Visit with Grandma & Grandpa

The kids got right into making cookies with Grandma pretty much as soon as she got here...This is such a great memory that my kids have with Grandma!

We made many trips to the grocery store...Dad referred to this aisle at Central Market as "Heaven"...he actually said that...I promise!

Grandma and Grandpa got to be with us for Addison's birthday...They went and had lunch at school with her!

We had such a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa over the holidays! It was so nice to have them for two and a half weeks...they really got to see the kids in real life! We will miss them while they're gone again!

Love MY Family!

Sometimes it is hard for me to believe how fast time flies! It is crazy that all my girls are about to have birthdays! I am no longer the mother of small children...quite a shocker! Addison will be six, Taylore will be 10 and Jocelyn will be 14 (Haden turned 11 in the summer)! What is that...how can they be growing up so quickly?! I sure feel blessed to have all the amazing kids that I have in my life...and a husband that works hard both professionally and around this crazy house! Thanks kiddos & Aaron for making my life amazing!

New Song...

I just added my kids new favorite song to the blog...I loved listening to all of them singing it in the background as I was looking at the blog. I LOVE that my kids LOVE music!!!!

Funny Boy!

Backstory: We go to a gym that kids are not allowed to work out until they are 12...in Virginia the kids could work out at 9. This is quite an adjustment for Haden...who would go work out at the gym every night if he were allowed. He is way too "grown up" to be in the kids club at the gym.

Tonight I decided at the last minute that if I was going to be eating so horrible that I REALLY needed to go run, but Aaron and Jocelyn were not home. So I finished my homework and hollered upstairs to the kids..."Get your shoes on guys, we're going to the gym." Haden's reply from upstairs..."Can I jump off the banister!"

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!!!!!!!!

Taylore and I ran in a 5k for the first time this past weekend. It was a local festival that has been going on in Mansfield for a lot of years...it always starts with a 5k race.

I started running back in January and have considered doing races...but I never really looked into it. My next door neighbor told me about this one and I decided to do it...when I was talking about it with Aaron one day Taylore overheard and asked if she could do it with me. We spent a couple of weeks trying to get Taylore ready for the race...she did awesome! Two days before the race she got up to 3.1 miles (which is a 5k) without stopping...not only that...but we sprinted out the last .10 of a mile and she left me in her dust! It was lots of fun doing this with her...I look forward to many more. I am signing up for a 10k in two weeks! I hope to do the Texas Half (half marathon) on January 30th...and eventually a marathon! I never imagined I would love running as much as I do...especially because once upon a time I DESPISED running! (Then I learned how many calories you can burn running!!) Running became my friend!!!!

Anyway...Taylore and I had a ton of fun...we crossed the finish line at 28:30...pretty good for our first race!!! Way to go Taylore!

Waiting for the race to start...

Everyone waiting for the starting gun...

Here we come...almost done!!!!

And we're done...in all our sweat and glory!!!!!

Taylore's comment to me when we were done was classic..."Mom, why are you breathing so hard?" My response to her...."Taylore, the question is...why you NOT breathing so hard!"

Flashback Friday - Addison....

I was looking at old video's on my computer tonight and found this clip...it was too adorable not to share!

P.S. - Erin...this one is for you!

Fun in the Rain

Addison has been loving the rain...I was sad that when Addison put on her raincoat and rain boots and went to play in the rain on Saturday I didn't get any pictures! Yesterday I was able to get some! She has been loving going out back and playing in the rain with Kodi!

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!!!

So it's been raining here in Texas for about two days straight now...we were seriously in need of the rain...so although it may seem like it...I'm really not complaining!

Anyhow...I got a crazy call from Emily this afternoon to go check out the new lake in Mansfield. I decided to go for a little drive to see what she was talking about...this is what I found...at the local park! The road is blocked...the park is under water...crazy! It was funny how many people were out there checking it out!

Some things to notice in the pictures....in the last picture; notice the park bench...one of the pictures you can see that only the top half of the soccer goal post is showing...the video has a bunch of random kids in it...but listen to what Taylore says at the end...too cute!

We've seen some pretty sad flooding...those of you Virginia friends will remember the flood in August of 2004...people died in that one...remember the cars stacked on top of each other when the water drained from Shocko Bottom? ...It was kind of nice to have a little excitement...without any devestation!

Chalmers Family Reunion 2009!

It is so hard to pick from several...and I mean more than 600...pictures from the family reunion...I just went through and picked a hand full to post! Our family reunion was in July...We had such a great time! It is always awesome to get together with family! It was fabulous seeing Mom and Dad! We stayed at a huge beautiful home at Bear Lake in Utah...we spent most of the time at the lake...rented a boat and were out on the water or on the beach...It was a great time...and I always miss the family even more after I've left them! I cherish the time that I have with them! Love you all!!!!!

