Fun Filled Week

First I want to apologize to everyone for not taking my camera along because we had so much fun. Last Friday Zane went to stay with his Opa and Oma and he says they had a great time. Lance and I went to all of Lawton's soccer games. 7:30 in the a.m. seems so early for games but it sure does beat the heat. They played fantastic and we had two games on Saturday and three on Sunday. They won second place for the whole tournament. It was so great to see those boys win for a change. With a new coach and positive attitudes that team will do great next season. Lawton has gotten so much better. His ability to move the ball and get aggressive is outstanding. Between games Lance and I decided to go for an appetizer and some COLD beverages at Chuy's and then we headed to a movie to kill some time. May I suggest a great date night movie is What happens in Vegas. It was so cute and very funny. Sunday 7:30 game, then church, then game again. We were busy busy. Sunday night we had a SPURS party and that was a lot of fun too; it helped that we rocked the house Sunday night with a huge win. GO SPURS GO!!!!!! Monday we recovered down at the River park with friends and had a great time. Zane and his little buddy Gavin played very well together. Zane is a little River Rat. He loves to float and he's so not afraid of the water. That can be a good and bad thing. Tuesday comes along and I thought...finally we get to start recouping from our busy weekend. Not so much. Some friends of ours invited us to the Spurs playoff game against the Lakers. Who could say no to that! We found a sitter ( Thanks Ang and Chris. Zane loved his first sleepover and loves hanging out with Riley.) We had dinner out and then game was on! We were 3rd row behind the SPURS!!! How awesome is that! I felt like a kid in a candy store. So much fun! It was very disappointing that they lost but it was a great game. GO SPURS GO!!!!! Today, well, lets see I'm exhausted from all of these late nights and crazy days. Once Saturday gets here maybe I can slow down.

Who are YOU?

Last night was a night that I was looking forward to. I would be meeting people that my husband and his co-workers have been entertaining for business purposes. Of course this time all the wives were invited. As we arrived I began to get very nervous. Lances boss asked me what was wrong because he could see it all over my face. This is so normally NOT like me! He got me a drink to calm my nerves and then I finally saw a friendly face. This other woman and myself began to catch up on things and then it was time for dinner. I sat across from one of the men and his wife who I was told were "good" people. Lets just say that most of these men were not of the most moral high standard. The "good" man and his wife asked the ultimate famous question that seems to be the norm when meeting someone. "WHAT DO YOU DO?" I dread that question now. Of course my reply was, " I stay at home with my son who is 3." I make sure that I no longer use the words "I'M JUST A STAY AT HOME MOM" Of course my words didn't seem to transform their thoughts of me since I was the only woman at the table who JUST STAYED HOME. I felt as if I had to justify myself. I started rambling on and on about where I attended college, how I taught school for 6 years before WE decided for me to stay home. I felt as if I had something to prove b/c I was inadequate. One lady even had the nerve to say so you just stay home with ONE. I then replied, yes but we have 2 children. Then she acted more interested when I said he was 13. Oh, well, my husband is a step too. He and Lance just have more in common. I was puzzled. No ma'am, I'm the step mom. Oh! was her shocking reply. I then realized that she was just trying to make small talk with me and she really didn't care. These women talked about their travels here and there and everywhere!!! They discussed expensive restaurants, designer clothing, who knows who and again traveling to different countries. For the first time I felt like a loser!!! As we traveled back home, (which our neighborhood was also frowned upon) I discussed my feelings with Lance. It seems there are two different ways to look at SAHM:
1. Oh, so what does your husband do so you are able to stay at home. You are able to stay home and raise your children instead of daycare. VERY NICE and BLESSED!
2. Oh, you do nothing but sit on your ass all day and eat bon bons. You don't work or have your own thing. Well, who are you if you don't have a job.

After crying myself to sleep last night in my hubby's arms because I felt so inadequate and lonely and stupid. I woke up this morning realizing that I am not going to let those fake people bother me. What your job is does not say WHO you are. That is WHAT you do! If God wants me to see Rome one day then he will and he won't make me go broke doing it. I am a child of God. A woman who lives every single day loving her husband and son the best way she knows how right now. I am a person that God has called to love on his people and bring the kingdom of heaven to those who are hurting. I am bold, strong, blunt, loving, caring, compassionate, and smart, even though I JUST STAY HOME!

From Step-son to Son-Happy Birthday to my Favorite TEENAGER!!!!!!

