The Fosheas

Holly Jolly

2012-01-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone, but the memories remain. Visions of bus rides for a great night of BBQ and tacky Christmas sweaters still dance in our heads.

Boone in his mask for a wheezy cough on a cold day,

and Emmy's debut as a dove in the Christmas play.

Playing in the snow, oh what fun we can make!

even if the cold pile is puny and fake.

This season brings joy and lots of bouncing

and sugar galore..oh the tantrums are mounting!

Our gingerbread houses were a bit sad

But we don't give a rip... Christmas is so rad!

Sorry for the cheesy poem, but I was in a lyrical mood. We are excited for what 2012 will bring and look forward to sharing all the joys and blessings along the way. Shout out from the Foshea Family!

As 2011 comes to a close

2011-12-05T12:47:00.001-08:00

So many fun things to report. Where does one begin when one is so behind? I have such a terrible memory, but I will attempt to encapsulate our past few months.

October

First campout with the Hill Country Camping Society. We stayed close to home and camped out at Pace Bend. So much fun to get out of the normal routine and run around in the fresh air!

I am so thankful for all my dear friends who let me steal their little ones away so I can soak up as much baby snuggle time as I can possibly handle.

Halloween

Emmy picked out our characters and I thought she did quite a good job. She and Boone made an excellent Kanga and Tigger. Joel and I were of course Pooh and Tigger. I made all of our costumes and poor Joel got the raw end of the deal. He basically was wearing a large yellow dress all night. But he was good sport!!

November

The weather was incredible! We finally got out of the heat wave and entered into this beautiful season. This meant lots of time playing outside and having picnics on the driveway.

And lots of mudpies in the backyard!

We worked on some projects. Kyle and Luke's sweet mom gave me this beautiful desk and here are my little elves hard at work putting a coat of paint on. I need to take a picture of the finished product! It turned out so cute. Thank you Franny!

My little Elton John. This month was full of impromptu concerts also!

Mel had sweet baby Blair. More pics to come!

For some reason I bought an extremely large quantity of carrots at Costco, so we set out to make as many carrot recipes as I could find on allrecipes.com. Emmy and Boone wanted to help so badly. Who knew that skinning carrots was so much fun?

Oh wait, where did my helpers go?

This is how our days usually go: get out lots of materials for a special activity and figure out how to make it fun for all, do said activity for 5 minutes, move on to next activity while I try not to bash my head against a wall and clean up first activity. Before I knew it, the carrot spell had worn off and the kiddos were off to bigger and better things, aka- making more messes to clean up.

We went camping again this month but I unfortunately did not get any pictures. We camped out with two other families (Luke and the Murrays) and Trey came for a few hours and taught us how to make funnel cakes! We also fried up some steaks and venison- I am pretty sure we all packed on an extra pound or five that weekend. So good!
Emmy also made it past a pretty big milestone this month: she is completely out of diapers!! She had 14 straight nights with no accidents and as a reward went ice skating with Joel. Again, I am terrible at making sure photos are taken, but just imagine a really excited three year old wearing super cute ice skates. Boone felt a little left out so he and I went out on a special date to Target. Really. We just walked around Target. He loved it. This age is so great in some ways!

Thanksgiving

We went on a little hike that morning and began what I hope will become a yearly tradition! We explored the trails in the park near our house and it was so much fun! Of course I did get a bad case of poison ivy, but that's another story.

My dad had to stay in Houston as his dad was in the hospital, but Aunt Lesley was able to come up and join us for Thanksgiving dinner. She came bearing fun gifts from her trip to Dubai (Oh my!) and helped us put up the Christmas tree.We had a lovely meal and a great visit!

Joel made pulled pork and it was amazing!

And finally, here is a sampling of how we keep the kids entertained in the car. They make me smile!

Growing up in Texas

2011-11-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

For IPW this week I leave you with a video I am sure will offend some (the vegan animal rights activists) and will tickle others (normal people.) Our children know where their food comes from; many times the phrase, "Is this Pa's cow or Daddy's elk?" is asked as we sit around the dinner table. Given this fact it shouldn't surprise you that part of our children's play centers around hunting. This is just a taste of what goes on in the Foshea household at bedtime.

The Past Two Months

2011-10-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

We have been a little busy the past few months! We moved...

and moving day was quite the experience. Luckily we had great friends who came over to help

and share our very first meal in the new abode. Love the makeshift table and Maggie sleeping through all of it! Emmy and Boone put on a sweet show our first night. They would do a little song and dance, clap for the other sibling, then jump on "stage" and begin a new act of entertainment. This went on for almost 30 minutes.

Our first dinner in the new house. Emmy thought Boone needed a little help.

E working on her "homework" for preschool.

First day of school. They were both so excited to meet new friends and I was excited to see them all grown up. Kind of.

We live 2 minutes away from our dear friends now which makes for some fun impromptu hang out times. On this particular night Mel and I were headed out for a movie with the girls and this was our farewell!

Aunt Lesley has been coming in town a bunch and we love it! She spent a whole weekend with us in September and the kids were so delighted to play with their Aunt Lefty.

During Sunday school Bailey decided to practice using scissors and succeeded in trimming off some of her curls.

This is how we roll when we have a dinner party these days. The parent-to-kid ratio these days feels a little scary.

The kiddos love to play beauty parlor.

Sweet Maylee had a princess birthday party; no boys allowed! Aunt Chewy did makeup for every little girl, Kristen painted toes and Amity helped make the cuteset little party favors: decorated fabric purses! Aunt Kara went above and beyond!

Even "Harold" got a makeover.

Sweet little toes!

For the rest of the party, Emmy walked around pursing her lips. Apparently that is what one does when one wants to look beautiful.

My little handyman. Obviously with a new house comes all sorts of hammering and nest-feathering and Boone is never one to be left out of the fun.

Daddy is a great hairdresser.

We went to the fire station with our new neighbors and
I think Emmy has a new crush.

When they want to get along, it is really a sweet thing to behold.

On a walk on town Lake and had to take advantage of this photo op.

This is our new neighbor Bella. We had dinner with them one night and she was so sweet to share her dress up clothes with Emmy AND Boone...

Getting in the spirit,

Just a random guy riding an abnormally tall bike in Austin. No I was not driving with my two children in the car while trying to snag this photo. No.

IPW

2011-08-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

We will be moving in two days so this is going to be short!

Prison Break!

Tea time.

Boxes and more boxes...

IPW

2011-08-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

Oh man I am hopeless. How does the week fly by so quickly! I do have an excuse though (always...). Since we will be moving in 8 days I have a few other things on my mind.

Me want. Me want bad. Saw this baby in Home Depot and decided it will be on my Christmas list. Emmy thought that was silly.

Then I saw this baby at Goodwill and decided I will attempt to make one for E, that is hopefully much cuter.

Emmy took these pictures. Oh how I wish I didn't depend on the box to entertain my chilrens so much. My desire is to have the doors to the armoire open no more than 30 minutes a day once we move. For now, my sanity and packing needs require the tube to be on a little more than that.

Another Emmy photo. I think she is feeling a little sentimental about leaving the cottage. Or wait, maybe that's just me.

That's all I've got for today. I wish I could be more creative, funny, thoughtful, etc but that has all been zapped by the heat and my silly anxiety over moving. Hopefully I will rally and do something fun with the kids and have some really fun posts coming up. Woo woo.

We Are Moving

2011-08-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

After 4 years of work, sweat and tears we are saying goodbye to the Foshea cottage. Within DAYS this great house we have loved so was under contract. A sweet woman looking for more space to host her two grandbabies looked at the house, cancelled her showings that day and put in an offer. Talk about a fast turnaround.

So we quickly scrambled to find a new dwelling and settled on a great home in North Austin (so we can be closer to Joel's work). Within 2 weeks we had sold our house and bought a new one. My head is still spinning by God's total provision and timing. In two weeks we will pack everything up and hand over the keys. I pray the new owner would be just as blessed by this home and the wonderful neighbors we have come to love.

One of my best pals gave us a consultation with a home decorator as a house warming. I can't wait to begin feathering our new nest. Joel and I have so many ideas and hopes for how we will use our new house to create a place where ministry happens naturally and a sense of welcome is always apparent.

IPW... late of course

2011-08-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a gracious reminder from Melissa I am only a day late with IPW!

I have taken Boone and Emmy twice now to Rolly Pollies (this GREAT gym in Lakeway) and we LOVE it there. Emmy actually goes to a class and Boone gets to tag along. It's wonderful!

Big orange ball + bar + very enthusiastic three year old = pure awesomeness!

Really is there anything better than a giant foam pit??

This is probably one of the cutest pics I have taken in a long time. (I think Mel knew she was in IPW, explaining her "innocent" reminder). ;)

Our little man is getting so big. Look at those cute punkin toes and those precious jammies! He was waving out the car window at Joel who had pulled up next to us at a red light. We were on our way home from a night of hangout time with some pals and both E and B were in that precious happy sleepy fog..

IPhone Wednesday

2011-08-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

So I must confess over 99 percent of these photos were not taken with my phone. I HAVE AN EXCUSE THOUGH. I spent this past weekend in Chicago and naturally left my phone charger at home, knowing my responsible sister would have hers. So of course I forgot to charge said phone. I also really wanted to use Lesley's new fancy-shmancy camera anyways!

If I come in your house and take pictures please know it is because I adore your home and want to emulate your style. We had dessert with our pastor and his wife Wednesday night and I was so in love with everything about their house. The photo is so blurry because I was supposed to be having a conversation and didn't want to look away and be rude- but I really wanted to get a pic of their dining room.

