Growing Up A Thomas

Fight On!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 14:58:00 +0000

Chris and I have a strict "no presents" policy for Christmas most years. But when it was announced that USC would be playing in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T stadium (in Arlington - 40 minutes from our house) earlier in December, I knew that I had to break the rule.

I had planned to put the tickets in his stocking for him to discover Christmas morning but thanks to Flu 2017 - Chris was home when UPS delivered them AND he answered the door because I was in bed. And I am HORRIBLE at lying so he ended up opening his "gift" on Thursday, December 21st.

I was so excited mostly because it was our very first bowl game. We watch so many on TV every year including the iconic Rose bowl so to be able to attend a bowl game in person was pretty awesome. Having it at the Dallas Cowboys home stadium was even more awesome. AT&T stadium is so big and so gorgeous (and very much covered from the cold).

We were optimistic when the game started but it just wasn't our night. USC definitely didn't play their best and Ohio State fans outnumbered us but we still had a great time. I even talked Chris into a t-shirt at halftime so he could remember their "awesome comeback" but alas, we still ended up losing. But I like to think Chris will enjoy having the shirt, regardless.

We don't get out much lately just the two of us, so it was a nice adventure to end the year with!

Christmas 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:41:00 +0000

Well I had high hopes for our first Texas Christmas. Unfortunately the flu of 2017 had other plans. Yes, we all had flu shots back in September but apparently they missed the mark this year on what flu would be most prevalent... making the shot only 20% effective, at best.

I'm just SO very thankful that we came down with it AFTER we got back from Louisiana and that we didn't give it to my grandma. At her age, it would have been very bad for her to be so sick.

Em was the first to go down Monday morning. I thought it was originally croup and she actually only ran a fever for a day and bounced back pretty quick. Luke was next - early Tuesday morning. I think I had sick kids in my bed or on an air mattress in our room for almost an entire week. Tuesday afternoon and I was the next victim, following by Chris on Wednesday. Luke and I definitely had it the worst - he ran a fever off and on for almost 5 days. And he napped every afternoon which he hasn't done since he was 4.

Thursday before Christmas we took a trip to the pediatrician to rule out strep and that's when we tested positive for flu. She assured me that we would all be feeling better by Christmas. And while we were better, the exhaustion was definitely still there. I had enough energy to perform a clorox and lysol exorcism of all touchable surfaces in our house the day before Christmas and that was about it.

So needless to say, all the fun things I had planned for Christmas break didn't happen. No movies, no mall, no cookies, no candy. It was a whole lot of Netflix and iPad. And Kleenex.

Christmas Eve came and we mustered up the energy to attend church that evening with Gagi, Poppa, and Auntie Jo. It was our first time out of the house all week and we were all a bit antsy to get out. I am so glad we went. It was a candlelight service which the kids loved and our church had members read Luke 2 in about 8 different languages during the lighting of the candles - "Christ is the light of the world." Truly a neat experience.

We hurried home from church and got the kids to bed. It was the 1st annual Christmas sibling sleepover. Emilee has been begging to sleep in Luke's bunk beds since he got them and I figured this was the only night they had incentive to go straight to bed so why not. I was right and they were fast asleep quickly. And then the real work began.

Thankfully Santa had already been busy a few nights prior in our 5th bedroom (with the door locked 24/7). A "big, big dollhouse" for Emilee and a giant Nerf gun for Luke. Stockings were hung with candy, warm winter hats, band-aids, and toothbrushes. (Santa is also practical).

Luke was actually up coughing around midnight and I had to bring him downstairs and put him in our steamy bathroom. He was so good about not peeking and offered to put his blanket over his head not to spoil the surprise.

The kids were up early - 5:15am to be exact. But I can't blame them. Christmas as a parent is just as fun. Emilee couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the dollhouse from upstairs. I had to tell her to come down and look at it and then she asked me, "Can I play with it?" followed immediately by grabbing all her dolls from upstairs. She also told me "Santa brought me treats in my sock" (aka stocking).

This was the first year since Chris and I have been married that we didn't have to travel early Christmas morning. It was nice to spend time just as a family of 4 opening gifts slowly and the kids enjoying their Santa gifts. I made Gramme V's french toast bake (about the one tradition I was able to uphold this year).

We face timed with Grandma and Bampa, the Graves, the Van Fleets, and the Markos family and then spent the rest of the morning napping (mom), opening toys (dad's job), and playing with all our new gifts (the kids).

Gagi, Poppa and Auntie Jo came over early afternoon for another round of presents and then Christmas dinner. Thankfully I had decided previously to keep things simple and order a ham so there wasn't much cooking to do.

It was definitely a low key Christmas - an entire day of pajamas and comfy clothes and more recovery from our illnesses. Looking forward to a healthier New Year and hopefully making new Christmas traditions for our 2nd Texas Christmas. ;-)

December Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 18:10:00 +0000

This time of year is always a bit nuts but add in two school parties and one field trip and it gets real crazy. Not to mention I was silly enough to sign up to be room mom for both classes so I spent the last week of school running around for teacher gifts and things as well.

We started the last week of school decorating our gingerbread houses. I got smart and bought two this year so they could each do their own.

Wednesday Luke's class had a field trip to UNT in Denton to Elm Fork Educational Center. It was a long day but the kids had fun learning about all kinds of things - our solar system, fossils, and native Texas animals. I was so excited I got pick to chaperone since I missed Luke's field trip in Kinder. Lucky for me, I had to drive my own car so I didn't get to experience a bus ride with 60 first graders. ;-)

Emilee's Happy Birthday Jesus party was on Thursday and we actually had to leave early. She told me several times her tummy was hurting and I didn't want to take any chances so we came home. After an hour or so on the couch she was back to her normal self. But she was able to decorate the Christmas tree ice cream cone craft I had planned for the party.

Luke's party was Friday and it was a school-wide event called "SnowBall." Each grade level went to the gym for an hour where they had all sorts of fun games and activities - giant slide, face painting, a limbo contest. It was pure mayhem but so much fun.

And probably my most favorite thing about having school-aged kiddos, is the gifts they bring home. They are so proud of what they've made and can never wait for dad to get home for me to open it.

It was a crazy busy week and then we left for Louisiana the very next day so we are all thankful that there is no school for 2 weeks! Hooray! Looking forward to doing some fun Christmas activities at home and get ready to enjoy our first Texas Christmas. There's even a chance of snow!!!

Christmas in Louisiana

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 17:58:00 +0000

Now that we are only 3 hours from my grandma (or "grandma with the white hair" as Emilee calls her) it's important to us that we make the time to see her more often. And really, when visits were yearly at best, you can only go up! The last time we saw her was back in July when we first moved to Texas. It's hard to believe that was already 5 months ago!

The kids were SO excited to go see her. They have been counting down how many "sleeps" for the past week. They both LOVE sleeping in a hotel - even if that hotel is a Hampton Inn in Shreveport, Louisiana.

We drove up Saturday morning and stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch on the way in. After checking in, we headed over to grandma's house. Luke knew that grandma had presents for them so he pre-made a thank you card the night before. It was adorable and made my heart so proud that he is such a polite kid.

The kids gave grandma a photo desk calendar like they do every year. Grandma keeps photos of them all over her apartment so it's really the perfect gift.

