Happy Helpers!

We decided to give the Sami a much-needed bath before we take it for its next adventure! Edee was more than happy to help when she learned the task involved her in a bathing suit with full control of the water hose!
She did a pretty good job of spraying the Sami and not everyone around her!
That is until Reed came out! I said, "Please don't spray Brother," and I think I gave her the idea! He decided to join the fun and and the bucket of bubbles was their favorite gathering spot!
I think this counts as a summertime bath, don't you??

Once Upon a Time...

(*Please excuse these horrible images! I couldn't get the scanner to work and my resident computer tech is out working! I had to resort to taking pictures of pictures with my phone!*)


Once upon a time, there was a couple of crazy college kids that shared similar majors and a love for live music. Although the athletic mountain biker pursued the silly sorority girl, she didn't come to her senses until eight years after their initial meeting! Once she realized the error of her ways, the two became inseperable and they knew this was "IT!"

So, on June 11, 2001, after spending a summer day watching their 3 month-old puppy, Elkee, play in a creek and sipping cold beverages, they cleaned up (very nicely, I might add) and went to eat at their favorite spot for special occassions. They were supposed to be celebrating the young man's 20-something birthday. It wasn't until the charming old house was almost empty that the nervous suitor dropped to his knee and asked the fair-skinned flight attendant to marry him! They decided on a wedding in the mountain town of Red River, New Mexico. The guests would ride the chairlift to 10,000 feet for a beautiful mountain-top ceremony. Mother Nature had other plans, and the wedding had to be relocated due to nearby wildfires. The young couple didn't fret or let it ruin their day, and a magical ceremony was scheduled at the home of dear friends. The view of the mountains was perfect and guests wouldn't have to be transported back and forth via a red, swinging pendulum. Mother Nature's new plan was starting to sound pretty good! The couple gathered their friends and family for a rehearsal.

On June 22, 2002, the day of the wedding, the weather could not have been more perfect! Storms the night before brought beautiful blue skies and filled the air with the incredible smell of much-needed rain, freshly watered Earth and LOVE! All who witnessed the event could feel the emotion as the young couple promised to share their new life together!They sealed it with a KISS......and are currently living Happily Ever After!

Happy Anniversary to MY Prince Charming!
I love you!!!

What have we been up to??

Holy cow!! Where has the time gone? Oh, wait! I remember...We were busy finishing out the school year and raising two very active kiddos! ;-)

The kids and I came home one day during the last week of school and the house was not cool! Uh-oh! I called my AC guy, but he couldn't get there until 4:30 or 5:00. The kids and I made the most of it and had an impromptu pool party while we waited. He figured out the problem, but didn't have the part. So when Eric got home from work, we loaded everyone up and spent the night at his parents' house.
When we got home from school the next day, we were waiting for Brian to get there with the part. We fired up the camper AC and had some fun resting together. Edee said it was a "pretend campout!"

Edee absolutely, positively LOVES puzzles! She will sit at the table and work one after another! She received a few for her birthday, but we had to buy more! On a recent trip to Nonna's, she worked her way up to 100 pieces! I would put together the border, but she would fill in the rest! It just amazes me to watch her in action!

What is the greatest thing to hit the Neubauer house recently...WATERMELON!! We can't get enough!

PeePaw took some pictures of the kiddos while we were there last week. Eric wasn't able to come with us, so I wanted to surprise him with some cute pictures for his birthday/Father's Day. Getting both of them to smile at the same time is NO small task! Edee never looks at the camera and smiles, which makes this picture extra special!

Reed is officially a walker! He doesn't walk 100% of the time, but he will take off when you least expect it! It is so fun to watch, but he seems to have an affinity for the coffee table and fireplace just about the time he loses his balance! OUCH! Is this what life with a boy is going to be like?

Eric and I were sitting on the patio on Sunday watching the kids run through the sprinklers in the yard, crawl on the patio, splash in the baby pool and occasionally interact with each other. The moment was not lost on either of us, and we were remided how unbelievably blessed we are to be their parents! Life can be chaotic, noisy and cluttered but we LOVE it!