Here begin the pictures I WOULD have taken with my phone. To the left you have your run-of-the-mill GIANT Marilyn Monroe statue in the middle of downtown Chicago. Just to give you an idea of scale- her big toe was the size of my entire foot.

After the BEST meal of my life. I decided to cheat a little on my South Beach Diet and BOY am I glad I did! Daddy and Lesley have gushed about this restaurant forever and Babareeba did not disappoint.

It was so much fun watching Lesley with her co-workers and friends. Being 6 years apart and several hundred miles away we don't get to experience eachothers' worlds very often. The gal in the center is a true gem. I told Lesley I might have to be the third wheel in their relationship!

Are we dorks or what? And no I don't have some large growth on my arm. That is a certifiable burn mark from our oven. Lovely.

What better way to see Chicago than by boat? I highly recommend the architecture tour.

Another grand way to take in the Chicago landscape. Lesley kept telling us we needed to go to the top of the Hancock Building. Daddy and I kept balking and making up excuses as to why we shouldn't. She finally got us up there. We were speechless. ~~Lesley was right~~ We thanked Lesley for her perseverance. What we imagined was a boring waste of $15 was truly spectacular.

IPhone Wednesdays

2011-07-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

There are lots of other gals in bloggy land doing something similar to this so I decided to join the fun as another way to chronicle our day to day lives. In the future IPW will feature pics taken by my phone from the past week. This week will be different as I will post some of my faves from who knows how long ago.

We were shopping with Nana and Emmy spotted this awesome hat. I am kicking myself for not getting it!

This butterfly landed on Emmy's finger and stayed there forever. We decided that every time the butterfly flapped its wings God was telling E, "You're Special!"

E with one of her BFF's Chase flying high in a carny ride.

This porch makes me drool. A gal at our church held a VBS meeting at her house and I could hardly listen as I took in the utter beauty of her home.

Not my finest moment: I hit this truck. But you can see why right??

Sparkly jellies. Enough said.

109 degrees. Enough said.

I downloaded an app called Instagram and love all the different filters you can use on your pictures. This vintage car was parked at our favorite park in Austin and I just had to get a photo.

I got to spend a few days in North Carolina with a good pal and this is just a tiny bit of evidence to showcase the fun we had. Chocolate covered strawberries and pretzel sticks, yummy mixed drinks, and homemade natural body care products. We are party animals. Grrrr.

Baby Joel- not my Joel but Cary's! What a delight to spend several days snuggling with this punkin.

When the weather gets hot and the kids get stir crazy we head to Target. And play dress up.

We just found out we had sold our house and bought a new one. We celebrated by eating at Phil's Icehouse and playing on the amazing outdoor playground. e makes friends wherever she goes.

A very tired 3 year old.

These two are TROUBLE! Don't let those angelic smiles fool you.

Our Favorite Beach

2011-07-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

A very long overdue post, this is...

These are pics of our Foshea Family Beach Trip in early June. Joel's parents were so gracious as to rent a house in Port Aransas for an entire week!

Aint she a beaut? The red door against the pale blue exterior was such a fun pop of color.

It was quite a miracle to find the dates that worked for everyone, but against all odds it all came together like peanut butter and jelly. Lame, I know.

Favorite highlights include: the sand throwing fight between the older "kids", our sweet tent set up at the beach, playing the "Train Game", having our own personal bartender to make the best Mojitos (James you are welcome on any and all of our vacays!), William running into people he knew everywhere, getting some much longed for time with the brothers and sisters, and sitting down to some reallgood dinners all together.

The weather that week was amazing. It tends to be pretty windy on the beach for some reason but we lucked out with some rockin beautiful days. Here we are preparing to ~~humiliate~~ bury Uncle James and Joel in the sand.

Of course just burying them wasn't enough. "It's MerMAN Pop!"

Isn't it sweet that James took some time out to help Emmy with her sandcastle...

Where's Emmy? We found out quickly who REALLY cared about the sandcastle!

When heading to the beach was too much of a commitment, we hung at the pool. So nice to have that option.

No matter where we were, we played hard!

When the going gets tough...

Looking forward to more fun trips in the future!

Cars 2

2011-07-14T07:13:00.001-07:00

Bailey and Emmy are HUGE fans of all things PIXAR. So when we heard Cars 2 was coming out this summer, we knew we would be there. We met at Bailey's house and headed to the theater together. After enjoying the movie we headed back to the house where the real fun began. Melissa went above and beyond to make the night special. She created an entire meal themed on the movie.

Drinks: Flo's Oil (juice in a decorated can)

Food: Mater's Tater Tots, Cheese Cozy Cones, Mac N' Cheese in the shape of tires, pizza bites.

Dessert: Luigi's Leaning Tower of Oreos

Lightning McQueen even made an appearance! Mel's sister Tori was a great sport.

And of course the girls had to have matching Cars outfits.

Bravo Melissa! A fun night was had by all!

Summer Fun Continues

2011-07-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

reading with Pancho

We just put our house on the market! Like, last night. Crazy. Here we are in the middle of July- we have already had over 20 days of triple digit days and the kiddos are growing like weeds. Once again, here is a compilation of some of our everyday goings on.

playing make-believe (the boat was apparently sinking)

pool time with Paige

lots of dress-up

shooting dangerous predators (aka squirrels) with a rubber band gun

more pool time with the Hardy clan

Livin Life

2011-05-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Every day is a gift from the Lord.

If you choose to believe this, even the most mundane events can be special.

I have always longed for adventure. My parents used to tell me I would bug them incessantly to go on an adventure of some kind. I think that spirit lies in all of us as it is how God has designed us.

To live life to the full.

We choose to believe that every moment has the potential for adventure and a chance to taste the sweetness of God's love for us.

Ok, just had to get that out of my system. Here are a few of our moments that make me smile. They may not seem super special on the outside, but this is the adventure we are living, and loving!

Yup. Joel shot a squirrel. In our backyard. With a BB gun. Could a girl be any more proud of her man? We are like the Clampetts living in the big city.

The little guy was eating all of our seeds. So we made an example of him to all his squirrel buddies. The kids think their Daddy is amazing.
I almost gagged when Joel let the kids pet the thing. We love our neighbors. Two brothers, Eric and Lucas, are so sweet to E and B. They both go to Boone Elementary. I am trying to figure out a plan to snag this shirt!

Emmy loves all things princess. So of course, what little girl doesn't dream of a canopy over her bed? So I did some ghetto decorating. She loves it.

Our house projects never cease. They will need to cease soon as we must get this house on the market. But for now, Joel is constantly working on something. Just recently he did some demo work in the bathroom.

While Boone played among the sharp shards of tile, Emmy sat in the center of the room covering her ears whenever Joel used his power tools. These kiddos adore their Daddy!

Story time at night. Doesn't get much cuter! And yes we are reading "Everyone Poops." It's a favorite in the Foshea household. Of course.

Some big shoes to fill.

Every night the kids feed Bear. They hold the cans above their heads to prevent Bear from knocking the food out. I just think they look so cute.

It's the little moments like these I will remember with great fondness.

Oklahoma, OK!

2011-05-20T06:40:00.001-07:00

Three weekends ago we hauled the family up to the great state of Oklahoma to hang with some dear friends. There were two objectives: to shoot some turkey and play hard. Liza is my dearest friend from college and her husband's family owns a 5,000 acre (WHAT?!) BEAUTIFUL ranch in Oklahoma. Boone and Emmy got to ride up front when we crossed the cattle guard onto the property. Boone took his job of steering very seriously.

We were so excited as we drove in, anticipating a weekend of fishing, hunting, throwing rocks in the lake, seeing exotic animals, and seeing our old pals.

The first morning we were there Joel nabbed him a turkey. Brandon is the ultimate host and let Joel chase this turkey and take him out.

Graham and Emmy were so excited and had a blast touching the dead turkey...while Liza and I stood by gagging silently and just biding our time before we could throw them in a bath tub full of hand sanitizer. Just kidding, but we did make sure they scrubbed their hands. Raw.

When the men folk got back I was still in my pajamas. Gotta love vacations! As a side note, Joel climbed the hill behind us later that day to make a business call (service was spotty at best) and as he was sitting in the grass atop that very hill he found an arrowhead! A real one. A really pretty one. Brandon let him keep it. So fun!

So proud! The turkey fan is in our garage and I am sure Joel has put the arrowhead in our safe should you want to see either or both.

Zebras!

Tractors!

Hay climbing!

We just had a blast that weekend. The kids were well behaved, the boys got to have adventure, Liza and I got to reconnect and relax together. Overall it was by far the best mini-vacay we have had in a long time.

These two would be best buds if we lived close! They were so funny to watch.

They would actually hold little conversations with eachother. Emmy was a little much for Graham in the mornings as she tends to be a bit grumpy. Those were the funniest conversations. One time Graham asked Emmy if she wanted to go fishing with him. She replied no and as he was about to leave she cried out. "I don't want you to go." He asked her again then if she would come. Her reply? "I don't want to go, but I don't want you to go either. Stay here with me!" What's a guy to do? Welcome to the crazy world of women Graham! Oh how I love these precious people!

Liza.

You know how there are those people you just know you will be friends with for life because they are basically family and seem to always be on the same wave-length as you are regardless of how much you talk to them on a regular basis?

Well, Liza is one of those. I don't even think I can define what she means to me. She's my homes.

I get her heart and she gets mine. I look forward to many more fun weekends like this one where our kids and husbands will play together and we will look on in total gratitude to the God of all Creation who blessed us with eachother.

