Soccer.  Dan helped coach Cicialy's team (the Pink Panthers).  William's team ended the season undefeated!

Fishing has become a new family hobby.  We have a couple large ponds in the neighborhood that the kids love to walk to.  The fish may be small but the kids love trying to catch and then release them back into the water.

The kids got all dressed up for Easter!

At the beginning of May Weston turned four.  We had a fun family swim party to celebrate!  Dan also turned 35 this month.  When did he start getting so old!

Cicialy danced in her third recital.  This year she changed dance studios and took both ballet and hip hop.  I am sad that she now no longer wants to do dance.  Soccer is "so much better" in her book, but I loved having a little ballerina.

Cicialy got a makeover.  We cut inches and inches off her hair, and she got to get a manicure and pedicure with mom for the first time!

We had a blast blueberry picking as a family.  The kids literally could have picked for hours and hours.  Finally after an hour and a half mom had had enough!  We have been enjoying the fruit of our labors in the form of frozen blueberries for smoothies, blueberries to put in blueberry muffins, and canning several jars of homemade blueberry syrup.

Since I was six and a half months pregnant, our summer vacation consisted of spending a week at my parent's house in New Braunfels, TX.  We went tubing down the Guadalupe River, had a 4th of July barbeque and roasted smores in my parent's outdoor fire pit, helped papagator with projects around their new house, stuffed ourselves with Salt Lick Barbeque (the best in TX!), went to Sea World San Antonio, and swam in Canyon Lake.  After a fun filled week - and overdoing it just a bit : ) - I was put on bed rest for the remainder of the summer.  That was the longest six weeks of my life.  Oh, and Dan was diagnosed with Crohns Disease at the same time.  Some days it seemed like we were falling apart.

At the end of the summer my friends threw me and baby Ruby a shower!  Jamie hosted it, Shanta and Jamie did the decorations, Shannon and Racheal worked on the invitations, group gift, and food, and Channing made the to die for personal red velvet bundt cakes as take home favors.  It was darling and so much fun!  Cicialy was soooooooo excited that she got to attend  and was even more estatic when she found out her best friends were there as well.

Cicialy started first grade and William started third at the end of August.  They are both doing great and loving every minute of it!  I have been a little frustrated with Cicialy's spelling lists though.  There are two levels: high level and on level.  On level words are like cat, map, still, etc. - things you can sound out and follow a spelling or phonics rule for that test.  High level words are like thermometer, whistle, thumb (silent b people), scarecrow, skateboard, sweater, chain (ai makes the "a" say its name - on the same list where there are words that silent e at the end makes the "a" says its name).  Cicialy is in the high level group and is getting A's on the tests, but we are having to memorize instead of learn rules that build on eachother each week.  It is maddening!!!!

Weston started preschool the day after labor day.  He goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 2:30.  He is having so much fun and wishes he could go every day like the big kids.  I can't believe he will be in Kindergarten next year.

All the kids are playing Fall Soccer, Weston for the first time!  His games are so cute and funny.  His team name is the green dinosaurs and they ROAR together after every goal they make.  William also worked really hard all summer to earn his bobcat and wolf in cub scouts.  He achieved this in only 6 months.  We are so proud of him!

On September 14, 2012 at 3:44 in the afternoon Ruby Mae Packer joined our family!  She weighed 8 lbs 3 oz. and was 20 inches long.  The first picture in this series was taken at 5:00 am right before we left for the hospital.  We are so glad we have another little girl in the family and that she is finally here.  Now our family consists of 3 boys and 3 girls AND 3 Utahns (Dan, William, and Cicialy) and 3 Texans (Me, Weston, and Ruby).

Ruby's first time at church.  Of course she had to wear red!  Dan even wore his red tie in honor of the day.

Cicialy turned 7 on September 27th!  Ruby and I brought her McDonald's for lunch and bought the class ice cream treats from the cafeteria.  Ruby was a hit with all the elementary school kids. 

Last year Cicialy got an American Girl doll for her birthday from her Grandma Freeman and Papagator.  This year they gave her a visit to the new American Girl Store here in Houston, lunch at the Bistro, and a new outfit for her doll that she got to pick out.  Thanks mom and dad!

Here is a preview from Ruby Mae's newborn photo session.  My friend Christa is an amazing photographer and I am so glad she was willing to take these.  I can't wait to see the rest of them!