Chris brought all our fishing gear so he and Luke could go fishing in grandma's lake. They stock the lake with bass and catfish for the residents to catch and release. I've never seen one other person fishing all the times we've been there - I'm convinced we're the only people that actually fish there.

Emilee and I stayed up with grandma for a bit due to the cold but eventually we ventured outside and I am so glad we did. We were all able to witness Luke catch his first fish! Back in July, Chris was the only one catching anything and ever since, Luke has been determined to catch one. He bated his own hook, cast his own line, and almost reeled in by himself. He was in pure shock that he actually caught one! He was SO proud of him and I know Chris was too.

Emilee tried fishing for a bit herself. She has no intention of catching anything - she just likes to have me cast the line and then she reels it in. Rinse and repeat.

After fishing we met up with Uncle Mark and Aunt Sherry for dinner at Cantina Laredo. Emilee was so sad after dinner when Uncle Mark volunteered to take grandma back to her apartment. I had to explain to her that we would see her again in the morning. She loves grandma so much - it's so neat to see their special connection.

The kids favorite thing after sleeping in the hotel, is eating at the hotel for breakfast. It's not great (mainly because it's free) but the kids love it. After breakfast, we packed up and headed over to see grandma before hitting the road.

I cherish each and every visit because at 92 years old, I know they are numbered. It makes me so happy to see her having a relationship with my kids and being involved in their lives like she was in mine. I only wish that my other grandparents had lived longer so they could all see my kids at this age too.

The kids were a bit crazy on the way home but crazy soon turned into pure exhaustion and they were fast asleep. A 3 hour drive doesn't seem like much but when you do it twice in 24 hours it's tiring. We were all so glad we were able to see her and that she's doing well but we were thankful to be home after a busy weekend.

Quick Trip to CA

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:18:00 +0000

My heart just couldn't handle one more missed tradition so when I stumbled across a cheap flight to CA a few months ago for the first week of December, I jumped at the chance. Madeline and I had tried to keep my visit a secret but we ended up spilling the beans to make sure everyone could get together for dinner while I was there.

I left the same afternoon as Em's Christmas performance. Straight from the preschool to the airport - but it wasn't too bad. We just so happened to have a crazy cold front move in that same day and after Chris and I dropped Em off at school, it started to SNOW! Well, tiny flurries that didn't really stick but it was snow nonetheless. This native CA girl was squealing in delight! I managed to snap a photo of one on the windshield to show Luke since he was in school.

It was definitely difficult dressing for the flight knowing I was leaving 30 degree temps and landing in 80 degrees. The Santa Ana winds have been so bad this year in CA and made for an extremely bumpy flight. Upon our decent, you could see all the wildfires burning around Southern California. Definitely one thing I don't miss about living there.

Madeline picked me up from the airport and I might have cried a little. It's been 5.5 months since we've seen each other - the longest we've ever been apart. And hopefully that's the longest streak we will ever have. ;-)

Friday morning we went out to breakfast after dropping off Cole at school. It was fun to see where his school was and how their morning routine goes - little bits of everyday life that I wouldn't ever see if we were still local. Mostly because I'd have my own everyday life going on.

We ended up at the mall (no surprise there) and then went to the movies. It was nice to just be together and catch up. Yes, we talk every day but something about doing a whole lot of nothing together face to face just can't be beat.

I had one request while I was there and that was to see our old house. I didn't really know how I would react upon seeing it but when we finally pulled up in front of it, I felt nothing. Absolutely zero sadness. It looked exactly the same - they had Christmas lights hung up just like we would have done. But it was most definitely no longer our home.

Friday night we had our annual girl's Christmas dinner. Instead of Secret Santa this year, we each brought 3 of our favorite things to share. I came home with some pretty fantastic things and I've already got my eye out for what next year's favorite thing might be!

Dinner lasted over 4 hours and it felt like no time had passed. I looked around at one point and it felt like it could have been any other girl's night and that Texas had never happened. And yet, part of me was missing Chris and the kids back in Texas. It's amazing to me how in such a short amount of time you can already disconnect from a place you've lived your whole life. "Home is wherever I'm with you" could not be a more true statement.

It did make me sad when it was time to leave - mainly because I'm not sure when I will see them all in person again. But we do have "20 year friendaversary" coming up this summer and I promised to always come back to CA for girl's Christmas dinner. It's too easy not too.

I was only gone for 40 hours but it felt like much longer. I was so excited to see Chris and the kids. And dare I say it, get back to Texas. And nothing says "Welcome Home, Mom" like Luke getting car sick and catching throw up in a baby doll diaper bag while leaning over the front seat on the way home from the airport. Ah mom life.

If anything, this trip taught me that my heart can belong to two places at once. Which makes me twice as blessed.

Emilee's 1st Christmas Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 19:55:00 +0000

Nothing gets me more emotional than a good old fashion school Christmas performance. And Emilee's first one was no different. Thankfully I still have one more year of preschool left otherwise I would have really been crying.

Emilee has been practicing her Christmas songs for weeks, no, months now. In fact, one of the songs she came home singing one day sounded super familiar. Turns out it was a song that Luke had sung for his preschool Christmas performance. It was just a sweet reminder that they may be at different schools but some things are still the same.

Something that is different and that I absolutely love is that Emilee's new school broke up the performance into several small groups. And then they have Christmas performances all throughout the week. Emilee's was Thursday morning at 10am. It was just her class and one other class up on stage. This let us be able to get a front row seat to see our girl without having to line up an hour before. And I think it helped the kids not get too overwhelmed by standing up on a huge stage and seeing hundreds of parents in the audience.

Her teacher had said to dress them in a plain white shirt and black pants. I thought it was a little strange at first (so long cute Christmas dress) but when they walked in and got on stage I just about died of cuteness. All of them were wearing Christmas light bulb costumes. Emilee was an adorable yellow light bulb!

They sang several songs - Em's favorites being "Oh What A Special Night" and "Hallelujah." She knew all the hand motions and sung her little heart out. She really does love to perform!

Daddy, Gagi, and Poppa all came to watch. And after the performance we were treated to cookies and juice with our little performer.

I loved getting to watch Emilee do something she loves. It really doesn't get much better than that! We are so proud of you and your heart for singing about Jesus, Emmy Grace. We love you!

Santa 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 18:40:00 +0000

It seems like just when I've recovered emotionally from one long-standing tradition, I get punched in the heart with another. Santa was no different. We missed out on the 7th annual Santa and Boudin trip but I have to say that Texas Santa didn't disappoint. While it was different and we missed our friends, it was so convenient to just walk down the street to go visit him!

One of the reasons we picked this community over others, was that they had so many fun lifestyle events for the residents. So when they had Santa and a professional photographer at the clubhouse last Saturday - we were all over it! No driving, no lines, and best of all a FREE photo! I don't missing paying $30 for one measly 5x7.

The kids loved it because not only was Santa there but there were Christmas cookies, continental breakfast items, and a hot chocolate bar!

They also had a holiday card making station set up. All of the cards the neighborhood kids decorated were going to be delivered to a local Children's hospital. Luke had fun drawing Santa and his sleigh knowing it was going to help cheer up a sick kiddo this Christmas.

