Whitney Family

2011-11-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

The scary witch is Grandma!!

2011-11-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-04-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and the Twins

What have we been up to?? I know, it's been forever since my last post! Life is busy and I haven't had a camera for the past few months so I don't have many pics to share! We have been lucky to have visitors come to see us in the last month! My mom was out for 3 weeks and my Dad came the last week of her stay. We also had Chad's parents out with Jonelle and her family and it was lots of fun to see them!!

2011-04-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

American Girl Bistro and Cafe

Ciena and her Cousins at the American Girl Doll Store! We went with Jill and Jonelle and both Grandma's while they were all in town visiting! I thought Ciena might be too young, but she loved it and we had a really fun time (minus Jill puking her guts out in the bathroom at the end)!

2011-04-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

A few of my Big Boy!

It was 50's day at Dresden's school so we called Grandpa Rich to ask him how he dressed and did his hair when he was a kid. Here is Dre's best 50's look with his slicked back hair and rolled pants!

I figure if we're going to live in Texas, I might as well start the kids out young with horseback riding lessons! Dresden has been taking lessons every other Saturday and he's loving it! Ye-haw Cowboy!

2011-04-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

Baby Raccoons!

If you can tell, there are 3 baby raccoons that we pulled out of our Chimney! I had been hearing little squeeks in the chimney and sure enough there was some little animals growing in there! Apparently the mom ran out as the guys were banging from below, they told me they would move the babies to a safe place where the Mom would find them. At least that's what they SAID, let's just hope so! We got a little attached to these little guys and the kids even named them (no worries, we did not let anyone touch them)!

2011-04-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Candice and Brian's Wedding

The Wedding Ceremony

Laura and Jameka

Rachelle and Sarah (What's up with the Gangster signs?)

I am thrilled for my friends Candice and Brian who tied the knot last Saturday! The wedding was beautiful and as you can see in the picture the Bride looked stunning! And how cute are my friends?? Sarah was a Bridesmaid and rocked it in her DVF dress, and of course most of the women there (including the Bride and Bridesmaids) were all wearing Sarah Briggs Jewelry! The majority of the night was spent dancing, and I was finally able to see Rachelle's moves on the dance floor (oh yeah, she's got skills)! Jameka had me laughing all night and cute Laura was sweet enough to be my "date" since Chad was in Las Vegas on a last minute business trip (if you can call it that)! Congrats again and thanks for a fun night!

2011-01-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

~Happy New Year~

2011-01-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

Texas Snowman!

We don't see much snow and this was the best we could do with our little snow storm! Kinda sad, kinda cute!

2011-01-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

First Sleep Over

The twins had their first sleepover with their cousin Betty! Well, I don't know if it's counted as a sleep over for them, since Betty slept at our house, but it was exciting none the less!

2011-01-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010

Christmas came and went in the blink of an eye! Sadly, this is the only still shot I got of the kids on Christmas Day. I'm either really good at getting video or good at getting the still shots, and this year we got video! This picture is from Christmas night when we went to Jill's for Christmas dinner. The kids were still on a super high from all the gift opening earlier in the day and Ciena and Betty were in princess heaven comparing their new dress-up clothes!

The kids are all at the best ages right now and Christmas morning was so exciting, seeing their reactions was priceless! Santa really came through this year and they got tons of fun toys including a air hockey table and trampoline. The princess got her own castle tent filled with all things dress-up! One of the best memories was on Christmas eve when we sat the kids down and showed them a video of Christ's birth. When the the video ended Dresden leaped up and exclaimed, "Now I know the true meaning of Christmas"!

2011-01-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Windows at Neiman Marcus

This year the Downtown Neimans did a really fun Christmas Window display with tunnels and slides that the kids could crawl through. The twins were too timid to try it, but Dresden and his friends went through it about a dozen times!

2011-01-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas PJ's sent from Grandma!

2011-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas Party at the Whitney's

Lots of friends were in town this year and it was so fun to get together with everyone!

2011-01-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

The White Elephant gift exchange

Some of the most coveted White Elephant gifts! Brian got this awesome sweater!

Chad fought pretty hard for this shake weight. He promised next year at the Christmas party we would see the results in the size of his guns (we'll see)!