Lawton, where should I even begin? What a joy you are to be around; to laugh with and AT! When you were 7 we didn't get along much, ok, at all. As you have grown and as I have learned to be a better mom (thanks to Zane) I have a true love for the person that you are and look forward to the man that you will become. You are sarcastic, tender hearted, great with kids, love God, smart, handsome, and I could go on and on. I remember when we would say that we hated one another, boy how times have changed. I LOVE YOU with all my heart.
It has been 6 years since I became your step-mom and we both have changed so much. I look at you and see a very bright boy changing into a young man. You have touched my life and made me love you for you. I am so glad that we have gotten closer. Your love and friendship mean the world to me. I enjoy the talks that we share and when you open up your heart to me about even the smallest things. I love to watch you replay what you learned in youth on Sunday morning, your whole face lights up. I love to watch you hang out with your friends that you have made here. I love to watch you show Zane tricks on the trampoline. I love to watch you sing and jam out to your i pod. I love to watch you just grow into the person that you are. You now have your own ideas and thoughts and even though some may be a little weird b/c your 13 they are YOURS! We mold you and give you advice but all in all you are the type of person who knows what they want, they just need reassurance sometimes. As I watch you, I think you are too hard on yourself. You are insecure about things. I pray that you will find that security within yourself through God. You are very bright. You will make mistakes along the way, but you will learn from them and we will be right here to lift you up and catch you. You are very blessed to have so many people in your life who love you. 4 parents, could you get any luckier, and we all love you!!
Your teen years will be so much fun. Enjoy them full speed ahead! Look forward and don't look back. Make memories to last a lifetime. Oh, and you can stop growing now b/c you are already taller than your dad and Uncle Aaron!!! You can grow some more later. I love you my favorite 13 year old! Lawton and Uncle Aaron (above)
Lawton with his friends at 13 b-day party (below)
Lawton making Zane smile in the ER after Zane broke his leg
Me and Lawton 2 years ago at the Rodeo
Lawton and Zane at the Alamo in March 2008

Lawton last summer at the River
Lawton's soccer last season
Lawton with his Dad and Mom
Lawton with his new braces cleaning my mower for me

Happy Mother's Day

Lance with Oma Klein, Steve Klein, and Aaron Klein






My Mom and Dad Mother's Day last year!



Gail with her two boys and below being silly


Momie, Donna's Mom, Oma Klein, Gail, Donnas two sisters, Donna, Me and Zane


ME and My cutie patootie


As we always do, Mother's Day is usually split. One year we go see my mom and the next we stay here with Lance's mom. This year it was his turn to share time with her and celebrate her being his mom. On Saturday Lance's parents decided to come to our new home so we could honor just her without grandparents being around. Lance and Aaron cooked for us and it was wonderful. We also had great dessert that we bought for ourselves from Costco. The men had it easy and their clean up wasn't so hard either.


On Sunday we slept late and headed to Fredericksburg to honor ALL the moms in the family. We had a nice time and it was short and sweet. After lunch we hung out at Bear Creek for the afternoon. Lance and I didn't have Zane with us and we went down to the creek to check things out. We saw so many snakes. Lance got a gun and we started shooting at the ones we would see. He killed 4 snakes in the swimming hole. We NEVER see snakes down there like that. The only kind of good snake is a dead one! All in All we had a nice time.

On other notes....I would just like to say thank you to my mom who is my hero! She taught me how to love Jesus and be who I am today. She never stopped praying for me even when she was madder than hell at me for the things that I would do. She taught me how to forgive and be who God called me to be. She taught me to love myself and be secure in who I was. She taught me that just because life gets hard doesn't mean you give up; you pray! She is so wise and full of spiritual life you just want to soak up at all times. I am so proud to have a mom who now is my friend. I love you!!!


Now, for my second mom, Gail, Lance's mom. I am so blessed to be part of your family. I thank you for giving me a man who knows how to love me and care for me. He is so genuine and he gets that trait from you. You have raised a man who is wise and doesn't take his children for granted. You have never treated me like an outsider or just the wife. Thank you. I enjoy spending time with you, shopping with you, sitting on the porch with you and just talking. You have given me another mom since mine is so far away. Thank you for being a wonderful Mother-in-law! I love you.

Favorite Things

To buy a little more time in the bed after Zane comes to wake me up, we play different games. This morning it was "What is your Favorite ___________?" I found this quite interesting because half of what I thought he would say was sooooo not the answer I thought. WOW! Do I even know my own child? OK so now I know because I asked. I think that I do that a lot; I just assume the answer when I really should have asked the person the question. I think I avoid asking a lot because I don't want to be bothersome or I want them to think that I already just know. I guess I can always learn a thing or two from my three year old. Don't ASSUME. ASK!