Em talked a big game on the way over that she was no longer afraid of Santa and that "he just wants to give me presents" but I still had my doubts. She was very slow in walking up to him and once Chris put her on his lap she didn't move an inch! She was still very cautious but was able to whisper that she wants a "big, big dollhouse" for Christmas. Luke asked for the "biggest Nerf gun ever." Looks like the "everything's bigger in Texas" motto has really sunk in. ;-)

And lo and behold - I got an adorable photo of both kids smiling on Santa's lap. Em hasn't been on his lap since she was 3 months old! It's a Christmas miracle!

It was a fun morning socializing with our neighbors and crossing Santa photos off our holiday to do list. While it will never replace our long-standing wolfpack tradition, it sure was a good substitute.

Thanksgiving 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 18:08:00 +0000

This might be the world's longest Thanksgiving post but we crammed alot of Thanksgiving into the last few weeks!

We started out the celebration with a feast at Em's school. I love these preschool events and the only reason I wasn't super sad is because I know I still have one more year of preschool left. Thankful for that late birthday more and more as she gets older!

While we missed out on 4th annual Wolfpack Friendsgiving (but we did enjoy a Facetime during that made me so happy and so sad), we were invited to our neighbor's first annual Texas friendsgiving. They had always had a similar tradition back in Tennessee so they decided to bring it here to Texas with them. It was a great night of food and fun with our neighbors. Bonus was that we could walk to the party and back!

The Graves family flew in Tuesday to be with us for the week and the kids could not have been more excited! We have been trying to schedule a visit since August but work and school always got in the way. Thankfully everyone had time off around Thanksgiving.

It was so fun showing them all the great parts about our new city and state. Mainly all the amazing food we have here!

Thanksgiving morning I helped organize our neighborhood's first annual turkey trot 5k. It was a small group and more of a walk/run but we still had a blast. It was so chilly which was kind of nice. I definitely don't miss those 80 degree Thanksgivings back in CA.

Chris has been begging to smoke the turkey for a few years now and I finally decided to let him. It was nice to not have to be in charge of the bird for once. However, we almost had a turkey crisis the day before. Wednesday afternoon I opened up the turkey to give the giblets to Gagi to make the stuffing and the bird was totally rotten. Like rancid. I had a horrible cold all week and even I could smell it. Chris had to rush back over to Whole Foods and get a new turkey. I was leery of getting another turkey at that point but the butcher opened one up and checked it for us before sending it home with Chris. Crisis averted.

The kids helped me make apple pie and then went to the park with Auntie Amy while I finished up the rest of the food. The big hit of the week was the game "Sorry" - the kids were obsessed! Which is fine, because the adults loved it too.

The turkey was delicious and after dinner we were treated to a musical performance and dramatic reading about what the kids were thankful for. It was super cute. I love the ages they are at.

We attempted an all cousin sleepover in Luke's room the last night but Em proved once again she's just not quite old enough to hang with the big kids. Maybe next year sis!

It was such a fun week and went by so quickly. As most of our time does these days. We are all looking forward to our first Christmas in Texas. The kids are convinced it will snow and I may even be secretly hoping it does as well. We shall see!

Halloween 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 21:28:00 +0000

We started celebrating Halloween the Thursday before with Emilee's first holiday party at school. I had so much fun getting to attend her "harvest party" and I don't take for granted being able to stay home and experience these moments with our kids. It's such a fun, special age and I love seeing her interacting with her friends at school.

The Sunday before Halloween, we did our pumpkins. I think we carved pumpkins in record time this year. And I actually have proof that our kids NEVER help. They get all excited and bug us 100 times a day about carving pumpkins but when it's finally time to do it - they hang around for a few minutes and then wander off.

Emilee did manage to help scoop out Luke's pumpkin... one seed at a time. It was a tedious process but I was proud of her for getting her hands dirty. Luke still wants nothing to do with the slimy insides.

We went with the state of Texas (mainly because it was easy) and a unicorn for the 4 year old's current obsession.

For the past 5 years we've loaded up the kids and headed over to Yiayia's house for a pizza dinner and trick or treating. It's always loud, chaotic, and rushed but the kids have always enjoyed themselves and we knew this time together would be limited. With the kids in elementary school now, we knew there would come a day where they would want to trick or treat around their own neighborhoods... I just didn't expect those neighborhoods to be across the country from each other...

The weather was predicted to be cold and rainy all of Halloween afternoon. I was definitely afraid we would be stuck inside but the rain managed to stop around 4 and it was nice and cool out by the time we headed out at 6:30pm. Gagi and Poppa came over for a dinner of homemade chicken noodle soup and then stayed back at the house to hand out candy.

We met up with our neighbors, the Brashears family, and went around 3 of our streets... probably 1/3 of our neighborhood and even that took us a full hour. But because it was a school night and cold we didn't venture out any further. The kids had so much fun running from house to house with their friends. Our neighborhood is really such a special place... one family friend of ours was handing out full size candy bars, wine/alcohol refills for the adults, and had a bounce house inflated in their front yard. Everything's bigger in Texas, right?

While it was definitely different and we missed our CA friends fiercely, it was still fun and I think the kids enjoyed starting some new Texas Halloween traditions.

Patch 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 17:22:00 +0000

I've been avoiding this blog post just like I avoided the pumpkin patch for almost the entire month of October. I knew this time of year was going to be difficult - we have so many special, holiday traditions with our friends back in CA and I knew we would miss them so very much. We still have Friendsgiving and our Santa visit coming up so I'm sure it's not going to get any easier. But I have heard from other people that have moved away from best friends that the first year is the hardest... I'm hoping that's true.

Last weekend, we sucked it up and headed out to the local pumpkin patch. It was probably the most legit patch we've been to. Horses, farm animals, a mildly terrifying tractor ride (had I know it was going to go down a steep hill and back up I probably would not have gotten on the darn thing), hay maze, pony rides, and inflatables galore. This patch was different in that it charges a flat rate to do everything regardless if you want to or not. Back in CA we just picked the pumpkins and headed to our picnic dinner because we're cheap like that. $70 later here in TX and I think we experienced all this patch had to offer.

It was a fun Saturday morning and Luke asked if we were going to come back there every year now. I said probably but maybe not. I want to keep our options open... Maybe next year we can come back to CA for the 8th annual patch trip. If not next year, then definitely for the 10th annual.

And because we all know I LOVE a good collage of the same photo over the years... here's the last 5 years of us as a family of 4 at the patch:

Emilee F O U R

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 20:48:00 +0000

To My Sweet Emmy Grace,

FOUR! I'm totally a broken record saying how much I can't believe it but here we are - another year older! It feels like this last year flew by - even faster than the others. And just most recently, I feel like you're starting to totally lose your baby-ness. Since we moved to Texas, you've grown up before my eyes. It seems like I'm finding out new things about you everyday. You can dress and undress yourself now (and have all sorts of opinions about what you wear), hold full conversations about all sorts of things, use scissors like a pro, write your name, draw amazing pictures, and are basically a full on preschooler now. It's weird because I still think you are very much my baby... which you always will be... if in name only.

We had your 4 year check last week and you are 31 pounds and 38.5 inches tall... about 20% for both. Still on the smaller size of average but growing at a great pace - you've put on 3 pounds and grown 2.5 inches since last year. You're wearing a size 8 shoe and are just now fitting into 4T clothes. They are a bit big weight wise but fit well for your height.

You had to get 3! shots. I definitely wasn't expecting that. TX is different from CA in that they get all your shots done at 4 as opposed to splitting them up between age 4 and 5. It was super traumatic for you (and mom) but the good news is now you don't need anymore shots until you're 11 or 12. Whew!