A huge thanks to our husbands who made that weekend possible!

The Hunt for Treasured Eggs

2011-05-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since we have had a good old Easter egg hunt. Last year the kiddos were still too small to really get the concept of looking for hidden eggs (Boone wasn't even one yet) so this year Joel and I had the extreme pleasure of watching our munchkins fly around the yard searching for those colorful treasures. We were also delighted that Pancho and Lesley came to celebrate this wonderful holiday with us.
We waited for Aunt Lesley before we dyed our eggs. I think this was her first time to do so since we were chilrens. We only got to do one egg each; the kids were so selfish ;).

Emmy and Boone were fasctinated that their fingers changed colors as well as the egg shells. I was fasctinated that there were no major spills as I was fully prepared to repaint the walls after this activity.
After church the adults hid all the eggs while the chilrens waited in Boone's room. I don't know who had more fun: those hiding the eggs or the seekers? When we announced that the hunt had begun, these two came bursting out of the room.
Very funny! Boone would literally chunk the eggs in his bucket. Which was fine for the plastic eggs. The hard boiled ones didn't fare quite so well.

Does it get any cuter than that? A little sprite running around gleefully in the cutest pink dress Target has ever produced.

A proud boy with his booty.

My good friend Julie gave us some "Resurrection Eggs" this year. These eggs are so cool and will be a continued tradition in our home. This is a neat way to teach kids the story of Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. There are twelve plastic eggs. Each have an item inside representing a different part of the Passion story. A little book accompanies the set, with a different page for each egg detailing the account from the Bible. Each morning we would read the card that corresponded with the egg that day and then open the egg to see what was inside. For instance, the story talked about Jesus coming into Jerusalem as the people waved palm branches acknowledging him as Messiah. Inside the egg for that day was a plastic donkey to represent what Jesus rode as he made his way into the walls of the city.

What a joyous celebration indeed. Hunting for eggs as treasure holds more significance than simply something fun to do with the kids. It is a reminder that our true treasure is Christ. When we seek him, we shall find him for HE IS RISEN! Happy Easter 2011

Summer in April

2011-04-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Now that we are back in the lower 90's (that's degrees not years) let the fun in the sun begin.

Art Projects...

Climbing trees...Running around in bathing suits All. Day. Long.

Busting lips as we run around in bathing suits...

Putting on tribal paint (aka mud)...

Building new fences...

Ok, so Joel actually built the fence, but I did get to shoot a few nails with the nail gun! So FUN!

Time for all sorts of RIDES...

(don't break yo mama's back!)

( some sweet scooter action)

(rollin with the daddy)

There is so much more fun to be had and the summer hasn't even officially begun!

My Genteel Warrior

2011-04-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you can tell, but there is something a little off about Boone's choice in battle attire.
See it now? Yes, he has Snow White princess shoes on to complete his outfit. This kid is all boy, but he sure does love his sister and tries to emulate her in any way he can.

Emmy really is a great friend to her baby brother. They play so well together most of the time. He just giggles and giggles when she puts on a show for him and tries so hard to keep up with her. She is quite the big sister and practices words with him and teaches him good sword fighting techniques. What a sweet relationship!

A week at Nana and Pa's

2011-04-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

We are good Texans...can't let a year go by without Bluebonnet pictures. Luckily, Joel's parents have a great patch of these pretty flowers in their front yard. When we went to pick them up a few weeks ago (this is a late post, par for the course) we had a blast hearing stories from the kiddos' week with their Nana and Pa. We were so excited to see them!

They're just so stinkin cute.

Sometimes they actually love on eachother!

We sure did appreciate Nana and Pa loving on the kids and we know the kids had a blast!

The Messier the Better: March Week 2

2011-03-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

We made goo last week! All you do is mix water with cornstarch and you get this amazing texture of slimy, gooey, well... goo! Emmy couldn't get enough of the stuff. Next time I think we will a) do this activity outside and b) color the goo! What could be better than color-stained chi-rens running around with goo sliding down their arms?!While Emmy jumped into the fun with nary a reservation, Boone was a little slow to become enthusiastic over getting his hands dirty. Go figure!Can you tell who wins the award for most goo on one's person?

Ahhh, all clean. But not for long.

These two went nuts in the yard as I watered my new plants. They attempted to create the largest mud puddle known to man. And straight to the sink they both went after.

It was dinner time by then and Emmy wanted to help once she was all clean. I was very impressed by her weiner cutting skills.
(I promise the kids wear clothes sometimes)

More mess. These kids truly cannot do an activity without getting completely filthy. We had a blast with my friend Alyssa and her little sweetness Bella (no she's not named after the Twilight heroine). We had a playdate in New Braunfels and after playing at the park, headed to this cool little antique store/cafe for some ice cream. They even had the old McDonald's playground equipment for sale there! So fun! We chose not to invest as this merry-go-round cost over $1000. Really?
Finally, we went to the rodeo with Nana and Pa on Saturday. This was the only picture we got from the whole day as our camera battery died. We had a lot of fun seeing all of the animals, riding rides, eating low-calorie carny food, and watching the pig races. The next day Nana and Pa took these little ones back to Dallas and are there now, as I type, having a ball. I'm not sure that's how you can describe what Nana is having, but I'm sure she will be able to look back on this week with fondness once she has recovered fully. Can't wait to hear about all of their adventures!

A Blast from the Past

2011-03-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

I am so sad it has been a month since my last post. A lot has happened! Without further ado...

These pictures are from the first camping trip we went on in the last few weeks. The Hill Country Camping Society decided to rough it at Laity Lodge near Kerrville. Ten families is a lot of people and a whole lotta fun! We did everything from canoeing, hiking, playing soccer, fishing and the kids even had some evening entertainment for us! Below they were taking their bow. Emmy is pointing at a fish she thinks she spotted.You can't slow these kids down.Making dinner for 60 plus people is no small feat.

Since our camera was stolen I had to pull out the old camera today. And to my surprise there were still pictures on the memory card. Oh man, melt my heart. These pictures are from March-June of 2010...I think. What a fun little trip down memory lane...and a little reality check as to how quickly time flies. These two cuties are about 3 months apart. I can't believe how little these punkins were. Kara has already had baby #3 (see below pic!)and that sweet little girl, Maylee, is 1 1/2 now!

The Three Stooges. Emmy's HAIR!!
This boiling afternoon we decided to meet downtown for an impromptu concert.
Notice the red cheeks on Caleb. It was hot. But it didn't matter. We had lots of fun. Lots.
They were just babies!! This was a little over a year ago! Sniffle.

Ummm...too cute. What a difference a year makes.

While lying in bed one morning a few weeks ago, I was not quite ready to stir from my slightly catatonic state and Emmy was doing everything she could to rouse me. She finally tried the "sweet" route and said, "I love you Mama." She was rubbing my cheek as she said this. So precious. Then, not at all put off by my silence, she grabbed my lips with her fingers and moved them up and down while saying, "I love you too Emmy" in a strange falsetto voice. She also told me some day she will be able to paint the cabinets (our ongoing remodeling) because she will be a donut. I think she meant grown-up. Maybe. Or just maybe she has aspirations of being a donut. Who knows with this kid.

Boone is getting a little rowdier and a little more defiant. If he doesn't like the answer you have given him, he will yell and make a hitting gesture at you. I thought we might be able to skip the whole terrible two's with him since he has proven to be the easiest baby that ever existed. Alas that will not be the case. I'm afraid he is going to become quite acquainted with Mr. Spanky Spoon much like his older sibling.. The interesting part is watching Emmy when Boone is disciplined. She gets very protective and will shout out, "Hey Mama. That's my brudder. He's just a little guy!" Then there are times when she repeats what I have said, like a good little boss/preschool mom should. "Boone, dat's a no no. You better stop or Mama will have to put you in time out. Boone just adores his big sister and tries to emulate everything she does. Good and bad. I have more but this post is too long for my taste.

Healthy Eating Habits

2011-02-16T11:48:00.001-08:00

Eating vegetables is way more fun when you get to pick them yourself. Bailey shared some of her very own home-grown carrots with Emmy the other night. I thought they were going to turn orange as they scarfed down one carrot after another. Apparently having a garden is a good way to get your kids to eat well...and be self-entertained. Guess what we will be doing this summer?!

Christmas... a little late

2011-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Don't judge me. Yes I know it is the middle of February and this post is all about the month of December. Oh well. Our camera was stolen a few weeks ago...and no I am not being dramatic, it really was stolen...(note to anyone contemplating taking someone else's camera-leave the memory card please.) So now that I have no new pictures to post I am going through our old pics and finding I have quite a few posts that never made it to "print." Here goes:

My sister and I had a fashion show smack dab in the middle of mi tienda favorita: TARGET. This was my best imitation of "Carrie" from Sex in the City. This was my sister's best imitation of a psyche ward patient.

Speaking of the psyche ward...

When making Christmas cinnamon rolls, it is always recommended the bakers make a little time for some fashion poses. Blue Steel anyone? Oh how I love hanging out with my sister. We spent Christmas at our beloved Girl Scout Camp taking care of 40 horses.

Boone and Emmy breaking in a young steed.

Or more accurately, riding a geriatric ex-barrel racing horse who has not moved faster than a sloth stuck in honey in a very long time.We had a great time opening presents. Emmy got all things girl and princess. She is actually lifting one leg in this picture. Quite the little lady.

The weather was very frigid for Texas standards. I am not pregnant in this picture nor is Emmy struggling with obesity. We had about five layers on as we braved the outside temperature to practice riding the new bike from Nana and Pa.