Speaking of guns... Marc and Jen are going to have a blast chasing eachother around the house with these Nerf guns!

And Jen and Rod were the lucky ones to end up with the penguin pillow pet! Probably the MOST sought after gift!

2011-01-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

More from the Party ...

2010-12-15T21:35:00.000-08:00

Remember this??

2010-12-15T21:34:00.000-08:00

Santa Success!
We have yet to have a year visiting Santa without tears! This year Coen and Ciena promised they were not going to cry. I was pretty sure Ciena would be OK, but it's Coen that is the lose cannon! Ciena climbed up on his lap with ease

here Santa reaches his arm out to Coen as Chad and I stand by wondering what he'll do

Yes, he's made it up! Clutching onto his new puppy pretty tightly, but so far no emotion

Awe, what's this ... A smile cracks on Coen's face!

All kids Smiling and Happy! They even get to talk to Santa and tell him what they want him to bring them for Christmas!
The best was as we were leaving and telling Coen what a good job he did he said, "let's go see the other Santa now" not sure what he meant by that!

2010-12-15T21:15:00.000-08:00

My little Wiseman and Angel

Coco and Ena's Pre-school class did a live presentation of the nativity, Coen was a wiseman and Ciena was an Angel. It was darling, except for the fact that they got stage fright when it was their turn to "go on" and didn't do their parts! Oh-well, they still looked cute!

2010-12-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

Dre's Christmas Program

Dresden's Kindergarten class sang two songs in the school Christmas program

2010-12-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas time in NYC!

Chad and I celebrated our anniversary in NYC! It was so fun walking through the city and seeing all the lights and festivities! You can't help but get in the Christmas spirit when surrounded with all this plus seeing the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular show. The freezing cold weather was a bit jarring, but just goes with the season! Happy 9th Honey!

2010-12-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Love these guys!

Do I have the cutest Niece and Nephew or what? I can't believe how big they are getting, next picture I take with them they will both probably be taller than me! I was SO happy to take a quick trip to Utah over the Thanksgiving break to spend a little time with my family and have the Thanksgiving food that I grew up on! AWE, there is nothing that can compare to Mom's stuffing!

2010-12-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Colorado!

We had a great time in Colorado over the Thanksgiving break! The kids were in heaven playing with all 16 of their cousins and of course Grandma and Grandpa are always spoiling them. No trip at the Whitney's would be complete without a pinata, which as always is a big hit.

2010-11-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Some Halloween "Cheer"

For my costume this year I busted out the old Cheerleading uniform from Alta High! It does NOT fit me quite the same after 3 kids, but hey at least I was able to squeeze in! Chad assisted me in some lifts while I put on a little show for our friends who came over on Halloween night!

2010-11-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

The group picture is at our Neighborhood Halloween Party that I co-hosted. The kids behind the mask is Jacob, our across the street neighbor and Dre's best buddy!

2010-11-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

My Little Penguin and Garden Gnomes!

We had a fun Halloween and it was so much fun trick or treating in our own neighborhood! It took MUCH talking and bribing to convince Ciena to be a "Garden Princess" for Halloween this year. She really wanted to be a mermaid and was so jealous of her cousin, Betty, who was a beautiful mermaid for Halloween (I'm such a mean mom)! I think my days of picking out costumes for the kids are officially over! I had to get one last year of cute matching outfits in for the twins! I couldn't resist the Garden Gnome costumes! Coen thought he was Santa and went around saying, "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas"! Dre was easy, he had his heart set on a penguin since Oct. 1st. He has a little obsession with penguins right now, not sure where it came from but it's pretty cute.

2010-11-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

Tick or Treating with Cousins in Grapevine!

2010-11-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

Ciena's First Spa Pedicure!

Lucky for Ciena her Aunt runs the Spa at the Great Wolf Lodge! She had her first Spa Pedicure with her cousins Katie and Betty!

2010-11-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Dresden's Field Trip!

I got to go along on Dresden's first field trip to the Environmental Center. We split into small groups and the cutest elderly volunteers took us on a tour of the center and woods area. After touching the animals and reptiles we went on a walk through the woods and along the way used our "5 senses" to explore the woods!

2010-11-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Twins Field Trip!

The twins field trip to the Dallas Farmers Market!

2010-10-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DRESDEN!