You LOVE unicorns, princesses, and anything that glitters. You love wearing any kind of dress - the more sparkly the better. You love playing with any kind doll or figurine. Your imagination is truly amazing. Your favorite colors are "pink, pink dark (dark pink), and purple." Your favorite movie is Finding Dory. You love pizza and Chick Fil A and pancakes are your favorite thing for breakfast right now. Anytime you ask what we're eating for dinner you follow it up with, "is it tasty?" And even if it is, you probably still don't eat it. You love PB&J for lunch and you take salami and cheese to school since it's a nut-free zone.

You are loving your new school and I love hearing all about your day in the car on the way home. Your friends right now are Cadence, Isabelle, and Charlotte. Every night you ask me to lay with you and "talk about it." You love to snuggle and just chat about everything and anything in your life - such a girl!

You have a sweet disposition and are so empathetic to the thoughts and feelings of others. We went as a family to get flu shots this weekend and you cried real, actual tears when every single person got their shot. If you see another kid upset, crying, or hurt, you are so concerned and loving. I hope you never lose that.

Emmy Grace you are such a gift to our family. Your sweet and caring, sensitive soul is balanced perfectly with a little bit of sass. Watching you leave toddlerhood and enter into preschool this past year has been such a gift and your dad and I can't wait to see what this next year hold for you. We love you with all our heart sweet girl.

Love,

Mommy

Emilee's 4th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 18:56:00 +0000

A few days leading up to her birthday Em was sick with a stomach bug. It seemed to be the bug that just wouldn't quit but thankfully she was feeling fine the day of her birthday... and I wouldn't catch it until the week after. Yay!

The morning of her birthday, Em woke up to donut holes, balloons and a brand new Jasmine dress... which was hanging on her very own clothing rack that Luke and dad had spent all weekend making. And of course I forgot take a photo of it all...

When we moved back in June, I had plans to take Emilee to the American Girl store for her 4th birthday. I figured we wouldn't know enough people to have a party and shopping and lunch would be easier. But the closer we got to her birthday, the more I realized that we did know a few people in the neighborhood. And since we had planned on going to the pool and eating pizza as a family on her birthday - why not invite a few friends?

Well a few turned into 28! God has so graciously provided us an amazing community of people to do life with in just a short amount of time. We are so blessed by the families who took time on a school night to come and celebrate our baby girl! While we were missing our family and friends in CA, Emilee still had a great day celebrating 4!

When I asked Emilee what kind of party she wanted she asked for a Unicorn party so that's exactly what we had. Swimming at the pool, Costco pizza, and a horse cake from the grocery store. Yes, a horse cake. For whatever reason, the horn of the unicorn was completely missing? You better believe I went and complained... and got my money back for that one! So weird!

It was BY FAR the easiest party I have ever thrown and Emilee told me no less than 3 times that it was her "favorite birthday party ever." Her favorite gifts were for sure the Shopkins that Tabitha sent and the Elena dress that Gagi and Poppa bought.

We continued the celebrating the following week at school with Rice Krispy treats. I had originally made them but she was out sick the day we were supposed to bring them so store bought it was! She didn't seem to care - she just loved the special attention her teachers and classmates gave her. They even sung "Feliz Compleanos" in Spanish class!

It was a great time celebrating our favorite girl. It's hard to believe that next year she will be 5?!? That doesn't even seem possible but then again last year neither did 4...

Emilee's First Day of Preschool

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 19:04:00 +0000

It's so surreal to me that Emilee is now officially a preschooler. Yes, she went back in January for half a year but that was more of a bonus. This year is her first official start to her 2 years of preschool before Kinder.

I had originally signed her up for 3 days back in CA but TX does things a bit differently here. In CA she would have had one more year of private preschool (3 days a week) and then she would have been eligible for "Preppy K" through the district at our elementary school. Preppy K is 5 days a week, half day, just like Kinder.

Well in Texas, there is no "Preppy K," well there is but it's for ESL students and/or low-income families... which we are neither. So Emilee will do 2 years of private preschool. Preschool here is a longer day, from 9am-2pm. She eats lunch and also has "rest" at school. I thought this was a bit annoying at first but when I realized that Kinder here is FULL day then I understood the reasoning a bit more. And I kind of can't help but be glad she misses cutoff and will be 2 weeks shy of 6 when she starts Kinder - that's a long day for a barely 5 year old!

All this to say, Emilee is going to go Tues/Thurs this year and then 3 days next year before full day Kinder. I just wasn't ready to let her be at school 3 days a week ALL day plus the preschool we wanted to put her in only had a spot open in the 2 day a week class. So 2 days this year it is!

We went and met her teachers the week before and she loved every minute of it. I thought it was mostly because she kept saying "we're just looking today." She knew she didn't have to stay hence her excitement about it. Her teachers are so nice - Mrs. Marie and Mrs. Miranda. They gave Emilee a photo of them to take home and she slept with it the entire week leading up to her first day of school.

The night before she was SO excited. Like literally bouncing off the walls in anticipation. She helped me pack her lunch and get her backpack and nap mat ready by the door.

Her first day, daddy took Luke to school and then met us at her preschool. So we had to improvise with parent photos in the school parking lot. Oh well. I should also point out here that two days before the first day, she was swinging on a rope that helps form a line at a restaurant and fell face first onto the ground. Which gave her a nice fat bloody lip you can still see the remnants of in these photos.

She walked right into her classroom and put her things in her cubby and said, "bye mom!" This coming from the kid who still cries most of the time when I drop her off at Sunday School every Sunday at church. It was highly anticlimactic and I kind of didn't know what to do. The teachers encourage a quick goodbye as lingering tends to make crying worse. But I feel like I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye in the first place. She was in the classroom and that was it. See ya.

I'm happy she didn't cry and it made me realize that she really is growing up. Maybe because she's the baby but I don't know why I'm so surprised when she grows. From Luke I expect it - maybe because he's the first? I'd be lying if I said it didn't take me awhile to leave the parking lot. Her school is much further from our house than school and our house back in CA so it felt weird to leave and drive so far away.

I couldn't wait until 2pm to go pick her up. She was laying down on her nap mat when I came - not sleeping (no surprise there) but so excited to see me. She told me all about her day. She met a new friend named Charlotte - "not like baby Charlotte, Charlotte who wears a skirt." She told me she "didn't say hola or gracias." Which basically means she didn't go to Spanish today (they go on Tuesdays). She had a great first day and was genuinely sad when she realized she wasn't going back on Friday.

It will be interesting to see if the no crying trend continues. But she's already looking forward to Tuesday because they are celebrating her birthday that day and we're bringing treats for the class.

I hope you have the best year of school Emilee - daddy and I are so proud of the big girl you are becoming!

First Day of 1st Grade!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 19:10:00 +0000

New Year. New School. New Door.

I've been saying it all week and I'll say it again. Luke David you have no idea how brave you truly are. You have been nothing but excited to start 1st grade at a new school in a new state. You only told me once the weekend before school started that you were "just a little nervous." Mom on the other hand has been full of all kinds of anxiety for you.

When we started Brookhaven last year, I remember feeling so anxious and nervous - hoping that we were making the right choice in sending Luke there. And I left the last day of school there back in June crying big fat crocodile tears because I could not have LOVED that school more.

