Less then 2 months...

It has been fairly quiet for a few days here...Monday we went to Kimberly's and family - the kids played while we sew'd some!! then yesterday we picked up Chelsea and Chloe to go to the mall..my wedding ring broke :( time for a new one ;) but that will wait its just getting fixed! We have plans to go to the rain forest cafe later which should be fun..so i thought I'd take this time to talk about ......DISNEY!!!

I started sewing some clothes for the trip, Ive printed out "tip" envelopes for our dinners, mousekeepers and the kids...I have a good "Fun" Book Started for the kids - I have got a small plan - Im trying not to plan to much so that Chris isn't over whelmed!! Im more worried about him!! I have GOT to get him to learn to love the mouse like i do...because while Ive said Id be happy with this being the last trip to Disney for a while, I don't know how long that will last!! Hey...can't help it!! Ive got a kid in me...I love it!!

The Kids are really starting to get REALLY excited and that makes me sooo happy!! I have got to start getting everything else together so I don't stress...so wish me luck and if you see me between now and then, I will go ahead and appologize - i will probably talk about it, because I can NOT wait to be on a plane heading to the HAPPIEST Place on Earth!!!!

Hello Friends!
Some of you may know of, or have heard me reference in conversation, my cousin, Brandi, who recently had her left leg amputated above the knee. Others of you may not. She developed a rare form of bone cancer in 1995 called Osteosarcoma which took her through a series of chemo treatments, a metal rod placed in her left leg from the knee down, many surgeries, and numerous blood transfusions. Brandi battled cancer and won....but unfortunately, several years later the steel rod in Brandi's leg caused another infection and her body went into septic shock, almost taking her life at one point (May 2007). Obviously, Brandi is a fighter....and she's an incredible wife, mother of 3 children, and medical employee of Baylor. After Brandi's amputation last year, her friends joined together to start a foundation in her honor that would reach out to others who are battling Osteosarcoma and/or have lost a limb. Osteosarcoma usually appears in children or adolescents. Brandi was 17 when diagnosed.

The BKM Foundation (Brandi Keltner McPherson) has officially taken off! We are a non-profit organization and are made up of friends & family members of Brandi. Please take a moment to check out our new website at www.bkmfoundation.org .

We are hosting a Family Fun Day on Saturday, August 2nd from 3pm-8pm. The event is for everyone...so invite your family and friends! It will be hosted in Wills Point, TX, which is about 60 miles east of Dallas. The dude ranch where the event is taking place is jam-packed with fun activities for kids of all ages. We will be providing a catered dinner, refreshments, sno-cones, DJ and live music, swimming pool (so wear your bathing suits and bring a towel!), face painting, games, and much more! Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under, and FREE for children under 2.

All proceeds go to the BKM foundation to allow us to reach out to others. Currently, we are visiting patients at Children's Hospital. Our goal is to provide Osteosarcoma patients with a welcome bag that is filled with special items the child will need while they journey through their chemo treatments. (see more on the webpage)

I do have tickets if you are interested! :)

another weekend...GONE

what a fun weekend!! we were busy and what a good time to be!! Did I mention that Fathers day we came home to a HOT house...our freon was out or low and man..my uncle glenn is an ac guy..but had plans - so we waited..a WEEK toughing it out having it on/off/on/off - CRAZY!! we were tired, cranky and plain HOT most of the week!


So Friday McKinlee spent the night with Chance - we had met some friends at peter piper pizza and of course the house was hot, so she stayed over there!! Tanner and I braved it...got up Sat morning to get ready for two...count them 2 Birthday parties!! ***Happy Birthday Brendan and Jordyn** no pics at Brendans I was crazy after running all over town...but Jordyn had a BIG day!! turning one!! and what a cutie she was *gush* Kim had a smashing party lots of stuff..and a cool cake with awesome pink icing... ;) hehehe here is tanner and his papaw!