I can't believe my little boy is 6! We had a fun weekend of Birthday celebrations. Thursday we had a family party at Top Golf (driving range), Friday my mom and I surprised him at school to eat lunch with him and share cookies with his class. Saturday we had his birthday party with all his friends at Top Golf (mini golf), and then today on his actual B-day he got to choose his favorite dinner followed by ice cream and presents. I think it's safe to say his birth has been well celebrated! And so it should, words can't express how much this little guy means to me. I am so proud of him and constantly impressed by the little person he is becoming. Love you Dre!

2010-10-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

TEXAS STATE FAIR 2010

Ride the Rides, big and small -- Check

Eat lots of food including: corny dogs, lemonade, cotton candy, and yummiest cinnamon rolls -- Check

Visit the Petting Zoo and feed the animals -- check

Watch the Light Parade -- check

Win a GIANT stuffed animal dog -- Check

Give a wave to Big Tex -- Check

Spend way more money than you thought you could spend at a Fair -- Check

That rounds out yet another year of visiting the Biggest Fair in the World!

2010-10-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Loving this Fall Weather!

The weather has been beautiful and we've been going on lots of outings! This was a recent trip to the Dallas Zoo.

2010-09-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Still Swimming...

Still swimming in October, I think it's safe to say we've gotten good use out of the pool this year!

2010-09-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

Homework Already!

These two had their first homework assignment -- they had to color a cutout of their bodies traced on paper and decorate. I cut out the shape of their bodies and told them to go ahead and color in their body parts and clothes. The first thing Ciena did was color in a pink weiner... should I be concerned??

2010-09-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins at the Arboretum

How cute are Bat Boy and Bat Girl! They love to get their faces painted when we visit the Arboretum! Ciena was set on having her face painted as a princess until she saw Coen's Batman face and then insisted on being his partner in crime Bat Girl! Also, check out how long her hair is getting! It still has the natural curl in it -- hope it stays!

They also loved the Petting Zoo! Coco loved brushing the goats and Ciena stayed right by the bunny and was a little obsessive with it! She got mad when any other child tried to pet it!

2010-09-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

FLOWERS

So I had to do a quick post on our Flowers before they die away! I didn't plant them nor can I say that I really watered them (I let the sprinklers do that) but I must say I'm pretty proud of our blooming yard! The best part is it attracts all sorts of butterflies so I feel like the kids have their own butterfly garden!

2010-09-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

First Day Pre-school!

The twins could not wait to get back to their little pre-school class and see Miss Judy! This is our 4th straight year with Miss Judy (2 with Dre and 2 with the twins)! So glad they love it and I get to have 2 and a half hours to myself -- WooHoo!!

2010-09-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm here in New York with Kelly visiting Kamilah and meeting little Laila for the first time. Being here has been so much fun and even though we came here to help it's been super relaxing! It's nice to wake up with literally nothing on the agenda but to help take care of this sweet little baby.

Being here has made me reflect back on my three and marvel at how fast they really do grow! I also can't believe how quickly you forget the stages of their growth, yet while you're in the moment you think you will never forget. I thought I would take this opportunity to write down what each of the kids is doing now and characteristics of their ever changing personalities!

Dresden: My biggest boy! Still can't believe I have a Kindergartner on my hands! His first few weeks of school have been great, he loves his teacher and new friends. They use a clip method in his classroom where every child has a clip that starts on green and if there is a discipline problem like not listening the clip gets moved down to a different color. We have made it his goal to keep his clip on green all year long and each day when I pick him up from school he can't wait to tell me if he got a sticker that day for staying on green. Dre's personality is so type A/first child syndrome! He is a pleaser, always trying gain our approval and praise. Dre is a worrier! He worries about everything and his prayers at night can get pretty long, "bless we won't have any fires, kidnappers, robbers, bad dreams, tornadoes..." and it can go on and on! He is also a natural leader, I am amazed at how he can come up with and organize games to play and then get his friends to follow. We have a neighbor who lives across the street, Jacob, who Dre loves to play with and even though Jacob is two years older I have noticed Dresden is the one to initiate and lead in what they play. One of Dresden's favorite things to do is go to Top Golf with Chad and they usually go at least 2-3 times a week when Chad gets home from work. Dre is a scary good at golf! He knows just how to hit the ball and can out drive me for sure! He's also a natural at baseball. Chad has pitched the ball to him since he was two and he now goes to the batting cage and hits ball by himself that come at him at 35 mph. Most people comment that they can't believe it when they see this little kid in the batting cage hitting ball after ball that is pitched his way!