So when the anxiety started to creep in, I remembered that we were new last year and it all turned out just fine. God truly has our best interests at heart and I know that he has a great plan for Luke's life!

We met the teacher last Friday and she is so sweet and nice! I'm sure she thinks I'm a crazy lady with the 800 questions I peppered her with. I was so nervous especially since Kinder here is all day. And with us coming from CA, Luke would be adjusting to all day school this year including navigating the cafeteria. Turns out I didn't need to be worried at all!

I have to say, I'm totally loving our new front door backdrop. It gives me all the heart eyes. And what's even better is that when we were taking our "first day" photos outside our house, so was everyone else on our street. There are SO many young kids in our community and I just love that everyone goes to the same school! Luke has 5 first grade buddies between our street and the 2 streets next to us. It's pretty fantastic.

We parked and walked in the first day. Luke knew exactly where to put his backpack and sat right down and got to work. I stalled leaving as much as I could before I gave Luke a big hug and held back big tears as we left the room. He asked me if I would miss him and that pretty much did me in.

It was so strange not having him home all day. Our community put on a "moms and mimosas" event at the clubhouse that Em and I went to. It was a nice distraction but it felt weird not rushing out of there at 11 to go pick up.

But you better believe I was one of the first ones in car line anxiously awaiting him to get out of school. So eager in fact, that I was totally in the wrong spot. Even after studying the silly diagrams on the school's website. I was so embarrassed but the teacher on carpool duty told me I wouldn't be the first one. And Luke so kindly told everyone that called to ask about his first day that "mom parked in the wrong spot." Hey - I'm learning too!

Luke had the best first day. He told me all about the rules and a new friend "Chase" that has the exact same backpack. They stayed inside for recess because of the eclipse that was happening but they got to play "go noodle" which is something kinder did last year as well. I think Luke liked having something familiar. He told me all about the two art projects he did and how fun it was to eat lunch at school. And he couldn't wait to go back the next day and buy his lunch.

I'm happy to report that 2nd day pickup went much smoother and I was very much in the right spot! And car dropoff went good as well. I was nervous dropping him at the curb and I may have been the crazy mom who called the school office to make sure he made it to his classroom... I can neither confirm nor deny. ;-)

I am so excited for this school year and the community that we live in. It's definitely an answer to our prayers!

Our Journey to Texas Part III

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 21:04:00 +0000

The conclusion - hooray!

After picking up our keys we headed straight to the house. The kids had only seen photos so they were so excited to go inside and see everything in person. More excited than they look in this photo - I promise!

We anticipated the moving van showing up on Monday so we had a few days to be squatters in our own home. Turns out the day after the truck left our CA house, the cab caught fire! A big enough fire to total the cab and our driver had to wait for a rental. We are so thankful that none of our stuff was damaged and that the driver was safe.

So long story short, we ended up being in our house for a full week without ANY of our stuff. Just what Chris packed in the car and the suitcases we brought with us on the plane. It was hard, to say the least. I think I cried a few times about it. But we made the best of it. We spent almost every day at the pool because it was pretty much the only thing we could do. But this also led us to meeting so many new neighbors. One of which, was thoughtful enough to bring us dinner one night. To say that was the best tasting baked ziti I've ever had would be an understatement.

To make things even more interesting, Em woke up our 3rd night saying she was "spinning." I finally figured out she was dizzy! And soon after, she complained her left ear hurt. A long sleepless night spent googling local urgent cares and we were on our way as soon as one opened in the morning. A diagnosis of "swimmer's ear" (infection) and a script for antibiotic drops was just what the doctor ordered. And if you were reading earlier, all we had been doing was swim because that's all there is to do with no tv and no toys. So with swimming out of the question for a few days, we headed to the movies and saw Despicable Me 3.

We spent the 4th of July at a local country club with a sorority sister and her family. I don't think I could have picked a better first holiday for us to celebrate in Texas. The fireworks were phenomenal and it was nice to be out of our house and not stressing about our stuff. Can't get more American than Texas, right?

After the 4th, we ran tons of random errands and countless trips to Target and the grocery store for things I can't seem to ever remember. We had to buy Chris a car (which was also quite the adventure dragging 2 kids to numerous car dealers) but finally found one we both liked and could afford.

We experienced our first (and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th) thunderstorm the first week we were here. The lightning is crazy - like paparazzi and the thunder is LOUD. The kids slept through it every time - I was the only one wide awake and terrified. It even hailed. Which Luke called "snow." Nothing like the threat of hail to get you to organize your garage and pull your car in just in time.

It's been hard being in limbo with no real schedule. Especially for this live by my planner, die hard type A gal! But it was also nice having endless uninterrupted family time together. I don't know when Chris will ever have 3 weeks off again. (And he may not want to at this point! Ha!) Countless memories have been made in these past 3 weeks and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

It's still an adjustment, we still have boxes to unpack, and there's way too many rooms totally empty for my liking - but for now, it's home. I know I said at the beginning that this was the "conclusion" of our journey but I have a feeling it really truly is only the beginning...

Our Journey to Texas Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 20:40:00 +0000

This is where the journey splits into 2 I suppose - Chris and the kids and I. Chris drove 11 hours all day Tuesday from Placentia to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He would text me state signs as he past them.

And then Wednesday he drove from New Mexico through Amarillo and down on into Dallas. Thursday morning he was able to walk the house with the builder one final time and then pick the kids and I up from the airport. I will admit I totally teared up when I saw him. All sorts of emotions that week.

Tuesday morning after we left the house we headed to Madeline's house. She was so gracious to take the 3 of us in for 2 nights. We thought it would be so fun with the kids and it was, but it was also total utter chaos. I think we underestimated their abilities to be crazy loud and crazy messy. Ha!

We had one last wolfpack play date at Yiayia's house. It was so fun swimming and being all together even if it was just for a few hours. More than a few tears were shed when we left.

It's true that we haven't seen each other weekly for a few years now but our annual traditions will always leave a hole in my heart. The holidays will definitely be rough knowing we are missing out on patch, friendsgiving, and our visit to Santa. I figured we'd be doing that well into the kids teen years. To say I never saw any of us moving away, much less us, would be a gross understatement.

Mad and I took the kids to see Cars 3 Wednesday morning. We had the entire movie theater to ourselves. Which was good because the kids were SO loud!

Early Thursday morning we headed off to the airport. We had to pick Poppa up on our way so Gagi's car would get back home. There was more traffic that we had anticipated and the kids and I managed to check our bag, clear security, and walk to our gate just in time to board our flight. It was a little too close for comfort.

The kids haven't flown since Maui 2 years ago so I was a little nervous how they would do. And I've never flown by myself with them so that was also anxiety-inducing. Thankfully I had nothing to fear - they were great. 3 bathroom trips, a ton of shows on their iPads and a million snacks later, we landed in Dallas!

It was so great to finally be reunited in our new home state! Naturally we didn't want to break tradition, so we headed straight to Whataburger. We were all starving. Then it was on to the escrow office to sign our closing paperwork and get our keys!

Our Journey To Texas Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 20:15:00 +0000

I'm pretty sure this would be the longest blog post ever if I tried to do it all in one... so 2, possibly 3 parts it is.

Sunday night we spent with family at Grandma and Bampa's house having dinner and hanging out. All we were missing was our Virginia family. It was definitely bittersweet not knowing when we would all be together again.