After the party we all went swimming...I had my neice Jamie, holy moly what a slippery wiggle worm!! her 1st bday is this next weekend...I can't believe how fast they grow up!!
While swimming McKinlee started flipping and LOVES to take pics of herself!! it is so funny to download pics and see the THOUSANDS I get of her!!

Today we had a soccer party with McKinlees Soccer team, but my battery had died and the ONLY bad thing about my waterproof camera....it has a special battery...so I didn't get pics...Kimberly did, I just dont have them yet...but we were swimming again!! McKinlee is getting QUITE the tan and turning into a HUGE fish!!

Hope you had a GREAT weekend yourself!! :)

She's Crafty...

HeHE and Im talking about me :-)

Ive always wanted to try and sew...Halloween last year my Moms group did a sewing MNI - and I was nervous ...so I packed up moms sewing machine and got all the stuff for it and went...to my grannys *giggle* no way was i making a fool of myself...so I made it and was so proud of me!! I did one more one after that...then mom wanted her machine back..so for Christmas I got a machine of my own!! and it sat for a while...BUT I have broken it out, and I am having sooo much fun!! 2 things...it is a BIT time consuming and it is NOT really cheaper to make your own clothes!! but they are fun addicting and my kids LOVE them!! so YYAAYYY!!! Here are a few of my creations!!

I made this for Cassidy, and well I think it is my fave, so now I need to do one for McKinlee ;-p

Fathers Day

Yesterday was Fathers Day - if you are a Father ...Happy Fathers day!! My wonderful Hubby w/ is kids :)

We had a good day...we let chris sleep in some...then we did some family cleaning and off to visit all the dads...First up - Pappy - My bro/sis went OOT at 6am with Youth Church Choir...so we were his only visitors for the day!! After that we went to Grandpa Ralph's...for lunch and a swim - Uncle Glenn came with his whole crew (that was mckinlees words hehe) So Glenn, his GF, her 2 kids, my cousin Jess, my cousin Cara - her hubby, 2 kids and 2 neices...MAN but It was FUN!! the kids all had a blast...Tanner swam with floaties a bit..yay and mckinlee was a fish like always...Chris swam again w/ us and then after getting dress -Dad and Glenn through him in again..he wasn't happy but he did salvage his phone thank god!! I would have been Mad if we were buying another $200 phone!!!

So after all the fun we leave to come home to wait for Papaw to get home...so we come home to a house of 90+ degrees...our AC was frozen - so I call MY Grandpa to tell him Happy Day and get some advice since he was in the AC business... advice - turn OFF the AC to defrost...great ITs H.O.T.! luckily right about then Papaw calls, so we load up to go say Happy Day to him!! They just returned from Disney earlier in the day!!

Jess is staying with us until Wednesday when I take her to the airport to go see her mom so gotta come up with some fun stuff LOL...be on the look out for it!

British Soccer Camp

Why is it that I chose *THE* hottest part of the day to sign the kids up for soccer!! mix that with a Monday Rain out...It was POURING rain at 5pm when we were suppose to be leaving, then completely sunny at 6pm - but it did rain a ton, so I was glad to have non-muddy kiddos...SO since these guys travel, we couldn't make up a day, but made up the hours -

SO instead of McKinlee going 5:30 to 8:30pm we were there 5p - 8:45p - Kudos to McKinlee for NOT complaining and to the coaches, they did this 9-12 and 5-9 daily!! Tanner joined in the festivities as well at Mini-Camp and he was so cute, he did his fair share of complaining though and after a bit, he would rather rough house then play soccer!! but the Coaches were awesome with him!! Anyway...I thought I was hot, and I just sat there on my big ol' bummy!