Coen: This kid truly melts my heart! He is the most high maintenance of the three, but for some reason has a soft spot in my heart. Something about him is irresistible to me and I swear I kiss him 100 times a day! I always tell Chad that I hope there is no side affect from being kissed too much as a kid! If anyone asks Coen what his name is he will reply "Coco Bear" because that is what we call him. He is very verbal if you talk with him one on one, but most people would think he doesn't talk a lot because he is more quiet in a group. Coco's favorite thing is his blanket that he calls"tee tee" and if he could he would take it everywhere with him. He loves to do the "Bear Dance" holding his blanket and dancing around while humming, we always know he's happy when we see him doing his Bear Dance! Coen loves to read books and play with his trains and balls. His best friend is, of course, his twin sister Ena and they are true partners in crime. Anytime it is too quiet in the house I know they are up to something and I have to check quick to see. They love to get into my make-up and recently poured foundation powder all over my new bed! Despite the trouble they get into together, I must say I am finally seeing the benefits of having twins. They always have a playmate, which is so great especially during the hours Dre is in school.

Ciena: Our little Princess! This girl cracks me up daily with the things she says! She is very head strong and definitely the leader of her twin brother, but loves to listen to Dre and follow him around. She's a girly girl and loves to play dress up and all things princess. She has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger, of course! She was so excited about her pink bed and to have her own "girl" room in the new house. The first night she was excited to sleep in her own bed, but sure enough just as I thought a couple minutes later she was sneaking back in with her brother! Those two have slept in the same crib most of their lives (they would climb into the others crib to sleep) and are so attached I think it will be a while before they can bear to sleep in separate beds! I love it when I tell her to do something and she says in a strong voice like she's in the military "YES, Mam"! She also calls Coen her, "Boy" and usually refers to him that way, "where is Boy" or "come here boy" always in a demanding voice! One of the funniest conversations with her happened a few weeks ago when I was trying to explain to her why she could not stand up to pee like her brothers. I told her that girls don't have wieners so we have to sit to pee. She looked at me and plainly stated, "But I want one!" Followed by, "can you go get me one at the store?" I was laughing inside and wanted to clarify what she said so I told her, "you want me to go to the store and buy you a weiner?" and she replied, "uh huh, a PINK one!"

2010-09-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here we are together again! We have a tradition that I love where we fly out whenever there is a new baby, in this case it NY to welcome Laila Santana!

2010-09-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Laila!

Check her out! Is this not the most beautiful baby! I have loved being here in New York to help welcome Laila! I thought I was coming to help, but Kamilah does not need any coaching! She is truly such a natural and the BEST mom! Congrats Kamilah and Dereck!

2010-08-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

FIRST DAY KINDERGARTEN!!

I sent my little guy off today for his first day of Kindergarten!! Isn't he adorable!! I didn't cry, but definitely felt torn inside-- excited for him and also sad because I'm gonna miss having him by my side all day. I feel like some of the innocence is lost when they start school! He's bound to pick up on other kids bad habits, get teased, bullied, and go through all the other stuff that comes with being in school! It's also a huge mile stone for moving forward, he starts today and who knows how many more years of school he'll have ahead of him (hopefully lots)! When I walked him to his class he was nervous and sat down at his table and whispered "you'll be back in 3 hours, right"? Umm, yeah -- didn't have the heart to tell him it's more like 7 hours! As I'm typing this now the twins are asking me when we can go pick up Dresden so it looks like it's gonna be a long day!

2010-08-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Cowgirl!

Me and some of my favorite girls on a recent trip out to see Sarah's new land!! Congrats Ben and Sarah! I'm a Waxahachie fan!

2010-08-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

WE MOVED!!

I know, I know, you would think we dropped off the face of the planet! I have been horrible at keeping up on the Blog lately and the only thing I can attribute it to is that we have moved!! I am just not the type of person who can keep all balls in the air (is that the right phrase). Well anyway, I have a hard time doing anything until I feel like my home is somewhat in order. I can't believe the Summer is already almost over and I have missed out on lots in the blogging world so I'll have to play catch-up!