Sunday night was also our last night in our beds in the house. I snuck in and took some photos of the kids sleeping. It was so emotional realizing these were the only 4 walls they had ever known. I know that even if we were moving down the street I would probably still feel that way but it was bittersweet nonetheless.

The moving van showed up bright and early Monday morning, June 26th. It was a very long and very exhausting day. Trying to facilitate the movers and keep two small children occupied wasn't the easiest task. I took Em to CFA for lunch to get her out of the house and ended up missing the truck leaving. It was weird to come home and all of our stuff was gone.

We had one final family pizza night and then everyone slept on the floor. The kids started out in their own rooms but eventually crept into ours as the night went on. I really enjoyed having all 4 of us in one room on our last night there.

We all woke up bright and early to see dad off (and because he needed to pack our blankets in the car). I don't know who had it more rough - Chris driving for 2 days straight or me trying to wrangle two kids for 2 days and through the airport alone. It was going to be exhausting all around. After Chris left, the kids and I headed to Starbucks for breakfast because it was literally the only place open so dang early.

We came back to the house to load up the car and say our final goodbyes. I couldn't help it and tried not to, but I cried hysterically in front of the kids. 9 years of memories, 9 years of this house being our "home." We all grew up here. Chris and the kids, literally, and myself as a wife and mother. I know we will make new memories but it's very hard to imagine things in the future. Luke cried a bit too when he saw me crying, telling me he was going to "miss our California house."

It was definitely strange pulling away from 137 Beal for the last time. Even more strange doing it alone, I really wish Chris was there with us so we could all say goodbye together. But we managed all right.

My Kinder Grad!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 21:30:00 +0000

As of last week, I officially have a first grader! I cannot believe that Luke's Kindergarten year is finished. I was emotional all last week for all the "lasts." Every day I walked him to school I had to hold back tears, knowing that it would soon be my last. Our school in Texas isn't walking distance and I know most schools aren't. I really have cherished our walks in the mornings and will so miss those. It will forever be in my brain - seeing Luke a few steps ahead of me carrying his red and black Paw Patrol backpack... ok, enough with that.

Last Monday night, Luke had his end of year music show. The entire show was a year review about all their favorite things. They sang the most adorable songs and Luke got to end the show with his line, "Thank you teachers and parents for making kindergarten such a wonderful year." It was great.

Wednesday they had a pizza and snow cone party. Gagi came and watched Emilee for a bit so I could go help out. It was fun to see Luke running around with his friends one last time. And his teacher and I got to chat a bit... and cry a bit together. This move is truly bittersweet.

Thursday was his last day of school and I was so emotional. When it came time for pick up I practically ran back to our car so I wouldn't cry in front of the other parents.

I remember this time last year, I was SO unsure of our decision to send Luke to Brookhaven. Which now seems completely silly because it really is the BEST school. It was exactly where Luke needed to be and the Kinder program there can't be beat. His teacher, Mrs. Grijalva, works so hard to make Kinder such a magical place. Not only did he learn so much (I mean his writing alone is night and day) but he had fun doing it.

And if I wasn't emotional enough, they sent home a DVD photo slideshow of the entire year. Of course Luke wanted to watch it and of course I cried my eyes out. Kinder really is a special year, I think I would have been sad even without our move. 1st grade seems so old and official to me. "Real school." HA! I've been praying daily that Luke will have just as great an experience at his new school as he did at Brookhaven. Go Bears!

Emilee's 1st Year of Preschool

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 21:15:00 +0000

Emilee's last official day of preschool was last week. And even though she only went half a year, I can't believe how much she has grown! In just 6 short months, I have seen her learn so much, become so much more confident, and really start to talk our ears off.

It was a rough start with her crying every time I dropped her off. But she was always smiling at pick up and couldn't wait to go back again. If only to repeat the crying. She did well for the middle few months but the last month or so, started crying at drop off again. I think with the move and Chris and I being gone back to back weekends, her separation anxiety was high, and for good reason.

Her teacher sent me a ton of photos she had taken of her during the year and they make my heart so happy. It broke my heart a little to leave her crying every day but I can see from these photos she had the best time once I left.

Little Friends Preschool will always hold a special place in my heart. Luke was there for 2 years and we had planned to send Emilee there again in the fall (before we made the decision to move.) I'm praying that we can find a preschool in Texas that we love just as much. I cried the last day of Pre-K for Luke and I cried on Em's last day last week. It really is such a great place. The teachers and staff have loved and cherished my kiddos as if they were their own. We will miss you Little Friends!

We Bought A House!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 21:04:00 +0000

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've blogged. April - June is nuts anyways around here and adding in buying/selling a home AND moving across country and well, it really is crazy town.

Chris and I went to Texas over Memorial Day weekend to buy a home. We were only there for 4 days which seems like a long time but when you're buying a house, that is barely enough time. I felt like we were house shopping on speed!

We flew in on Thursday and of course made a beeline for the nearest Whataburger - we can't help it! It's tradition!

We had dinner at our new favorite local spot, Sixty Vines. Our waiter joked with us that we found the
"most California" restaurant in all of Plano... and we kind of have to agree. The food is delicious and the wines on tap don't hurt!

Friday morning we were able to meet Chris' new boss for lunch and then it was time for the hard work! Find a house! It would have been so fun to build from scratch but Chris and I definitely didn't want to have to move twice and I couldn't imagine living in an apartment with 2 kids for 6-7 months. So we decided to go with a move-in ready home. It's "move-in" ready and the builders normally discount them significantly to sell them quickly.

From our visit back in February, we had narrowed it down to two communities, Hollyhock and Windsong Ranch. They are basically across the street from each other even though one is in Frisco and one is in Prosper.

I think back now and I realize that the house we bought was one of the first ones we looked at! We didn't even look at this specific builder back in February because they were out of our price range. But over the past few months, the builder had reduced the price of the homes, putting them right in our budget!

We found 2 serious contenders and then it was over to Windsong Ranch. I think we looked at over 10 homes in that community alone. But nothing we really "loved." I thought for sure we would end up buying in there but it just goes to show - you never know!

Still Friday night... you tired yet? And Chris and I went back to Hollyhock to look at our 2 favorites again. One I loved and one he loved. We definitely needed to sleep on it. As we were leaving, we were scoping out the pool area and happened to talk to a few of our would-be neighbors. 2 of the 3 families there have boys going into 1st grade in the fall! They were so welcoming and friendly and couldn't say enough great things about the community. I think they sold us on Hollyhock more than the official sales people did.

We came back on Saturday morning to make our decision. It was really tough but in the end we went with Chris' favorite. I have to write that down so there is proof I let him win some things... sometimes. ;-) It is a bit bigger than I wanted and I'm not crazy about the flooring but it's growing on me and I absolutely LOVE the kitchen. It has the exact same counter tops that we just put in during our remodel last year! I figure we'll just have empty rooms for a year or two as it's going to take us that long to furnish the darn thing.

So if you're keeping track we shopped for and bought a home in the span of about 18 hours. We thought it would take us so much longer! We ended up at the movies Saturday afternoon seeing Guardians of the Galaxy with our leftover free time. It was a nice breath of fresh air!

It was quite the whirlwind trip but we are SO excited for our upcoming move and the many memories we will make in our new home. Now... to finish packing!!!