Waiting at the airport....

on the trampoline @ vacation house...(inside)

Keith & Taylore

Family Picnic

All 42

The Originals

Marcia :)

Addie & Jaxon

All 42 in order...Cool!

Haden & Kiddos

Teeny Boppers

Happy Birthday Ky & Bay!

Hangin'!

Some of the girls...

I could have gone on for hours adding pictures....so this is....just a little window into the Chalmers Family Reunion 2009!

A Football Fan? You bet!!!

If you'd asked anybody eleven years ago if I would be a football fan of any sort in my lifetime...I'm sure the answer would have been a resounding "NO"...followed by much laughing out loud...(notice this was too important to abbreviate with LOL). I am proud to say...once again...I have proven them wrong! I am proud to say that I am a huge fan...I will clarify that that is pretty much only when it comes to BYU football...but I have been known to sit at home...even when Aaron's out of town, believe it or not, watching a football game! Onto the point!!! This weekend we were able to watch a FABULOUS football game...live and in person...there are many reasons that this was a FABULOUS game...here are just a few...Spending time with family...seeing the new Cowboys Stadium...watching Aaron have the time of his life loosing his voice screaming for his team...watching my kids get into the game (even Addison...she was high fiving and giving fists all over the place)...AND OF COURSE...watching BYU beat the number 3 team in the nation...OU (University of Oklahoma)...(and thanks to Mat...we did learn what a Sooner is)!! It was an absolute phenomenal night...I am so happy that we were able to share it with family and friends! GO COUGS!!! (Sorry the pictures are not organized at all...still trying to figure that out.)

New Family Pictures!!!

We were so happy that we were able to have our family pictures taken while we were in Utah...this is the first time in over ten years that we've had family pictures! We were so happy with the pictures! I will add more later!

***Sentimental Sunday*** Where will they be in 5 years...in Honor of Jason leaving for Baylor

Friday night is "date night" with Mat & Emily...pretty regularly since we've lived here...unless someone is out of town...or Mat is down for the count due to back surgery...and even then one Friday night we had date night at their house! This past Friday night with the thought of Jason headed off to Baylor fresh on everybody's minds...Mat posed the question where we thought Jocelyn and Kyle would be headed 5 years from now! It was quite an interesting question...it would take a long time to lay out the detail of the conversation so I'll just say this...the prediction for both is that they will be at some Texas University...Jocelyn possibly Texas A&M or TCU, or maybe Texas Tech...Kyle...possibly Texas, Notre Dame or following in his big brother's footsteps and going to Baylor!

On that note...we had our last official "Sunday Night Dinner" with Jason living at home tonight...although I noticed it was kind of the elephant in the room...nobody really brought that up...even though I'm sure everybody was thinking it! Jason...we are so proud of you to be headed off to Baylor! Make the best of it! We will miss you...and look forward to seeing you when you are home! Love you!!!!!!

"The Chalmers Family Song"...On The Road...I LOVE Technology!!!!

Anyone that knows me knows how much I LOVE technology...this is all being done from the road on our trip to Utah for the Chalmers Family Reunion! We can't wait to get there...

Did I mention how cool it is that I can film the kids in the car...then post it to my blog all from the road! SO COOL!!!

P.S. - We've been in the car since 10:00 PM last night...decided at the last minute to go ahead and leave since we were ready; instead of waiting until noon today! Needless to say...everybody is a little silly at this point!

Sunday Night Dinners

Ever since we've lived in Texas we have thouroughly enjoyed our Sunday night dinner's with Mat, Emily, Kyle and Jason...and we always love it when April, Aubrey or Gini join us! This is pretty much what Sunday nights at Mat & Em's consist of...

We're most often welcomed with some cool message on Emily's little chef guy....since we will not have another Sunday night dinner for three weeks...this weeks message was a farewell...(BTW...one of Mat's many nicknames for Aaron is Clarabelle!) During the summer the kids usually bring their bathing suits and swim in the pool...they love to do all sorts of tricks off the diving board...(I think I had the camera out there before Kyle went outside...sorry Kyle.)

This was a random picture that Jocelyn took of herself!!!!

Of course I had to add a picture of the brothers! Aren't they cute!!!! This night was especially exciting...we had a super delicious meal...as always...but we had corn on the cob to go along with it...which loosened Addison's tooth enough for Aaron to pull it out!! That was fun!

Emily always cooks something phenomenal...she is a fabulous cook! Sunday night she made these super delicious Ice Cream Cookie sandwiches for dessert...rolled in chocolate chips and sprinkles! Seriously....they were awesome! (Oh and there's Kyle...he made an appearance for this picture!) Yet another reason we LOVE living in Texas is our Sunday night family dinners!