So, Like I said this was a british soccer camp!! OH man, I could just listen to them talk, and truthfully there were some things I was like, HUH?? One the first day they were calling Roll, and Tanner in British I guess is like "Tannah" and he was looking right at the coach...having NO idea his name was being called!! then the last day McKinlees Coach (Coach YamYam -pronouced by them "yum yum") was asking for something...still have no clue what he said - but he finally said "tape" I was like OH OK!! *bag* Chris came the last day and thought one asking for his "specticles" was pretty dang funny :)

OK back to soccer...The last day was "show" off day and the "World Cup". McKinlee and Chances were on team Italy... luckily our team got LOTS of points for spirit ( I don't think they scored a goal in any of their mini-games) - they made the littlest and biggest flag - McKinlee got best dressed...although she and Chance were all most the same except mckinlee wanted her arms painted so we painted a little on them. McKinlee also got camper of the week in her group he said she had good team spirit and always smiling...I was so proud of her!

whats that you say? this is no good w/o pics? well have no fear...I have some!! although my favorite 'playing' pics are on Kimberly's camera *sorry folks* but I do have some to share!!

McKinlee, Hannah and Chance on World Cup day

Tanner as the "tiger" chasing Coach Jackthe Mini Camp w/ coachesItaly - World Cup Champs 2008Tanner and Coach JackMcKinlee and Coach Yam Yam

My new toy ;)

I have so much to share, so Im going to break it down WATCH out, I may actually blog a lot in the next 2 days!! Ive been meaning to post this, but I have been so busy (will share all that soon)...anyway back to my toy!! My good friend Chera (that does all my amazing pics...) she got an underwater camera and I just LOVED it!! So since it was waterproof, drop proof and freeze proof...what better that take to Disney World HEHEHE so I got it too!! :D While it was super odd to take a camera and go underwater, it is soooo much fun!! I even have McKinlee going under without holding her nose and kinda opening her eyes!! YEA that is sooooo good!! she just started going under last year and had to hold her nose...this is huge!!

Ok i know you wanna see pics...well I have tons, duh...here are some faves...

Look ...proof I let McKinlee use it AND Chris was even there, you can't see his face, but that is his body behind me :)

and Tanner, he fell in last year, so has a slight fear, he is getting better, I got a way and let him float some...he didn't know whether to laugh or cry...but I was proud of him either way...just gotta keep working on him! :) isn't he cute...my big boy

Its official, I have a 2nd grader!!!

and what a big one she is! :) This was a tough year, changing schools, I did a lot with PTA and that was stressful, grades were taken this year - but she survived and survived well!!

On her awards day the last day of school, she got awarded for perfect attendance, "A" Honor roll and acheivement in kindness, uniqueness and patience!! my sweet baby girl!! She, like her mom, has a love/hate relationship with summer - ready for fun but will miss her friends!!

Here are some pics from her last day of school.

Know to figure out what to do between now and disney ;) *then again if you know me, the calendar is already full and I will for sure double book myself MORE then once!

5 years - COMPLETED

Of McKinlee dancing...I can't believe it!! Saturday was McKinlee's recital after 5 years of dance!! of course she has been in more with Christmas's, school, competion and so on...and ya know I am SSOOO proud of her!! The girls really new the dance, not looking off at the teacher all the time, they were together on moves a lot and just over all GREAT!! just shows how big they are getting!! Hard to believe 5 of her 7 years she has been dancing!! the song made me choke up, some, I will have to find the words...it starts "Somewhere in the world day, a little girl goes out to play" soo sweet!! they started the dance "playing" mckinlee and another girl had a ball, others jumped rope or hula hooped - this is how the song ended in the rehersal I saw she did "patty cake" at the end with her BFF, Chance - well on the recital, she ran around while jumping rope, I didn't even know she KNEW how to jump rope that well!! again, getting so big!! sorry to go on and on, just one proud mama here....here are a few pics to share my sweet little girl!

the dads always do the last song, and this year they did bringing sexy back - THEN teresa (the owner) came out and danced to apple bottom jeans w/ them...it was SO great!! I just LOVE her, we have decided to stay closer to home next year with dance, but steps will always be very special to me!! and I will always remember the teachers...they were all so awesome! Just because its cute....

On a sad note, McKinlee woke up sick to her tummy with a bit of a fever so she is at home getting some poor babying today!! luckily it wasn't yesterday! She is starting to feel better, maybe we won't ruin her Perfect attendence at school the LAST week!!!