The House

Here it is! Totally contemporary and not at all what I thought we would end up buying, but after almost a year of searching this is the house that makes sense and is a perfect fit for us! Lots of people have asked us why we stayed in Dallas instead of moving out to one of the suburbs like Plano, Frisco, or Coppell. Here are some of the top reasons we stayed:

1) Commute: Simply put, if we lived more than 10 min away from the city we would NEVER see Chad!

2) Character of Neighborhood: One of my favorite things about Dallas is the huge trees that line the streets and the well developed neighborhoods. Every house is unique and has its own character, you don't see the "cookie cutter" style homes you find in the suburbs.

3) Schools: This one is huge for us since Dre will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall! Dallas has some of the best schools in the nation!

4) Safe/Strong sense of Community: Since we have moved in we have received so many invites to Play dates, Mom nights, and activities for families and kids.

5) Ward: Technically we should be going to church a few hours later now, but for the time being we are staying in the ward that has really become like a family to us!

6) Shopping: Kidding ... well sort of! Really we are just minutes away from some of the Best shopping and restaurants!

So there you have it! And if in a few months we start to have buyers remorse I can always go back and see why we ended up here! The kids have loved having more space and I think I love their huge playroom even more than they do! Decorating has been fun, but it is definitely a work in progress and I'll have to post as I go! Oh and did I mention the

We use the pool daily in the hot Texas heat!

2010-05-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS CHAD!!

Saturday was a big day for our family as we attended Chad's graduation from the MBA program at SMU! What a huge accomplishment to achieve all while raising a family (we had the twins just as he started the program) and working a very intense job with long hours. I can't even count how many times Chad would go from work to school to study ALL night only to shower at 6 AM and go back into work! I don't know how he pulled off SO many sleepless nights without seeming to skip a beat! His hard work is already paying off and we couldn't be more proud (and so happy to have it done)! Congrats Honey!!

2010-05-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my "Mini" Graduates!

Coen and Ciena at their last day of 2 year old Co-op! It was Beach day so they got to come in their swimming suits and play in the water learning stations! Good job twins on finishing your first year!!

2010-04-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

BEST FRIENDS!

The twins really enjoyed playing in the bluebonnets this year! I couldn't believe it when I looked over and saw them walking hand in hand through the flowers! So lucky I caught it on camera!

2010-04-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

LOVEY DOVEY!!

These two were cracking me up! They get in these moods where they just love planting kisses on eachother!

2010-04-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

2010-04-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

BLUEBONNET TIME!

We almost didn't make it out to see the Bluebonnets this year, but I'm so glad we did! The kids love running in the flowers and Dre brought along his net hoping to catch him some butterflies!

2010-04-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

Crawfish Boil!

For the past 4 years we have enjoyed attending the Crawfish Boil that our friends put on every year. Dresden has grown up eating these little guys and he has no hesitation going over to the table, ripping them apart, and digging in! Coen and Ciena opted to pick apart and eat an entire cake! Sarah and Ben were a hit with the kids and entertained them with fun little games!

2010-04-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

EASTER BRUNCH!

We spent the afternoon at our good friends the Cramers and the kids all got to do an Easter Egg Hunt together. How cute are my boys in the last picture!!

2010-04-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

2010-04-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!!

2010-04-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ciena's first Princess Birthday Party!

Ciena and I had fun at her little classmate's Princess Birthday Party!

2010-04-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Church Easter Egg Hunt

My mother will appreciate the first picture of Ciena and Dresden with their fingers in their mouths! My family has a little history of finger sucking!

2010-03-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

BEST Girls Weekend!!

My family is the BEST! This is the second time my mom and sisters have decided to completely surprise me and show up in Dallas without me knowing! With the help of my hubby they pulled it off and I was pleasantly shocked! Chad called me from work and said he had to work late (no surprise there) and asked if the kids and I could meet him for dinner. Right as our food was coming out the Host said he had a strange request and asked if it was okay if "another party joined our table". I thought this was wierd, especially since there were plenty of empty tables, but before I could think too much about it I noticed a lady walk in that looked a lot like my mom, followed by my sister Connie, and then Julie! I think I just stared in shock for the entire rest of the dinner!
We had such a fun weekend and I wish we took more pictures to show it! We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge (Thanks Jill) where we enjoyed all the ammenities, especially the Spa and the huge ice-cream sundae! We also spent a lot of time in Dallas doing some of our favorite things - shopping, eating, sight seeing (dragging Cedar Springs), and looking at houses. We had lots of late nights, card games, and laughs! Thank you for coming girls!