Hopefully we will be able to replace our camera soon so I can download better quality pics than my phone is able to take. A little note on the present: we have gotten to a much easier place with Emmy. She is truly growing into quite a sweet little girl. She still has her pugnacious and defiant moments, but they are becoming less severe and less frequent. Boone just melts my heart every time I look at him. We are truly blessed. Joel is an incredible husband and father. The kids just light up when he comes home from work. Life is sweet. Thankfulness is a good salve to any cynicism or frustration one might have with the general hard aspects of life.

Emmy Turned Three!

2011-01-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

This year we had a princess party at home for Emmy. Weather Forecast: Rainy and freezing. Actual Party Day: Perfect!

I was more than a little nervous the weather wasn't going to hold out for us. Our house can not accomodate the number of peeps who were coming to the party, so I hoped and hoped for some sweet sunshine. The party gods were on our side this day!

Emmy has more boy friends than girls so I tried to keep the party activities as gender neutral as I could...this did NOT include the decorations though.

Or the cupcakes...

Some gender neutral games: Digging for treasure (dinosaurs- closest things to dragons- and jewel rings).

Dress up corner: princess dresses and accessories and A fireman costume. I must admit this activity leaned a little more to the feminine.

So stinkin cute!

Game: Dinosaur Egg Relay. In other words, a complete free-for-all with preschoolers running aimlessly around with balloons in their hands.

The actual point was to get your team's eggs into this red tub.

Slay the Dragon/Dinosaur (again, closest thing I could find!). Funniest thing about this pinata was every time you gave it a really good hit, the dino would spit up candy from his ferocious mouth.

Mel and Joel were good sports and tried their best to slay the dragon so the somewhat impatient kiddos could collect their booty. Unfortunately this was a little too much violence for some of the kids so we nicely opened his belly and let the scavenging ensue.

Party favors: Girls - Bag O' Candy, princess rings, necklaces
Boys - Foam swords...given out at END of party.

All: Make your own party hat. Some had ribbon on the top to look like a princess hat.

Dessert: Cupcakes of course! Daddy was the cupcake server extraordinaire!

One of Emmy's presents with baby Maylee peeking out.

No party is complete without a busted lip. Poor kid woke up from his nap to a house full of people and couldn't seem to quite get in the party mood. After he fell and busted his lip though, all was well with the world. Happy boy sucking on his ice.

Emmy had a blast playing with her best buds.

But every party must come to an end.

A special thanks to the gals who stayed and helped clean up: Mel and Julie just wouldn't leave no matter how much I tried to kick em out!

Thanks to my Dad and sister for driving all the way from Houston to celebrate with Emmy.

Aunt Nee Nee and Uncle James made the long trek from Dallas before the party (and nap time) started just so they could be with the birthday girl and give her her presents in person. They were also recruited to do a little pre-party prep before they had to head back home. So sweet!

And a special thank you to Nana and Pa. Pa for helping Joel put up our pantry doors before the munchkins could wreak havoc on our dry goods. And Nana for...well everything! She not only stayed up late the night before helping us deal with a water leak issue, but worked hard ALL morning to help us pull off the greatest princess party ever.

Small pleasures

2010-12-28T19:51:00.000-08:00

Having to throw out your socks because you played so hard one afternoon in the front yard.

Finding a new use for the (broken) basketball goal. Party lights and good friends.

A giant leaf pile.

Family.

Princess dresses and shoes.

Again... princess shoes.

Christmas and dancing

2010-12-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

As much as I feel like I am going bonkers trying to keep up with two very active munchkins, the past month has been a lot of fun. Emmy and Boone have two distinct personalities and are so much fun to play with. They love to wrestle, dance, sing, hide from Joel when he gets home from work, play "hungry tiger" which generally entails us crawling around on all fours roaring at eachother as they run away giggling. They are also pretty precious to watch when we see Christmas lights, Santa at the mall and any ornament that sparkles. What a joy to watch them react to the magic of this season. My only prayer is that Joel and I instill in them a wonder at what God did for us over 2,000 years ago; that Christ's gift would speak more to their hearts than anything we could ever give them. Growing up our family Christmas tree always had one topper: a paper plate angel I made in preschool. I decided to continue that tradition in our family. Here Emmy was making her beautiful angel.
And here she is helping decorate the tree...she decided the cute pajama top I bought her was hindering her hanging skills.

My word they did such a good job. The tree has yet to fall and we have lost no ornaments. Of course every night I notice certain ornaments have found a new home. Usually collected all on one branch.

I can't get enough of this little man.

During Thanksgiving we helped Nana put up her Christmas tree.

Can't decorate without your princess crown.

Just last weekend my sister Lesley came in town for a little visit. We are SO glad she has moved back from Chicago! Poor thing didn't know she was going to get recruited for kitchen remodel duty. She was nervous as a cat when I asked her to sand and paint! But she did a great job. Now every time Boone sees her picture he points and laughs and says, "Seesee!"

Only a few more days before we celebrate the birth of Christ. There are so many traditions I want to start, presents to be bought, kitchens to remodel, etc. I have found myself falling to prey to anxiety and a desire to hole up and hide. When that happens I have begun a new exercise. I merely begin thanking God for all of the blessings in my life. What a difference a thankful heart makes! Puts a smile on my face and helps me see things with joy.

I am so utterly thankful for my family: us four, extended family, and friends. When I am thankful my heart feels lighter and I actually want to dance. So that is what the kids and I have been doing a lot of lately. We twirl and stomp and bounce (on the BED!) with no reservations. So fun! All the while remembering the reason why we dance, a precious baby born in a stable. A baby born for us.

Almost Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

As we prepare to leave for Dallas to celebrate Thanksgiving with Joel's side of the family

we are working really hard on good table manners.

We are also taking time out of our days to stop and smell the... marigolds.

Taking time to remember stories of the

Native Americans sharing their corn with the poor Pilgrims who wanted nothing more than to share this wonderful land...at least it's a nice thought.
And taking time to dance around in our princess crown with joy!
Smiling as we remember those we love.

There are a few things that I love about Thanksgiving: obviously the food and family...blah blah blah. But really I LOVE getting to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and seeing The Nutcracker as a way to symbolically usher in Christmas! This weekend we took Emmy to see the San Diego Ballet perform the classic show in Kerrville! Her friend Ellie was chosen to perform as one of the kiddos in the opening Act! Emmy was geared up and dressed to the nines.
During intermission this little ballerina pranced and floated all around the foyer. I must admit she looked yummy enough to eat! We couldn't go anywhere without people oohhing and ahhhing over the cute little future ballet dancer. Of course Emmy ate that up.

We were so proud of Ellie. She did a great job. The ballet itself was amazing and beautiful despite the gargantuan legs and...other things...of the main male dancer...crazy. After the show we went in search of Ellie to congratulate her (not knowing she was already at home waiting for US!) and found ourselves backstage as the stage hands were loading up all of the props; then we meandered into the dressing rooms where all of the costumes and dancers were milling around. I just walked with confidence and looked like we belonged there...I don't know who was more enthralled: me or Emmy! People actually thought we were a part of the show because of Emmy's tutu. I heard one man tell her good show! Ha!

It was so fun getting to share this with Emmy as a way to carry on a Loop family tradition. My mom took us several times to see The Nutcracker and it was always a special treat.

Now it is time to get ready for some turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hill Country Camping Society Strikes Again

2010-11-17T13:12:00.000-08:00

A year ago this time we began a tradition of spending time in the great outdoors
getting back to the simple activities in life

and spending time with some good folks.

One year later, camping season has begun again!

Pace Bend was where we decided to pitch our tents

and try to keep the kiddos from getting in the water. Emmy didn't make it but little Rebecca did!

We good parents completely missed the fact that this little one was sitting at the edge of the lake playing in frigid water. Needless to say her clothes were soaked and she spent the rest of the weekend in this amazing get up.

The kids had so much fun. We did too! Makeshift potty. Some privacy please! There were real restrooms for the adults but this served those toddler emergencies.

The crew braved the cold and ran and played until their little bodies gave out!

The kiddos even went "fishing" out of the back of Joel's truck. They would send the rope down and someone would attach something (Woody from Toy Story was a favorite catch) to the rope.

It definitely got cold but it was well worth it!

Nothing a campfire couldn't fix

Emmy caught her first fish

So proud!

Can't wait for the next campout. Won't you join us?!

Thankful Tree: Part One of Foshea Family Traditions

2010-11-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have seen this idea in so many other places, done in so many different ways and I love it! From turkeys to wreaths to leaf garlands, this is a fun way to remind ourselves and our children of all that we have to be thankful for. The Foshea family is making a Thankful Tree. It sits on our table (not on the floor as pictured) and looks rather cute!

Every night at dinner we write down one or two things per leaf. Yesterday Emmy wanted to write "money" as something she is thankful for. Hmmm. We talked about it a little bit and finally decided it was ok as she explained to me how important it is for us to have shelter, food, and of course our car. That last one seems to pretty important to her. I think because she gets to "drive" it when we are playing in the driveway.
Hopefully as we approach Thanksgiving we will continue to offer up a sacrifice of thanks and praise regardless of our circumstances.

The Royal Family attends the Halloween Party of the Century!

2010-11-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Melissa Mezger is undoubtedly a Halloween enthusiast. She plans ahead a year in advance: her family's themed costumes, party details, as well as thinking up costume ideas for all of her friends. Given this is her favorite holiday of the year (what about Chinese New Year???) she threw one heck of a bash last night.

