Luke has conquered K4!!

Luke graduated from K4 today. Summer has started.  I plan on taking the kids to a splash park and getting the boys into some swimming lessons. Luke said he wants a scooter, so I told him, if he learns to swim this summer, I will get him a scooter. Not sure if it's a wise thing to do, but I've got to find some kind of motivation for him! He's terrified of swimming and doesn't want to learn how to swim. He won't leave the steps even with floaties on. It's a source of frustration for me, as I just don't understand it. I loved swimming when I was a kid (and still do). It seems silly to me for my kids to NOT know/learn how to swim. I don't want my children to fear the water. So much fun can be had on the water! This is the summer they will both learn to swim! Here's a pic of Luke with 2 of his buddies from K4:

Texas Bluebonnets and Ava turned 1!

Ava's 1st birthday was April 22nd. My baby girl turned 1!

This was taken in Texas in a little patch of wild bluebonnets.  Ava fits right in there, huh? :0)

Here are Luke and Drew (who had a minimal amount of patience with me taking their picture!):

Luke

Drew

All 3 kids, really hating me now! Sorry guys, but you look so good in TEXAS BLUEBONNETS!

Pics from my NIKON 3000

I have had so much fun (and frustrations!) playing with all the settings on my new camera...

Here are a few pics that I took on Sunday

Luke loves helping me weed the flower beds

Ava is having fun seeing how close she can get while I try to take her picture!

Awww.... my cute golden, Chief.

My red knockout roses are in full bloom! I love roses.

My Yellow Rose of TX plant finally has buds on it! I can't wait to see them in all their glory!

My garden is planted in a box. I have corn, squash, zuccini, and yellow, red, and green bell peppers.

If you're wondering where Drew is, well... he hates having his picture taken and none of them turned out very well. He is a bit of a stinker! Although, he is now fully potty trained! YAY! No more diapers (for him anyway)!

Oh, and by the way, I have started back up on my treadmill! It feels so good to work out! Well, after it's over, it feels good! LOL!

Til Next Time ~Amy~

I'm BAAA-AAACK!

AHHHHH!!!! After a month of traveling to PA, TX, and back to PA, I'm back into 'blogger mode'!

Working out has taken a backseat to traveling and getting settled back into the groove of real life! I am starting my regiment back up today of working out on my fantastic treadmill 2x's a day... I'm ready!

One thing I HAVE to share today : For Mother's Day, the chubby hubby got me a Nikon D3000!!!!!

Wowza!!!!  I am so in love with this camera! what an awesome Mother's Day present! I've messed around with the settings and take a few pics, but I need to read my manual and practice some more.

This week I will try to update the blog on all my travels, Ava's 1st birthday, and whatever else pops up in my life!

Week 1- Completed!

I successfully completed my first week of working out on my treadmill! I feel so good about it! And, although I know this will be a slow and gradual process, I can already tell my body is getting into shape. Physically, I feel more comfortable and mentally, I feel good about myself. This is so exciting!

On a potty training note, Drew is doing great! He's totally motivated by M&M's and even making bubbles in the toilet... LOL! Hopefully, by the end of this week, diapers will only be used at night time.

I am meeting up with my friend Kelty (who lives in NC) in Savannah this weekend to see 2 of our friends, Becky and Sarah. Becky just moved there from here and I really miss her!!!! Sarah has lived in Savannah for about a year now... She's preggers with twins, a boy and a girl. Her hubby is deployed and she's raising an 18month old. What a handful!  I'm really looking forward to this weekend. It's the first time I'll be away from all my kids and husband for a whole weekend! What a treat this will be! Hopefully, I'll have some great pics to share when I get back.

One of my goals for 2010

I've just begun working on one of my goals for 2010. I want to lose weight. I know. I've said this about a million times. BUT, I just got a new treadmill and I really like it! My goal is to get on it 2x's a day for 30 minutes.

This is the one we got and it has a fan that blows in your face! LOVE IT! Also, I can get these little 'ifit' things to plug into it and  it'll do some kind of training with me. How cool is that?!? I haven't used it yet, but I will soon!

Also, I've started a low-fat diet (thanks to my hubby and son having high cholesterol), so that should only help me out! I don't have a goal weight... which maybe I should. But, my main goal is to lead a healthier lifestyle. :0)
I've also just started potty training my 2 1/2 yr old. I LOATHE, HATE, DESPISE potty training. So far it hasn't been the terrible experience it was with my first son, but it still sucks! We are going potty every 10-15 minutes. YUCK! I have to look to the end of the week and hope that I will have a potty-trained child and he will no longer be wearing diapers! Now that is one BIG YAY!!!

The Most Wonderful Place on Earth...

Yesterday, the kids and I took my brother- and sister-in-law to the most wonderful place on earth: McClelland's Critters. We had a wonderful time feeding the one-hump camel, Henry, lots of goats, the bison and cows, and miniature horses.

After we fed the animals, we were guided by Mr. Mike, the owner. He showed us Simba, the African Lion, and the 2 Lionesses

He also has beautiful Siberean Tigers

The sweetest most adorable animal there was a 2 week old baby Black Bear! We got to hold him and he was ADORABLE!!!

We will definately be going back as soon as possible! There is a mountain lion, tiger, and monkey that will all be having babies soon, too! I can't wait to see them! If you have an opportunity to go to McClelland's Critters, you should definately go!

Mr. Mike hand feeds his animals and has a lot of interaction with them! He  has such a love and respect for the animals and it's evident by the way these creatures respond to him!

Ok, so now that you know how much I LOVE McClellands ;0)...

I made the cinnamon rolls out of my new cookbook. They were a huge hit and I'll be making TONS more to store in the freezer for weekend treats and to give to deserving loved ones! :0)

MM...mmm....MM good!

This past week, my hubby's brother and his wife came from Maryland to visit us! We had a wonderful time. We visited the Aviation Museum at Ft. Rucker, went to McClellands Critters, and I tried out lots of new recipes on them... They were good sports and liked just about everything I cooked! It was a fun time and we look forward to visiting with them again!