OK, well our game went like this:

What is your favorite food?
Answer: POPCORN
I thought hummm didn't know that one. I thought taco

Shirt?
Soccer one
I thought, what I hate soccer, please choose something else. Let's just move right on

Candy?
All, but I don't like peanuts
That one I knew

Drink?
Chocolate and Vanilla shake from Snogit (SONIC-Zane language)
I thought, anything my mom is drinking because I ALWAYS still hers

Game?
Pooter HERMIE (Computer games-Zane language)

Toy?
gun
I thought it would be a tractor

Thing to do at Ms. Lilia's (pre-school)
Play on the Playground

Thing at Ms. Linda's ( a wonderful pre-school teacher who is opening up an in home pre-school; so awesome)
Learning about the rain with the rice

Person in the whole world
Laney
Of course I was expecting my name right at that moment

Color
Green
I knew that one


Here is Zane with Laney; his favorite person in the whole world!!!

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO

Living close to San Antonio is like a whole new world sometimes. Where I grew up I don't remember anyone celebrating days like these, but now I live in the Good Ole Hill Country and well, I have experienced a whole new culture! So in celebrating this special holiday, Zane and I had a little Fiesta Party of our own.








He loves hot sauce and chips! It was actually really hot too and he gobbled it up! I love watching him eat spicy food; he just inhales it. He doesn't have much of a choice considering when I was pregnant with him all I ate was hot sauce and jalapenos!







Here is my little Davey Crockett. Nothing to do with today, but well the Alamo is in San Antonio and he refused to put the gun down while I was trying to get this picture!

From National Day of Prayer to My Prayer

Today I met my husband with Zane and Laney (little baby I'm keeping for now) at our churches tent behind our favorite coffee shop The LOFT. We were there joining others in our community for the National Day of Prayer. We were gathered with so many during this time around our nation to pray for our leaders, our children and our communities. It was really great to hear other pastors in the area speak about their hopes and prayers for our community. I listened to one women speak of children and being an inheritance and how we should listen to little children for they truly know so much about our heavenly father. It is so true!! How Dads should rise up in our homes and be the Godly man that their children see and spend time with them. It was amazing! I spoke out loud, "YES!" I then realized that I was the only one speaking back to this woman and decided to just close my mouth which is really hard for me to do most of the time.

After getting home and doing my busy work around here, I began to pray for the men in our nation. I prayed that they would rise up and be the great fathers that God is to us. This issue has been tugging at my heart a lot lately as I hear women speak of their husbands as fathers and the relationships or lack there of with their children. I know lots of women who feel guilt for asking the dad to watch the kids while she does something on her own or even giving them baths and putting them to bed. It truly saddens me to know that these men are not the fathers that God called them to be. He called them to be an active role in their child's life. After Lance got home I told him about this and some things that I was thinking about doing and he thought it was a great idea. His heart and he knows that his calling is to help new dads or just dads in general find who they are and what they are supposed to be. How they are supposed to help in every way with their child. Lance got a taste of not having his oldest around and missed out on baths, bedtime, homework, reading, and dinner every night. He said this is what men take for granted because he did too until his divorce. He is very involved in parenting and watching Zane. I truly am blessed and I pray that other dads will get on board. I pray that they will want to be the Father to their children like our heavenly Father is to us. He wants to spend time with us!!!

A woman's work is never done!

Ok, so as I sit here and type may I just add that my 3 year old just got out of bed and said, "Mom, don't be mad , I just need to go potty." He went to the potty, pulled his pants back up and said, " Goodnight, I love you." He then closed his door and went back to bed. That was a proud Mommy moment.

On other notes......since we have been in our new home it seems like I never just "sit" anymore. Our house has doubled in size and I stay so busy. I am constantly cleaning and well, there are still boxes and rooms that need some serious help. I finally feel like those women who never stop. I absolutely love yard work and I didn't get to do much of that before, but now we have this awesome yard that needs some extra care too. It is so great to be busy in our own home. I am loving every second of it. Yes, even the mowing too! We have some BIG plans for our backyard and I am so the type who would like to get it all done RIGHT NOW!! I'm a little OCD by the way when it comes to certain things. I know that it will just take time and well, more money than we have right now. I look forward to seeing the finished product of what our dream yard will be, probably right before we decide to sell and move to our 1000 acres that my hubby dreams about finding. THEN MY WORK WILL TRULY NEVER BE DONE!!!!!