A little pumpkin decided to be a part of the Foshea Royalty! We were too cheap to actually get costumes for ourselves so two posterboards drawn to look like playing cards would suffice. Oh yeah, and a too big crown for Joel and really fun red and white striped tights for me. At least the kiddos looked uber cute. Emmy: Princess Belle

Boone: A court jester.

Costume made by yours truly. Felt is the best fabric for EASY costumes!
The Mezgers were a pumpkin patch with a protective scarecrow (Luke). Some other fun themed costumes from the night: Two chefs and a salt and pepper shaker, Nerd family, Cowboy family, Farm Animals, Chickens and baby chicks (more pics to come!)

Do you see the insanely large bounce house behind us? Yup. Mel goes big.

Our little princess played with Ben "Spider Man" most of the evening in the sand turtle. As did our messy man.

We finished off the night with some good ole' trick-or-treating. On the way home we had the following conversation:

Me: Emmy, what did you say when you knocked on the door for candy.

Emmy: Thank you.

Me: No, before you got candy what did you say to the person?

Emmy: Happy Halloween!

Me: And?

Emmy: Trick or Treating!

Me: Is that what you said?

Emmy: Yup. That's what I do's

(think "does" pronounced "do" with an s at the end.)
Emmy was at the very front, hopefully getting her favorite dark chocolate. Just like I prepped her to ask. For her, of course.

New York, New York

2010-11-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

Emmy and I flew out of Austin Bergstrom Airport EARLY (5:30!!) Friday morning Oct. 15th. Destination: Albany, New York.

Purpose: To see my aunt, uncle, cousins and Grandpa.

Emmy spent most of the flights watching borrowed movies on our borrowed DVD player. What a lifesaver.My dad and sister met us at the airport. Thus our adventure began!

We sisters were SO excited about the beautiful foliage! Or maybe just excited to be together... just maybe.

Pretty flowers.

Freaking HUGE pumpkin!

On our way to Indian Ladder Farms, just down the road from my mom's childhood home.

Such a beautiful farm.

After we ate the yummiest doughnuts and threw back the greatest fresh apple cider I've ever had, we took a little hike and explored the beautiful area.

We loved being outside! Even if it was a little windy and cold.

So cute. This was Emmy's favorite mode of transportation: Pancho's shoulders!

All tuckered out.

Hanging out at Grandpa's house, my mom's childhood home.

Grandpa and great-grandchild. It was so special getting to see him and the rest of my mom's side of the family. Emmy was really good...for a toddler!

Emmaline Maggie

2010-10-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

She's our:

Boog-a-Loo.

Stink-o-pottamus.

Punky Monkey.

Memmy.

Oh Boone!

2010-10-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

Even covered in snot and mud I think this kid is adorable. He loves to give kisses, sit still and read books at night in the rocking chair, rub Emmy's back when she'll sit still long enough for him, and DANCE! Boone is our little sensitive man. I love how different both of our babies are. Of course he is inquisitive, but more reserved in the way he investigates. He likes to give a situation the once over before he throws himself into it.

Except when it comes to mud. Oh boy. He can't get enough of the stuff.

I mean...it took me 10 minutes to get every little bit of dirt out of every little crevice.

What a stinker! I just want to eat him up every second of the day. Since he is most likely our last baby I am soaking up every minute of this short time with our little toddler.

FALL!

2010-09-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

We went to our first highschool football game in Austin with both kiddos the other night. Bowie was playing some "other" team and we had such a blast hanging out with our great buds the Mezgers and a whole host of raging hormones disguised as middle school and highschool kiddos. Our girls had so much fun cheering, scaling the bleachers, and playing with their Toy Story dolls.

Melissa's gonn kill me for posting this picture! But I had to give the whole visual! We sat at the very top away from the masses (thank you wise Melissa) and let the kids run somewhat wild.

So this summer was pretty rough on me...that is actually a gross understatement! We were going bananas not having a set schedule or set events to go to during the week. I decided to do some "re-decorating" to fill some of the hours as my kiddos came quite close to driving me mad. Boone's room has been the playroom/guest room/office/storage closet for too long. I decided to bite the bullet and give up on him and Emmy sharing a room in the near future (she is still a terrible sleeper)and just dub his room his. Here's what I came up with on no budget. The room is all but the size of a cd case so I tried to weed out as many toys as I could to make his room feel less cramped. I am not a fan of primary colors but in a boys room, your color pallette is pretty limited. Plus I already had all of this stuff and it works! I LOVE the flags I made. So fun! These bad boys are all over the blogging world and I have been wanting to make them FOREVER.

Emmy loves her room. I think our final step is to make her a canopy of some sort. She is very in to princesses and dancers and all things girl.

Buckle up for some of my favorite pics from the past few weeks. Here is our little man eating only a fraction of the food on his tray as the other larger fraction misses his mouth completely. Sometimes I want to paper/rock/scissors Joel to see who has to clean this little man up after a meal.

Oh but he is so cute! Here he is in what I call his typical "frat daddy" outfit.

It has strangely rained quite a bit these past few weeks. We finally get so cooped up that we just have to go outside! Here are the results.

Back and forth they go!

We celebrated Bailey's birthday at her "Maroon Out" party. For those of you who don't understand what I'm talking about, the Aggie's main school color is maroon. I even put an A&M shirt on. Melissa seemed to have bought out the Aggie store and stated she had plenty for me to choose from. Sorry Bears! Sic em!

Umm miss sassy pants above quite enjoyed her cheerleading outfit and could not wait for Bailey to open her gifts. Bailey got all things Toy Story because the kid is quite honestly obsessed with the movies!

This is from another one of our rainy day play days.

This massive mud pit/pool was too tempting for Boone to stay clean for very long.

My dad and sister came in town last weekend. Please excuse what a nut my dad is! Emmy and Boone were wearing their tutu's and Daddy decided he didn't want to be left out of the fun.

He also decided to don this blonde wig. He and Emmy match!
Log roll time! Lots of giggling. Lots.
We had a blast. I love my family! We're excited because Nana (Joel's mom) is coming in town this weekend so we are in for more fun!

2010-09-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Can you even believe this picture? No matter how grainy the photo, this image is amazing. No lie, Michael was burping the twins BY HIMSELF. I was so impressed by his ability to multi-task, especially since it is a well known fact that men are not usually proficient in the area of focusing on more than one thing at a time. TWINS! I am still reeling from the amazing gift my dear friends are experiencing right now. I am also reeling from these fun images taken at the Mezger ranch outside of Llano. I just want to eat my kiddos up! They are so "yummy," as my friend Elsa says (in a really cool South African accent, I might add!)

Boone looking quite determined to keep up with the big kids.

These are not triplets. Although you wouldn't know it since they all sport cute curly mop heads. We went on a hike, in the dead of Texas afternoon heat I might add, and these kiddos had so much fun exploring, mooing at the cows, tasting random wild fruits (I think they were all non-toxic...) and throwing rocks at water moccasins (ok not really, just added the snake part for dramatic effect.)

Kid Update

2010-09-10T12:32:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how big the kidddos are getting. Boone is outright running now (he has to to keep up with big sis!). He has also found his "voice." Gone are the days of a mild-tempered baby. Welcome an opinionated and loud little toddler. Boone is still a super sweety pie (won't he love that when he reads it in junior high!) but has his moments when he lets you know how upset he is that he did not get his way.

No that is not his pink chair. He actually has a really cool fire-truck bean bag that his Aunt Nee-Nee gave him, but sometimes he loves to rock it in Emmy's room. My phone's default picture is of Boone. He LOVES seeing the other baby.
He also LOVES kissing that other baby.He especially LOVES to get dirty. And I mean REALLY dirty.
Eating dirt is always an option for a snack.

Our other little munchkin is getting crazy big as well. She is our little athlete and our little reader. We went to the library for the first time last week and she cannot put down the new books. I am a little worried about what will happen when we have to return them! She hasn't quite gotten the concept of "borrowing" from the library yet!

She loves her rain boots. I think they help her think when she is doing her puzzles.

This girl is a puzzle fiend! These are her three favorites right now.
This is her "too cool for school" look.

And this is the "look" I love the most. Pure joy and utter cuteness. I love that she likes to play outside in the dirt while wearing a bow and a dress (given to her by her style guru Aunt Nee-Nee).

I love...

2010-08-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

I love (and secretly hate at the same time) that Boone is officially a toddler. Where has the time gone? Those tiny toes have taken no time to explore any and every inch of the cottage and surrounding exterior. I love that we live in a place where we are minutes away from an awesome swimming/splashing creek. By far this was my favorite weekend activity we have partaken in lately. We went down to Camp Ben McCullough and soaked up the rays and country music with a host of other Texans.

It actually was not crowded at all and served as a perfect spot for family "bonding" and not the molecular kind.
I love this little girl. She is an enigma. One minute she is scraping up her knees and jumping in mud and the next minute she has her hands on her hips and is striking a pose in her very girly tutu. Love it! Last night at Lowes the following was stated:

Joel: "Emmy, hold my hand while we walk down this aisle."

Emmy: "No Daddy. I just want to be a princess!"
Note her fly swatter "fairy wand." Does it get any more trailer park than that?

I love that Boone wanted to wear this blue tutu. And that some day this will be in his rehearsal dinner video. Insert diabolical laughter here.

I love the surprises one finds after the two year old has thrown a fit. This pile used to be a foam football. During a fit Emmy took out her frustration on this poor unsuspecting toy of Boone's.

I love watching Boone walk around the house holding a mechanical toothbrush and giggling every time it makes his mouth vibrate. I also love watching him make faces at the "other" baby in the mirror.