Texas like a Thomas

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Sun, 21 May 2017 18:46:00 +0000

Back in March, I had posted about our possible relocation to Dallas, Texas. With everything that's been going on, it's been hard to find the time for an update but the good news is, that means there's stuff to update on!

Chris applied first to large corporations. He went through several rounds of interviews with one company but they were in no rush to hire (and we still haven't heard any more from them at this point - not meant to be). So, he sent out his resume to about 8 paving contractors in the Dallas area. I feel like it's important at this point to mention that these companies were not actively hiring. Chris merely sent his resume and an email expressing his interest to relocate his family to the Dallas area. By the end of the same day he sent the emails, he had heard back from 3! The first company to contact Chris was a mere 2 hours after the email was sent and the owner had already coordinated with Chris to do a phone interview the following day!

With 3 companies wanting to interview him, we decided to plan a trip out to Dallas. To keep costs down, Chris would go alone and literally be there for 36 hours. Thankfully, Bampa decided to join Chris on his little whirlwind trip so he wasn't entirely alone.

We decided to go ahead and put the house up for sale knowing that there would be a good chance he would come home from Dallas with at least one job offer. We had a contingency in our purchase agreement that we would only sell the house if we accepted employment in Texas.

The house officially hit the MLS Thursday night, May 4th. We then had 14 different showings between Friday and Sunday morning. 2 formal offers later, and our house sold for above list price Sunday evening - 3 days later!

Chris left for Dallas that Monday evening and after 3 interviews, he was offered all 3 jobs. Our house sold and we were offered employment all in the span of about 5 days. God was definitely moving and quickly! Chris was able to accept employment at the company of his choice and we are officially in escrow on our house.

This week is when everything will be finalized with the buyers of our home so we are hoping for a good outcome and we don't have to start the selling process over again. God has orchestrated everything in his perfect timing already and I know that he will continue to do so.

We are headed out to Dallas on Thursday to hopefully find and purchase a home there. To say we are excited is an understatement. But we are also sad, nervous, anxious. It really is bittersweet. Going is exciting but leaving friends and family behind is sad. But I know without a doubt that this is the path God has for our family and so we are walking forward in faith, being obedient to his calling.

Just a little fun fact: When Chris and I were in Dallas back in February, we were searching for local paving companies on the ipad one night in the hotel room. The first company website we found was called Colt Concrete. Their about page reads:

"We exist to solve problems for our customers better than anyone else and create a phenomenal place for people to work, grow and provide for their families."

I immediately said to Chris, "you need to work for a company like this!" Well turns out, Colt Concrete is now Chris' new employer! It's amazing to me how God works in our life in the biggest and smallest details. We are so excited for the adventure that is to come!

Mother's Day 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Tue, 16 May 2017 18:26:00 +0000

Back in January, I told Chris all I wanted for Mother's Day and my birthday was to register for the Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathon. I have never run a 1/2 by myself and what better 1/2 to run than one through Disneyland... on Mother's Day? I know, still a bit crazy.

Chris ran the OC 1/2 marathon the week before - his 3rd time running it! Except this year it was in the POURING rain. Needless, to say I was thankful that I didn't sign up for that race!

Mother's Day was a beautiful day - maybe a high of 70. Although the race starts so early (5:30am) it wouldn't have really mattered the temperature because I was done before any heat could even set in.

I knew Disney races are popular but I had NO idea just HOW popular. There were so many people!!! I had to submit an official time to be placed in a corral. I was assigned corral B based on my 2:08 OC half marathon time from last year. The corrals went all the way back to G!

Literally people ALL the way back in that photo - nuts right? I found out the day before an old friend and sorority sister was also running the race so we met up before to chat and stretch. By the time I parked, went to the bathroom, and got to my corral I think I had about 5 minutes before the race started - even with getting there an hour before!

The first 5 miles or so are through Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. It's really neat to run through the back lot areas. All the cast members are lined up with pompoms and noise makers cheering you on. They had characters out to meet but the lines were ridiculous - I'm running a race here!!!

Miles 6-10 are all through downtown Anaheim and super boring. I always manage to hit a wall around mile 8-10 and normally my IT band flares up at that point. Thankfully, I had been going to my chiropractor the week prior and he was able to tape me for the race. I was so happy that my leg didn't hurt at all during the race!!! I was able to run the entire thing!

The last mile is always so hard no matter the distance of the run it seems. I was about 2 tenths of a mile away from the finish when I spotted Chris and the kids. It was such an unexpected surprise and just the push I needed to run it in!

I was SO happy when I finished. Because I was able to run the entire race pain free, I knew that I should have been close to a new PR but alas, 2:12 was my time and I was 4 minutes short of my personal best. I was disappointed but this running gig is a lifetime journey and I have many races ahead of me to chase down that PR!

It was awhile before Chris and the kids could get to me at the finish line. I finally had to sit down because my legs were starting to cramp up. It took everything I had to choke down 1/2 a banana to get some fuel into my system.

The kids couldn't stop telling me how proud they were of me. It was adorable. We had planned to have breakfast at Goofy's kitchen after. In hindsight, I should have made our reservations for a little later. It was so soon after the race and I wasn't hungry at all. I definitely didn't get my money's worth. And my appetite didn't really come back until dinner.

But the kids had the best time. Em was still afraid of Goofy but Minnie was her new best friend! She also wasn't so sure of Chip and Dale at first but she warmed up to them. The kids loved the Mickey waffles and that I let them ice cream at 9 in the morning.

It was a super fun morning except for Chris and the kids getting stuck trying to exit the parking structure for 2.5 hours. No joke. I felt so bad for them. But the kids and Chris handled it way better than I would have. After a necessary bathroom break and treats for being such good sports - they finally came home.

I rested pretty much all afternoon and we kept it low key with dinner at a local pizza place. It was an exhausting Mother's Day but in the best way possible. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day!

Great Wolf Lodge

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Mon, 01 May 2017 20:53:00 +0000

I think I've mentioned it before but Luke chose a night at the Great Wolf Lodge over a big birthday party this year. I was hoping he would pick the staycation over the party because A. it's less work for mom and B. it's way more fun for the whole family.

To say we've been looking forward to this little trip would be an understatement. It's been a stressful, tension-filled few months around here lately what with the job uncertainty and pending move, so it was so nice to get away for 24 hours and forget all about all that adult stuff.

I don't know who was more excited - Luke or Emilee. We counted down every morning all week and when Thursday finally came both kids woke up screaming "Great Wolf Lodge!" Both kids went to school that morning so I could finish some stuff around the house and pack.

Luke came home with an extra special friend, Brownie Bear. I kid you not, he's been waiting ALL year long for his turn to be "special bear" for the week. He literally was the 2nd to last kid to get his turn. When he still hadn't been picked a few weeks ago I emailed his teacher to see if we could have Brownie Bear the same week as Great Wolf Lodge. Because we have to take photos and fill out a journal, I thought it would be a great weekend for him to come home with us! Luke however, thought it was total coincidence and couldn't believe that he got to take Brownie bear home the same weekend as the Great Wolf Lodge. ;-)

The first thing we did was hit the water park. The kids had the best time going up the stairs and down the slides for almost 2 hours. It was neat to see how much Emilee had grown since we were there last year. Yes, Luke was a full year older too but there's a big difference between 2.5 and 3.5 years old. At least I think so.