2010-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

Snow Day!

The kids and I enjoyed a rare snow day here in Dallas!

2010-02-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!

Here is a picture of my now toothless kid! He lost his 6th tooth tonight and I just can't believe how fast they all fell out! There must be four big ones coming in so I told him he was going to go from toothless to a bucky beaver! He laughed and said he can't wait to be a beaver!

2010-02-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

Fort Worth Rodeo

Chad was given "box seats" to the Fort Worth Rodeo so we loaded up the kids and headed out! This Rodeo is a pretty big deal in Texas so it was fun to go out and see what it is all about. The kids loved watching the animals (of course) and Dresden has been practicing his roping skills ever since he saw the half time show with the amazing roping guy (not really sure what he's called)??

2010-02-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Birthday Celebration!

I celebrated my Birthday a few weeks ago with girlfriends. We started the night at the Dallas Theater seeing "Give it UP" followed by dinner and dessert at a fun restaurant in Dallas! Thanks girls!

My sweet hubby took me out over the weekend and surprised me with a cute video clip of the Kids singing happy birthday on the Flip Video he got me for my B-day! Thanks Honey!

2010-01-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

Crib Party!

It has been so great having Chad home a little more these days. What a relief to have a little more help with getting the kids in bed at night, or so I thought! The other day I was frustrated when it was almost 10 pm and I could still hear the kids all up. I went in to see what was going on and this is what I found...

2010-01-14T22:54:00.000-08:00

This is how the whole family feels after almost a month of traveling!! Christmas feels like it was so long ago, and I'm just now feeling caught up enough to Blog about it! So to catch up, Chad left for China on the 10th of December and was gone all the way until the 23rd when he met us in St. George for Christmas. The kids and I left on the 17th and stayed in Utah until the 6th of January. Yes, I did travel alone with all three kids and we survived (but barely). The kids were good, it's getting all the crap in and out of the plane that's a nightmare (two car seats, double stroller, bags, etc)! We spent the first few weeks in SLC and since I had NOTHING ready for Christmas I used this time to shop and get things done! I also stayed with my nieces and helped out while Connie and Doug were in Colorado at the treatment center for Avery. We were excited to be going down to St. George with Julie and her family to spend Christmas at my parents house. When Chad got there on the 23rd everything felt right, only we wished Connie and her family could have made it down. Christmas Eve night we got a knock on the door and to our surprise it was my sis and her family! The BEST Christmas present ever was seeing Avery and how much her skin had improved! It was such a Christmas miracle to see her go through this transformation!! THanks again to everyone who helped make it happen!! I can't remember the last time my sisters and I and parents have all been together opening presents on Christmas morning, not since I was a kid. So Christmas morning was really special and fun to all be together and feel the excitement of the kids as they opened presents. Dre's favorite gift was his Hot Wheels Dinosaur set he had asked Santa for, Ciena's was her princess dress, and Coen's was his favorite ball and hammer toy (he had no interest in opening anything else or playing with any other toy)! After Christmas Chad headed back to Dallas and the rest of us traveled back up to SLC (in a horrible snow storm)! On New Years Eve, I jetted to Arizona for Ben and Sarah's Wedding. Chad met me there and we had a REALLY good time! So that's the update!! I'll start the new year out with more regular posts!!

2010-01-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

Making Mom's famous Sugar Cookies on Christmas Eve for Santa! We also did a White Elephant present opening game for the kids and the adults enjoyed a Talent Show put on by all the kids!

Connie and I took the girls ice skating!

2010-01-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning!! Santa came to my parent's house for all 8 grandkids! We had a blast opening presents with the whole family!!

2010-01-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

2010-01-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

2010-01-14T22:05:00.000-08:00

One of the MANY souvenir's that Chad brought back from his trip to China - silk kimono's! Dresden was so happy to have something to practice his Kung Fu Panda moves in!