I love it that many of my friends have lots of kiddos!
That's a stroller for TWINS folks. Julie has her hands full with two month old twins and an almost 3 year old. Whew.

We played at the fountains at the Galleria. Guess how many kids there were? Just guess.

ELEVEN! Now guess how many mamas...I dare you.

Only 5. So fun. I'm sure we looked like a traveling circus.
It sure felt that way.

I love being a mama to Boone and Emmy. I read this quote in Dobson's "Strong Willed Child" - I love you more than you can possibly understand. You are precious to me and I thank God every day He let me raise you. Because I love you, I must teach you to obey me. That is the only way I can take care of you and protect you from the things that might hurt you.

Amen!

Price Book Play Date!

2010-08-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

(Is it just me or does my forehead look monstrous! That's what I get for not showering two days in a row. Yuck)

PS- if you want the results of our pricing date head on over to Melissa's blog!

Here is my friend Melissa.

She and I are different birds.

She loves to make lists,

organize the snot out of anything she can get her hands on,

and to plan her family's themed Halloween costumes

a YEAR in advance.

Yes, my friends, she is my Type A pal.

I on the other hand am a "last-minute Jane",

have a closet that a child could actually get lost in for days,

and can't even remember when my own birthday is,

let alone plan ahead for any major event.

Yet somehow our friendship completely works.

We have different things to offer one another.

For example, I can teach her how to burp the ABC's and

how to pants people without getting caught;

she teaches me how to plan ahead and stick with a budget.

You can make up your own mind as to which of these are more important

but I like to think we are equally "gifted."

Today we had a playdate, of sorts.

We went to three different stores

(HEB, Wally World, and Costco).

We price checked about 25 items and now have

a list comparing the stores' prices on said items to one another.

We did this with FOUR children (hers are behind her in the photo).

We did this in 2 1/2 hours, which included a lunch break

($1.50 hot dog and drink at Costco..boo yah).

We did this without punching eachother in the face.

It was glorious. I actually feel like I accomplished something today beyond changing a million diapers and cleaning the playroom, yet again.

I am thankful for my friend who suggested this playdate

and even more thankful that we made it out alive.

I am also thankful that we share a passion for being good stewards of the money God has blessed us with .

I pray our children would watch and learn and in turn be good stewards when they grow up.

(Editor's Note: Mel and I are converted budget-masters, lest you be led to believe we have always been this budget saavy. The word "budget" used to make both of us break out into hives and start twitching. Isn't it cool how people really CAN change.)

The Dog Days of Summer

2010-07-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever Back to School commercials are not giving me a mild anxiety attack! I know that sounds weird, but growing up I always dreaded the end of summer for most of the obvious reasons. But in all honesty the main reason I would panic was due to the fact that I was/am very sensitive to change. I just couldn't envision what the new year was going to bring and instead of embracing that unknown with excitement, I would want to curl up in a corner and hope the beginning of school wouldn't be able to find me there. But not this year! I am 31 years old and finally ready to face the new school year! Ha! Maybe it's because this past year has been the hardest year on record for many reasons. Or maybe it's because this summer has almost driven me batty having no schedule and kids home all the time. Either way, I am ready to say "Sayonara!" to summer and "Ni Hao" to Fall. (Are you impressed by my use of both Japanese and Mandarin?)
There have been some new developments this summer including (drumroll please....) Boone is sort of walking! I have attempted over and over again to upload a video, an Oscar worthy one at that, but Blogger is being a pain in my rear and won't accept it. So, look at the picture below, and imagine in your head this little man pushing his sister around in the toy stroller. Now imagine him letting go and toddling around the house on a mission to maintain his balance. It's pretty cute. You can tell he is putting a lot of thought into each step and he gets pretty tickled with himself, which then of course leads to a fall and subsequent tears afterward.

Look at Emmy's pigtails! All I can say is SO CUTE! I don't know if you can tell, but the cup she is drinking from dons the characters from "Toy Story 3" or "Stoy Story" in her lingo. She shares a "passion" for this movie with her good pal Bailey and owns the Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear dolls. We lost Woody for about two weeks until the other day we saw him hanging out under someone's mailbox about 1/2 a mile from our house. Apparently he had jumped ship on one of our walks (or Emmy dropped him...). This was a glorious homecoming. We are now in the process of imagining his adventures while he was gone. It's fun to hear what Emmy comes up with!Emmy is so very precious... and so very headstrong. Last night Joel and I came home from our first date out on the town in a long time to find our friend Jan dealing with a screaming tantrum. There were bits of a foam football all over the floor and pieces of furniture were not where we had left them previous to our departure. It looked like a war zone. Once she realized we were home, we heard narry a peep from Emmy again. Sigh. My prayer for this kiddo is that we as parents would have the discernement to know how to discipline and love her through her headstrong moments. I also pray those beautiful qualities she has would be nurtured well by us. But oh how I am learning all about patience. Do you know how easy it is to lose your religion when a preschooler has pushed just about every single button (and some you didn't even realize you had)? I know some day we will look back on this and laugh. I look forward to Emmy reading about all of her antics and being able to see how far she has come. It will be a blessing to see the fruits of patience, consistency, and love.

Babies, Babies and MORE Babies!

2010-07-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

Whew! There are babies popping out all over the place. It has been such a joy being a part of so many gals' lives and experiencing the joy of welcoming a new life into the world.

Laura and Tim Dawson (she is the cutie 2nd from the left) welcomed baby boy Luke a few weeks ago.Christal (still pregnant here, OBVIOUSLY!) and Phil recently welcomed baby boy Micah to their family.

Julie and Michael welcomed TWIN BOYS Travis and Ryan just last weekend.
Kara and I decided to crash the party, matching outfits and all ("it's tradition!" says Kara). I mean seriously, did Julie REALLy just have twins because she actually looks like she is ready to go out on the town.

My best bud in Oklahoma just welcomed baby boy Clark this morning! I cannot begin to express my disappointment at not being able to be there. I am looking forward to a weekend of fun at the end of August. Watch out Baker clan! We're coming and bringing the party with us!

We are still waiting on Jan and Louisa to pop their little babushkas out and I have heard talk of more "We're pregnant!" announcements coming soon. No worries Pancho, it's not us!

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him."

Psalm 127:3

Goings on

2010-07-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

Our little man turned ONE! What in the world is he thinking? Boone, you are not supposed to grow up like your big sister. I have already had to mourn the fact that she no longer has a cute bald head or chubby little arms and legs; she runs like a monkey who's tail is on fire and does not rely on cute one-syllable gurglings to communicate her needs/wants/general pleasure or displeasure. Now you're going to try and get all big, son? I think not. Nonetheless we had fun celebrating with you at Nana and Pa's house. Of course there were moments when I sulked in the corner murmuring things like, "Too soon. He needs more time as a baby" and "My babies are growing up and I'll cry if I want to," all while taking deep puffs from my shady slim cigarette. Ok, so not really, but that's what the crabby old lady in my head was doing.

Boone pretty much devoured the flag fruit-pizza I made him. This is the easiest cake in the world to make and Oh So Good. It was a big hit. Boone is definitely starting to show more and more of his personality these days. He can be a little dramatic at times when he doesn't get something he wants; I fear he has picked that up from another two-legged short person in our house with curly hair whose name shall not be named. Overall, he is still one of the most laid back babies with a smile that melts my heart every time.

Boone is almost done with bottles and has moved on to all things solid food. One of his all-time faves is: WATERMELON! And he's not alone. When the concrete boils your toes off and just stepping outside makes you feel like a burning muffin, the Foshea crew loves to get down to the most minimal clothing possible and just bury our faces in that delectable red fruit.

See what I mean!

The spoils.

Just thought a family pic would be fun to slip in at this point.

Here is a vid of Boone's mad walker-walking skills. (unfortunately blogspot doesn't wanna download my super cute vid!)
After Boone's party, I headed to Houston to spend a few days with my dad while the kiddos got in some much needed Nana and Pa time. It was somewhat encouraging when I came back to Dallas to retrieve the kids to see the look of fatigue in Cathy's eyes. When I asked her if she was tired she replied with, "What do you think?" Here is a woman who has raised three men and lived to tell about it, and she was exhausted after running with the munchkins for three days. I look now at the bags under my eyes with a new sense of comeraderie with Cathy and all the other mamas in the world. I cannot thank the Fosheas enough for taking care of the chil-rens so I could spend some much desired time with my dad. (I slept until noon the first day I was in H-town and later went on a run at 9 p.m., ending up in a sketchy part of town. I felt like I was in college again!) While I know Pancho would have loved to see his grandbabies, we were fortunate to get some quiet moments to just sit back and enjoy one another's company. I gained 3 pounds from the amazing restaurants we hit (no joke) and felt very relaxed hanging with the old pops. All around, Boone's birthday weekend (oh, along with the celebration of our nation's freedom) was a blast. One is t0ns of fun!

Later that week one of my dear friends from highschool drove up to hang with us for an afternoon. She is a phenomenal teacher and Emmy just loved reading with Aunty Mo-Mo. What a fun summer!

Been A While

2010-06-19T19:46:00.001-07:00

We are finally proud owners of a computer built in this decade! I am a new woman. I no longer have to wait for the computer to boot up for 20 minutes before I then wait another 10 minutes to get on the internet. And I'm not exaggerating. A lot of our pics are still on the old computer and when I have the patience and motivation I will transfer them. Until then I will give you a small look inside the wonderful world of Emmy and Boone.