A Very Special Day!

Sunday was my grandmother's birthday, and my Ninnie would have been 96. We had flowers in the church in her memory on this very special day.Eric and I also thought it would be a perfect day for Edee and Reed to be baptized! Ninnie lived next door to me my entire life and was an amazing role model of Christian faith, not only for her family but for everyone she came in contact with. My family and I were at a funeral recently and a lady we have known forever came up and told my mom that she will never forget my grandmother teaching her bible lessons at Sunday school on her little felt board. She had little cutouts to create a visual for each lesson. Oh I wish I had those pieces!

Edee was absolutely in awe of Rev. Mike on that morning! We talked to her earlier in the week about what it meant to be baptized, how the preacher was going to sprinkle some of God's Holy Water on her head, and that we would be making a promise in front of God and our church. She affectionately referred to him as the "creature" during further conversations! ;-)

We chose to have the kids baptized during the contemporary service instead of the traditional service, which we usually attend. The children had come to the front for children's church, so they stayed near the table during the baptism, and they were all so eager to witness the event!
We had an incredible moment on the way to school Monday morning that just sent chills up my spine. At the beginning of the service on Sunday, the praise band played a song I had never heard before. Well, low and behold it came on the radio while we were driving in the car the very next day! Without a word from me, Edee immediately exclaimed, "This is the song they played when I got baptized!" It wasn't exactly playing WHILE she was getting baptized, but if that is not a message from above...I don't know what is!! Just one more reason to count our blessings!

Birthday Fiesta-Numero Uno

Edee and Reed's First Annual Birthday Fiesta was more fun than we thought possible! The weather was perfect and we were very fortunate to have ALL the grandparents here! We were also excited to have many other family members and friends join us to celebrate! Eric and I have spent the day counting our blessings for such an incredible day filled with people we love! Some of these decorations have been passed around my family since Eric and I got married! They have survived several wedding showers and birthday parties!

The bounce house was set up about an hour before the party and Edee couldn't wait to get started! She bounced, and bounced, and bounced! Her heart was broken today when she woke up from her nap and it was gone! Her Mommy and Daddy did not like breaking the news to her! :-(

The pinata was a little stubborn, so Eric finally had to rip it apart to get the candy shower going!

Birthday Fiesta-Numero Dos

Edee did an awesome job of blowing out the candles on her cake! One of the few requests she had for her party was for the inside of the cake to be pink. I thought that was a great idea! We had half strawberry and half white cake! Yummy! I think she was about to fall asleep in her cake here, but that little rush of sugar gave her a push to finish out the party!

Reed had a smash cake last weekend, but he was certainly happy to get his hands on more! (Which reminds me: I really need to post those pictures!)

BIG bite!

We had an awesome day, but we were all pooped by the end of the afternoon! As you can see here, Edee had lost her flower, Reed had finally taken his place attached to his Mommy after being passed around, and we were ready for our siesta!

Thanks to PeePaw for some of these photos! We can always count on him to capture the moment!

What will we see at the ZOO?? Part 1

We started Reed's birthday morning off with a trip to McDonald's before heading to the fabulous Fort Worth Zoo!! We were greeted by a chimpanzee who was munching on a breakfast of broccoli, carrots and lettuce. Edee wasn't sure what to think, but Reed wouldn't take his eyes off of this unfamiliar creature! The flamingos are so fun! You just have to stop and stare!

The penguins were being fed just as we entered their building. Edee was fascinated!!

We had the perfect spot for lunch: shade, a wonderful breeze, and the sounds of a nearby waterfall.

We were able to get a glimpse of a very elusive creature who rarely makes it into pictures: the Mommy! :-) As we were going through the pictures we took today, Edee kept asking, "Where is Mommy?" I need to try and do a better job of having someone else take pictures every once in awhile just to prove that I WAS there!

What else did we see...?