2010-01-14T21:59:00.000-08:00

JUST CALL ME CUPID!! I introduced Sarah to Ben and I can't believe they are now Married!! Congrats!!

It was SO fun to be in Arizona for Sarah and Ben's wedding on New Years Eve!! Chad and I enjoyed the time alone without kids (thanks Mom)! It was so fun to hang out with friends from SLC, some that I haven't seen for years, and also friends from Dallas!

2010-01-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

Hanging out with good friends (and the Newly Wed's) in AZ!

2009-12-13T22:47:00.000-08:00

Project Avery

click here to Donate to Avery and to get updated on her progress as she enters the treatment center in Colorado! Thank you for all your support!!

2009-12-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

2009 Family photo shoot

2009-12-13T22:31:00.000-08:00

2009-12-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

2009-12-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

2009-11-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

Please read the letter below for more info on the contest we are trying to win for Avery! Don't forget to vote by writing a comment on youTube every day and giving us 5 stars!!

To our family and friends

Most of you are aware of our daughter, Avery, who suffers from a chronic skin condition that affects her daily life. She has been through numerous doctors and treatments and we have yet to find any relief for her. She lives day and night with intense itching and pain which has resulted into open wounds over 95% of her body. The only treatment that we have found to have any affect is to soak her in the tub and apply ointments and wet wraps all over her body 2-3 times daily. If you have ever had an opened cut or scraped knee and taken a shower, you can relate to the sting and burn that is associated with it. So, having this all over her body, one can only imagine the amount of pain she goes through every time she is subjected to water. After months of extreme flare-ups and multiple skin infections, we found a treatment center out of state that we feel will be able to help.

Recently, my sister Cathy posted a video on YouTube of her cute twins in the Lashes to Riches Contest. The video receiving the most votes by Dec. 21st 2009, wins the prize money. If successful, Cathy graciously offered to use her winnings to help pay for the cost of Avery's treatments.

So, now we are asking for your help - please vote daily and forward an email on to everyone you know and encourage them to do the same until the end of the contest. We appreciate any time that you will be taking from your busy day to help win this for Avery. You have no idea the difference this could make in her quality of life. We got a late start in the contest, so we need to spread the word fast. To get started simply;

View the video on YouTube by going to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id-z6Bl5AEQ

Click on "Sign in to post a text comment" (if you do not have a YouTube account you will need to take two minutes and create one)

You must leave a short comment for the vote to count - something simple like "that's cute" will work.

Click on "Post Comment"

You must also rate the video by clicking on the stars (click the 5th star)!

Please post a comment and rate the video every day, this will increase our chances of winning.

Forward it to all your email contacts and have them do the same. If you have multiple YouTube accounts (kids/spouse acct.) you can vote with those accounts too!

We are so grateful to our family and friends for your love and support!!

With love,

Connie, Doug, Breylan, Keely and especially Avery

2009-11-27T07:45:00.001-08:00

WE NEED YOUR HELP!! PLEASE click on the youTube video below and leave a comment!! You can view, rate, and comment every day, the entry with the most stars and comments wins! Please share with your friends and get the word out!

After you view, to comment click on Lashes to Riches Entry: Cathy Whitney and it will take you to youTube where you can scroll down and leave a comment in the Comment Box

2009-10-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

My Little Cowboy & Indians!

Happy Halloween!! I think it is safe to say we are all partied out!! We have had three straight days of non-stop Halloween parties and as fun as it's been, I'm ready for a break! As you can see, we did Cowboy and Indians this year. I found the twins costumes early on and it took a little convincing for Dresden, but after I told him he was not doing Star Wars 3 years in a row and I promised a rope and mustache he was in! We had a fun night Trick-or-Treating with friends and hitting our favorite houses we go to every year!

2009-10-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

The Ward Halloween Party and Trunk-or-Treat!

2009-10-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Dresden's School Halloween Parade and Program

I got the twins all dressed up so we could go watch Dresden in his school Halloween Parade and Program. Dresden and his class looked so adorable up on the stage singing the Halloween Songs they have been practicing all month. A few hours later we took the kids in costume to Chad's work for their Annual Halloween Kids Party.