First up: the energetic, jabber-box, sleep hating, learning to pee pee on the potty like Elmo...Miss Emmaline!

All of the beach pictures in this post were taken in Port Aransas on our family vacation with 4 other couples and 7 kids under the age of 3!

Emmy is a complicated creature. One minute she is giggling and having the best time of her life and the next moment all hell is breaking loose because you told her she couldn't have the cup of milk she so desperately wants. She is very dramatic and VERY expressive. Wait...she's a normal GIRL! She is a joy to be around when she wants to be sweet, but watch out for that mood swing! You'll never know what hit ya! I keep telling myself her spunkiness will serve her well later in life. She certainly will never be a wallflower.

She truly is beautiful. I tell her every day, "Did you know that God made you special? He thinks you're pretty cool!" She just grins and says, "Oh, that's right!" I can't wait to see the way God uses her compassionate and sensitive heart to love on others some day. She became the class care-giver in her little Mother's Day Out class this past year. Whenever a kiddo would come in crying, the teachers told me she would walk right up to them and say, "It's ok. Don't cry." She also apparently exhibited a tendency to be the leader of the group. Of course I think that was her teacher's nice way of saying she is hard headed and doesn't back down from anyone.

Did I mention she has personality? Lots of it. I wonder where that comes from?
Emmy loves her guy buddies. These boys are candidates to be Emmy's future husband. Joel and I have decided we will let her choose: she just must choose one of the four boys we have decided on for her: Chase, Caleb, Graham, or Owen. Emmy and Chase actually moved their chairs away from me and sat like this together for several minutes! It's looking like he may be a favorite to win.She also has some cute little sayings:

"LaQueen"- Lightning McQueen from the movie Cars.
"She hab a ..." - She has a ...red hat on, little puppy, etc.
She sings the cutest song before we pray at dinner time. I have a video. Will post it soon.
"You hab a bug bite? Mean bug!" - Any sort of injury she or you may get is undoubtedly in her mind from a bug. She says this to me even though whatever she has noticed on my skin looks nothing like a bug bite. Go figure.
"I have a baby in my tummy. Wanna see, Chase?" - Many of my friends are pregnant. Chase's mama and my good friend Julie is pregnant with TWINS. That explains that quote.

And then there's Boone. Is it wrong to say he is the perfect baby? He continues to be one of the happiest babies I have ever been around. He is a huge flirt and loves to cuddle. This kid is going to be a heart-breaker! Of course I am a little biased.

His big blue eyes and goofy little smile get me every time.

He LOVES his big sister- even when she has him in a choke hold. He cancertainly hold his own with her though. With the dog whacking him in the head with her tail all the time and a sister hell-bent on flattening him by laying on top of him 20 times a day, this kid is tough.

I love the mohawk his daddy gave him!

We really don't see much of this face. Really. He seldomly gets out of joint and when he does, it is for a legit reason. He has about 4 teeth coming in right now which does not look like fun to me. Even still, he fusses minimally when I know his gums have got to be on fire.

Boone is all boy. I love seeing the contrast between him and Emmy. He loves to get dirty and eat mud (really he eats anything he can get his little pincers around),throwing balls, kicking and bouncing almost constantly, and throwing himself around like a human rag doll. He has just started pulling up on things and trying desperately to walk around. He will grab whatever is closest- a stroller, large ball, your finger- and "walk" around like a drunk monkey. It's pretty cute.

I mean, come on! Boone is PRECIOUS. I can't wait to see his little personality come out more as continues to develop. They are both such a joy to love on.

2010-04-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Here comes another post full of the happenings in the Foshea world for the past month...argg! I so wish I had a computer that was faster than the DOT system...oh wait...we just got our tax refund! Off to Best Buy we go to purchase my very first Apple desktop!! Woo woo! Hopefully I will be able to blog and check emails in less time than I am averaging now. Our Dell laptop is absolutely on its last leg!

Here are some pics. I have more but will have to save them for the next post.

This was my first camping trip with the infamous Hill Country Camping Society. We went some time in March, I was sicker than a dog the entire time, but fun was had by all! We used the tent my family used on our family trips. So fun! Emmy dyeing her Easter eggs. Her friend Owen gave her the precious apron she is wearing! She loves to wear it when she cooks with Mama.
Yes that middle cup is the color of mud. Don't ask.

Nana and Pa watched the kiddos for an entire weekend while J and I got to fly off to Florida for a fun filled wedding weekend. Isn't the bride GORGEOUS?! Christina was just a wee sophomore in college when I first met her. She served on our Young Life middle school team FAITHFULLYwhile I was on staff in Dallas. She is a gem. Ridiculously fun to be around. Reminds me a little of my sister!

Her reception was on a retired WW2 Navy ship in Tampa. Wow is all I can say. The weather could not have been any better. I felt like we were in a movie.

Jen and Becky flew in from Dallas. Becky and I were on YL staff together in Highland Park and Jen volunteered while she finished her degree at SMU with Christina.

These little girls were quite the flirts. J was super cute dancing with them.

Don't worry, Tony didn't wear the hat for the ceremony.

The Dallas crew. It was quite a party. We were thrilled to be there and celebrate with Tony and Christina. Her parents really know how to throw a par-tay.

Emmy loves feeding Boone. He only gags every minute or so because she pushes the spoon a little too far...

How cute is Boone!?! He has started pulling up and trying to stand. I was outside sweeping the leaves off the back porch. I felt a bit like a caged gorilla putting my hands on the glass as they pointed and laughed.

From my view. SO CUTE!!!! And of course that is dirt on the camera lens and NOT on our back window... or not.

Boone and his friend Paige at the zoo. He was much more interested in the bubbles someone brought as opposed to the animals.

Aunt Brittany came in town while J was on a fishing trip with his brothers. We went to the Dripping Springs Founders Day celebration. She looks so precious on the train, in my humble opinion.

I don't know if you could tell from the picture above she had a butterfly painted on her face. Here she was getting her masterpiece done, sitting like a little lady!

We ran into BFF Chase while we were there.

I mean seriously, I just had this kid right?? How is it he is almost 10 months old now and sitting on the tractor???

Just last weekend, J kept the kiddos so I could leave town for three glorious days at the beach with some of my most favorite gals in the world. There were 6 of us in all (Kara was taking the pic) and two cutie-patootie babies (Maylee and Becca). We had a BLAST with a capital B!

Ummm, Hello March

2010-03-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

Where did February go? I would love to say we were off in some far away land doing all sorts of fun and adventurous things this past month, but alas I cannot. I can't really even say that February was a crazy month. All that said I will try to catch up on all the goings on at the Foshea cottage so that when the kiddos look back at this chronicle of their lives they will not be disappointed by the large gaps every few months! I would also like to note that this blog will henceforth be strictly about the Foshea kids and family life in general. No more will you have to sit through my own personal musings on life and spirituality. What's that you say? You want to read my musings? Nope, didn't think you said that. Well for those of you who would like to take a trip inside my head you are more than welcome to head on over to my online journal. I'll post a link on my blogroll if you are really bored one day. I make no apologies for what I will write about as this will truly be my own personal publication (I think that makes it sound fancy!) and I will write about whatever pops into my jumbled little mind.

Follow me now on a journey through the month of February (it most certainly will not be in chronological order, sorry).

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to help host Melissa's baby shower for baby #2 (she's the gorgeous preggo in red).

This little man was born yesterday, March 2nd. I couldn't focus on anything else yesterday as Mel went through labor and I can't describe my excitement and awe as I got to meet and hold little Blake for the first time. Luke and Mel are practically family and I was so honored to see the little guy as he checked out his surroundings in his first few hours of life. Happy Birthday Blake!(So this is not from February...so sue me!)Mel labored from 2 a.m. until about 4 p.m. She is a champ! Emmy got to spend a week with her Nana and Pa in Dallas. Please excuse the ridiculous expression on Emmy's face and my half-open eyes. At least Nana looks pretty! Her Nana took her to a butterfly garden and this is her look of awe as the keeper released the newest batch of butterfly hatchlings. Priceless.

Once home, Emmy got a hold of my makeup...again. My, doesn't she look beautiful. She thought so. She walked around the house saying, "I bootful. I pretty." Yes you are princess. Don't you ever forget it kiddo and I'll take down the fool who would tell you otherwise.I'm pretty sure we went to the ranch in late January but oh well. Here's Emmy and Owen just kickin it in their Daddy's boots.

We spent the weekend with the Mezger crew (formerly the North Carolina Mezgers, not to be mistaken for the Austin Mezgers) and the Murray clan. Phil (Christal's hubby; she's the farthest one on the left) shot his first deer that weekend. So exciting! Joel and Kyle relished getting to teach Phil how to skin and cut up his deer. Yuck is all I can say, but if we were ever stranded out in the wilderness I would want these men in my corner.Those same gals from the Ranch decided running a half marathon would be a fun thing for us to do together. Our sweet husbands met us at the finish line with signs and kiddos in tow.Crossing the finish line. Did I mention Christal (the gal in the middle) was 5 months pregnant?! Girl, you so awesome!
Here begins a slideshow of Boone and his love of tongue waggling.

I mean really, the boy loves sticking out his tongue. So cute.Watch out Daddy...wait for it, wait for it...chomp!! It snowed! Well, this picture does it no justice. This was right at the beginning of the flurries. My good pictures are on my phone. When I figure out how to transfer those I'll add them to this post. Our entire yard was covered with at least an inch and it lasted for at least a few hours. Boone, Emmy and I (sadly this happened during the weekday when Joel was at work) made a mini snowman... on top of our garbage bin. Classy.