After a few hours in the water park, we had dinner at the pizza place and then played in the arcade. I think that was Emilee's favorite activity. She loved collecting all the tickets. Luke picked out a slinky as his prize and Emilee picked a hot dog pen. Best money we ever spent. I think she played with that pen the entire time we were in the room - there wasn't enough paper for her to write on! We ended the fun with some ice cream.

After dinner, we took baths, changed into our pj's and headed back down to the lobby for the PJ dance party. I love the different activities they have planned for the kids. It was fun to get our wiggles out before bed. But I think it only wound my kids up because they definitely didn't go to sleep until close to 9pm. It makes me glad they don't share a room at home - they giggled and talked for a good hour after we put them "to bed."

The next morning we had donuts for breakfast, did a little yoga, and then it was back to the waterpark. Luke conquered his fears and went down several of the bigger water slides. He said that they were "fun" but when asked if he wanted to ride them again, it was a firm "no." Mom even conquered her fears and rode a couple of the crazy ones - like a head first racing water slide and a giant funnel slide.

The best part of Friday was that Gagi, Poppa, Grandma, and Bampa came to join us! Grandma and Bampa pretty much rode every slide in the place. I think they enjoyed it as much as the kids. Gagi and Poppa opted to stay dry and took a tired, water-logged Em to go play more in the arcade. (And win her another hot dog pen - no joke.)

We ended the afternoon with more ice cream because why not? It was such a long day but I know that everyone had an absolute blast. Luke is already asking when we can go back and Emilee has decided that she wants her birthday at Great Wolf Lodge too.

Luke is SIX!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 17:16:00 +0000

To My Sweet Luke,

I was waiting for your 6 year well visit for your stats before writing this letter. But let's be honest, I was waiting because it's becoming increasingly hard to sum you up in one short letter. Each year you learn and grow and with that comes more sides to the amazing personality God has given you and what makes you, well you!

You are 45 pounds and 45.5 inches tall, about 50% for both. No shots this year which you were very excited about. You told the doctor all about our upcoming trip to Great Wolf Lodge. So much so that I think you convinced her to take her own kids soon! What can we say? It really is a fun place! You have lost 2 teeth! The first in January and the second last month. You currently don't have any more that are loose but all 4 of your 6 year molars have broken the surface. Your bottom two front big boy teeth have already filled in the gaps and look HUGE next to the rest of your baby teeth. Big boy teeth here we come!

You are absolutely LOVING kinder and so is mommy. It really is a special time and you have had the most fantastic teacher this year (Mrs. Grijalva). I can remember feeling so overwhelmed this time last year about our decision to send you to Brookhaven but I 110% believe it was the best decision we could have made. You have learned so much this year but more importantly have had fun doing it!

You know 50+ sight words right now and can read most of the BOB books we have. You are awesome at math and tell me that's your favorite part of school, besides recess. At recess, you can be found digging in the dirt working a "job" with your friends. I'm not sure what you will do when there is no sandbox at recess next year. Your best buddy at school is Jacob but I hear about Jule and Ramsey too. Basically anyone who wants to play in the sandbox is a friend.

Your favorite color is still "dark blue." You love to eat Chick Fil A (who doesn't) and pizza. You no longer order a kid's meal but a chicken sandwich and can easily eat the entire thing. Macaroni and cheese is also a favorite. Still not a fan of vegetables but you love sharing mom's smoothie in the morning and you know it has spinach in it and you love it anyways. You love to watch any sort of construction or "how it's made" show on TV. It's crazy to think the TV shows you used to watch and love aren't even on your radar anymore. Your favorite movies right now are Trolls, Moana, and Wall-E (I think he's been on your list for awhile).

Legos are still number 1 around here as the favorite toy and I don't see that ending any time soon. I love the creations you make all on your own during quiet time. You will see a truck on the road and then that afternoon it's built in lego form. My favorite recent creation was a tree trimming truck complete with a set of trees to trim! Your imagination is off the charts! You also really like to draw - trucks, plans, construction jobs. You drew out your entire birthday wish list one night after bed. Your handwriting has improved so much in the last few months and your kinder spelling is totally adorable.

We are playing baseball again this year - coach pitch. You started off the season deathly afraid of the ball but I think we've finally conquered that fear. Your throwing and catching has improved ten fold. Daddy is helping coach this year so it's been extra fun to watch you both!

I know I say this every year but I cannot believe how big you are getting! 6 to me seems so very old. 1/3 of your life here at home with daddy and I is gone! Cue the waterworks. You are so smart, funny, and hard working. You are very stubborn/determined and once you've set your mind on something, you are relentless. I hope you never lose that perseverance! You love to play (and fight) with your sister. You are a great helper around the house. I'd love to keep you little but it seems that each year you are on this earth it just gets better. So in that sense, I'm very excited to continue watching you grow. Daddy and I love you oh so very much!

Love,

Mommy

An Easter Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashlee @ Growing Up A Thomas) — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 20:47:00 +0000

As with all Spring birthdays, there's a good chance that Easter might fall on your birthday at least once in your life. Luke's due date was the day before Easter that year, so we could have had an Easter baby then. But he joined us a week early and the rest is history! I remember looking up when Easter fell on his birthday when he was barely a few weeks old and thinking 6 seemed so far away. And here we are! And just a little fun fact: Easter will fall on his birthday again when he's 17 and then not again until he's 70 something. I'm sure I'll blink and we'll be celebrating 17. #holdme

We started Easter birthday prep on Saturday coloring some eggs. It's become our tradition to wait until the last possible day it seems. Oh well.

Since Luke chose to go to Great Wolf Lodge for his birthday instead of having a party, I took him to Party City over Spring Break and let him decorate however he wanted for our Easter lunch. Out of all the characters, colors, and themes he chose baseball, Dodgers baseball to be precise.

He had the best time decorating the house Saturday night. He told Chris and I exactly where he wanted everything to go and how he wanted it all to look. Wonder where he gets that from? ;-)

Luke's first birthday wish was for breakfast in bed. He specifically asked for "a long donut with 6 candles and ask the donut man to write my name on it. Oh and eggs." So you better believe I bought icing at Target last week so I could make all his donut personalizing dreams come true. I also had to buy a breakfast tray because we don't even own one! Ha!

I think he was so excited it was his birthday, he forgot that he got an Easter basket too! Our stay at Great Wolf Lodge was our big gift but we also bought him a new big kid scooter for his birthday. He zipped around the house all morning until he ran into his sister and we made him put it outside! Ha!

Traditional pre-church pics outside the house were twice as long because I had to take birthday photos as well. Both kids were way over my picture taking but I managed to get a few good ones. I can't even with the poses Emilee comes up with.

After church, we had everyone over for lunch. It was the first time since the year Luke was born that we had the Van Fleets up for Easter. My kids were so excited to have some egg hunting competition. I barely got any photos of Luke hunting for eggs because he was racing around the front yard.

As if there wasn't enough of a sugar high with all the eggs grandma filled, we had a baseball shaped ice cream cake for dessert. Mint chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate cake. Another specific birthday wish fulfilled.

I thought Luke would be upset he had to share his birthday with Easter but he couldn't have been more excited. He declared it the best birthday ever! It really was a fun family-filled day and we can't wait to celebrate next week with our staycation to the Great Wolf Lodge. Happy 6th Birthday Luke David - we love you more than words can say!