2009-10-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

Twins School Halloween Party

2009-10-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

Dresden wanted a "Spooky Party" this year so we invited a few friends over and had a great time!

2009-10-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th Birthday Dresden!!

2009-10-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Heads!

I decided this is the perfect way to do pumkins!! If you haven't seen them they are just like potato heads, only with pumpkins! They are so easy and best of all there is NO mess! Plus, if you have a little girl who is scared of everything that has to do with Halloween, the princess pumpkin head is perfect!!

2009-09-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

Jen & I

Between the gym, church, our kids going to the same school, playdates, and other activities my friend Jen and I see eachother pretty much every day! We are usually in our workout clothes or comfy clothes (as I like to call it) when we are together daily, so we felt we had to document the rare occasion that we were together and all dressed up!

2009-09-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Texas Rangers Baseball Game!

Friday night we took the whole family out to the ball game! We spent way too much on cheesy nachos, hot dogs, pretzels, funnel cake, frozen lemonade, and other food that was really not very good. I would take 2 bites of one thing and go back looking for something better and when it was all said and done we had a bunch of crap for the price of a nice dinner! Oh well, it's all part of the experience, right?? Dresden has always loved watching baseball and was full of questions about what was going on in the game (he follows it quite well)! The twins were a little overwhelmed at first with the crowd and noise, but sat still and were captivated by it all. Fireworks at the end of the game were awesome, not so much for Ena who had Chad by the neck in a death grip the entire time. All in all, a fun family outing!

2009-09-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Batting at the Rangers Game

Dresden got a chance to bat in the kids area at the game. He later told me when he grows up he's going to be a baseball player for the Texas Rangers!

2009-09-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Colorado Trip!

We had a great trip to Colorado to visit family and be part of the Surprise Birthday Party for Grandpa! The kids were in heaven with all the cousins to play with and we were so happy to be there for the celebration!

2009-09-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Chewie

Playing with Chewie -- the Wilson's new puppy!

2009-09-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

Playing at the park with Daddy and Cousins

2009-09-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

Smartie Addicts!

Thanks to Grandpa Whitney the twins are now addicted to Smarties! They found his secret stash in his office and every morning it was the first thing they went to. They couldn't quit "Cold Turkey" so Grandpa sent them home with their own little bag, and as you can see above the addiction continues . . .

2009-09-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

First Day of Pre-K!

Dresden started Pre-K last week!

2009-08-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Best of Buds!

To be a twin ... is to have a slumber party with your best friend every nigtht! These two just get closer and closer the older they get. It's been so fun to watch as their friendship develops! Ciena is definitely the dominant personality and loves to boss her brother around. Luckily, Coen's personality is such that he allows her to be bossy and they rarely fight. The picture on the bottom is their current sleeping arrangement! Lately they insist on sleeping together in the same crib. I love to listen at the door and hear them play and giggling until finally it's silent and I check in to see them snuggled up together asleep.

2009-08-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Girlie Girl!

Despite the fact that she likes to eat dirt and ice cream off the ground, Ena is such a girlie girl! She loves putting bows on her head and wearing jewelry. It's so fun having a girl!

2009-08-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Miss you, Dad!

We were all feeling a little sad after Chad left to go back to NY on Sunday so Dresden and I made a little countdown calendar till Dad is back home! We love and miss you Daddy!

2009-08-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Zilker Natural Springs -- Austin

We were so happy to see Daddy this weekend! He flew into Austin and the kids and I drove down to pick him up. We spent the afternoon at the Zilker Park Natural Spring Pools. They were a little mossy (I guess that's where the natural comes in) but for the most part a fun family activity.

2009-08-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

What do you do when your ice cream cone falls on the ground?

Get on all fours and start licking it up, of course!!

2009-07-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

We're Back!

We are back from a month long trip to Utah! Below are a few of the highlights from our trip. The first few pics are from our little photo shoot with all the Grandkids on my side of the family. It is bittersweet being back in Texas. I know this is where we belong right now, but Utah is truly home! Thanks to all my family who put their lives on hold for a month to hang out with us! We were also glad to see some of Chad's family (who for some reason I didn't get many pictures with), thanks taking the time to come and see us!

2009-07-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

2009-07-31T11:28:00.000-07:00