A video of Boone laughing at a silly frog toy and some of Emmy's antics.

Haiti in need

2010-01-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

These are Joel's and my most precious gifts. I have been reminded this morning that God has given our family abundantly more than we actually need. We have a warm home, comfortable beds for everyone to sleep in, food to fill our bellies and a strong family unit full of love and hope as we follow hard after Christ. I saw this picture of Haitian orphans on Derek and Meredith's blog and was struck by the contrast.

My heart is pierced by this image compared to the one of my sleeping babies. The aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti is proving to be disastrous. God is all about the poor, the widowed and the orphaned. His Word clearly calls us as believers to be all about them as well:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27
"Sing to God, sing praise to His name, extol him who rides on the clouds- his name is the Lord- and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Psalm 68:4-5
"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

I pray for those precious babies and the vast numbers of people who are injured and/or have experienced the devastation of seeing their home/world destroyed. Check out Jeremy and Christina's blog for some firsthand experiences with the sick and injured around Port Au Prince.

So I am left to ask...what can our family do? At this point I only have these answers. I am praying God would present more as we continue to ask Him for wisdom:

Pray- "to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61:3
Give financially- "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." 1 Timothy 6:17-18
Pray some more- "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up." Luke 18:1

2010-01-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

I am way behind in post updates. I will keep the writing to a minimum as to not overwhelm myself or you with so many details. I thought my Christmas decorations were fun and festive... ...until my dad and sister took me to THIS house in Houston!! What?!!? By the way, this picture does nothing to fully capture the incredible effort this family went to. To the right of the house is a huge tree they lined with lights ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP. They had Santa and the reindeer harnessed to a cherry picker in their backyard... amazing.Opening one gift on Christmas Eve.I love my sister.We spent Christmas at a Girls Scout Horse Camp. We took care of 40 plus horses for four days and had so much fun being out of the city for a while.

Emmy got to ride a horse for the first time. Here she is meeting her mighty steed.

She LOVED it. Not even a smidgeon of fear!

We celebrated Emmy's 2nd birthday in Dallas. The lopsided birthday cake was my creation thanks to an awesome book Alison lent me. I attempted to make fondant icing...and I did it! It only took 6 hours.

Christmas is around the bend...

2009-12-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

Oh I am so excited to share Christmas with our little family! Emmy is at a fun age(did I really just say that?) and has the capacity to truly enjoy the celebration of Christ's birth. I have so many ideas for family traditions but have given myself the grace to be ok with not implementing them all this year. After all the kiddos are still pretty young and let's face it, this year has been a bit hard ("that's what she said"...couldn't resist).

I continue to struggle personally with trusting the Lord and feeling a bit like He dropped the ball with my mom, but even as I write that I get the sense that He is so patient and faithful even in my unbelief. I'm sure none of this makes a lick of sense, but I had an Aha! moment this morning. In the mundane nature of my morning routine -feed Boone, feed Emmy, Sesame Street, eat oatmeal and drink coffee, check email, pay bills, clean the kitchen, change loaded diapers, clean up toddler messes, attempt to clean the house and make a plan for dinner...you get the picture - I found myself listening online to Matt Chandler, the pastor of a dynamic church in Dallas as he described the latest challenge God has put in his life. He has a tumor that is very much life threatening.

Seems like God has dropped the ball with him. Then he said something that resonated and pierced my heart: "Don't you dare let what is happening to me lead you to continue believing lies and living in fear. God is faithful no matter what and He has given us the strength to deal with the cup he has poured for us. I am not afraid and I can say He is good, even as I stand to lose everything." (I'm not sure those were his exact words, but its what I got from it) I stopped in my tracks, looked out our dining room window and saw a beautiful sliver of light through the dreary clouds. I know it may sound silly, but I have always sensed God's presence most through His creation, namely the skies. I believe in my very core that He is offering me his peace in light of the loss of my mom. I am frustrated because things did not go the way I had ultimately planned but He is so sweet to remind me, a pitiful wretch, that He hears my cries and loves perfectly. Thank you for Jesus! He alone is the answer to all of my fears. Christmas is a reminder of all these things.

On to some family pics. Enjoy peeking into the Foshea world.

This is Emmy waiting outside my dad's (Pancho) room as he got ready for the day. She is pretty attached. We were waiting for him to finish getting dressed so we could go to the Houston Zoo, which was excellent!
Her Pancho. Her Aunt "Yeshey." They were so cute walking to the lion exhibit.
My sister Lesley certainly took her time taking this picture. There were many people passing by wondering who let the crazies out for the day. I kept telling her to hurry up, but somehow there was "something wrong" with the camera. So I continued bouncing around making monkey noises...
Boone enjoyed his ride and was a perfect angel the whole time we were at the zoo, as always! All tuckered out!
Thanksgiving was a ball with the Foshea side of the family. Here is Joel's younger brother James, "Pa" and Aunt Brittany or Aunt "Nee" holding the litle man. Don't you just love his little sweater vest?!?Emmy and Nana were goofing around in the barn. A true Texas girl on her John Deere tractor.It's in her blood... Howdy!A fuzzy picture of our tree. Emmy had so much fun helping us put it up. Of course she wanted ALL of the ornaments to go on ONE branch and didn't like us moving things she had so carefully placed on the tree. She was put in charge of putting the angel on top of the tree and did so with utmost seriousness and care. It was cute!

She loves singing. I tried to get a video of her singing "Jingle Bells", but this is pretty cute also. Just last night during our usual bath time show, she informed me I needed to stop singing with her. "Emmy turn." She then went on to sing her current top hits all by herself: Wheels on the Bus, Jingle Bells, BINGO, and Old McDonald. Boone laughed and laughed the whole time! It was even better because she added hand motions that led to Boone and I getting soaked from the flying bath water. I love my job!

This one is just too funny not to include. Joel's parents have some cattle in the pasture behind their house. Emmy loves to hang out with cows.

Second Child Syndrome

2009-11-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

Poor Boone. This will be the second time I have blogged about him and he is already 4 months old!! Blame it on SCS. Here are some pics from the last few months. He is officially a thumb sucker...and such a precious baby (I'm a little biased).Yee Haw!Emmy and her friend Chase were trying to hide from me. They don't quite have the concept down yet.Loading up the cooler for a weekend at the Ranch. We've got her trained well.Ranch buddies: Brandon and Liza, Ronnie, Sharon, and Nathan, Trey and Leah, and many babies and children! Just your plain old traditional pumpkin patch pics...

Emmy is a bit of a flirt...

The sign reflects the number of times I have to tell Emmy "no" in a day.

My sweet mama

2009-10-08T20:21:00.001-07:00

It is dark, the house is quiet and I am finding no hope of going to sleep anytime soon. I should be tired, insanely tired, but my mind is fully alert and my heart is heavy. My mom passed away almost a month ago. September 13th to be exact, at 2:30 p.m. It was a Sunday. Funny how my memory fails me as a general rule, but these details are engraved on my heart. I'll never forget being the only one in the room when she took her last breath. I'll never forget embracing my dad and sister as we watched the nurse confirm that the body in front of us was just that...a body. I don't mean to be morose but this is one of those times when it helps to share the details because otherwise they seem to haunt you. I am so sad that my mom had to suffer as she did in the the final months of her battle with cancer. I wish I'd known the extent of what my dad and mom were going through before she was hospitalized for the last time. I wish I'd known that Labor Day would be my last time to talk to my mama ever again. I keep mulling over all of the things that have been left unsaid because I believed I still had time. I remember the absolute heaviness I felt when I saw her in the hospital the week before she died because I realized her battle was nearing its end...and we were on the losing side. I'm not mad at God. I don't wonder why this has happened. I don't feel angry at the world. I am just deeply sad that I had to say goodbye to the one woman who I always knew loved me entirely, warts and all. To the woman who taught me how to laugh at myself and not take myself too seriously. To the woman who made friends with anyone she met because she truly loved people. To the woman who was crazily talented in so many ways and could have been and done anything she wanted. To the woman who was a hell cat in her 20's and could drink and joke around with the best of them. To the woman who led my girl scout troop when I was a wee tot and turned out to be the best leader ever. To the woman who made sure I learned the value in volunteering and serving others. To the woman who pretty much wrote all of my papers in highschool and got perfect scores every time. To the woman whose wit and intelligence were far superior to most people, but she never made you feel that way. She truly was an amazing woman. I have no doubt she is cracking up all of the other saints in heaven as I type tonight. Before my mama lost the ability to talk I was able to pray with her- for the first and last time. God was so sweet to orchestrate that moment as I never have really felt able to truly share my heart with my mom. But in that moment, by her hospital bed, I was able to commune with the God of the Universe and my mama at the same time. It is a moment I will treasure until I meet Christ after death. I got to hold her hand and pray for healing, knowing that God is in charge of all those details but also trusting He cared immensely about my heart's cry. We both giggled when I asked God to make her well enough to skip and dance out of the hospital. I just felt so honored to have been able to hold her swollen hand and be united in heart and mind in that moment. I still catch myself wanting to pick up the phone because I have a question that no one else in the world would have the answer to but her because she was just that smart. You didn't want to be up against her in Trivial Pursuit. But then I'll remember that I cannot in fact call her because she is no longer on the other end of the line, and then that heavy feeling sweeps over my chest. That's the hardest thing about all of this- the finality of it all. I was brought to tears when I realized I could no longer call her work number and listen to her voice message because her company had already deleted it. I couldn't believe they had the nerve to move so quickly. But then again, life goes on. I have nothing eloquent to say. I just miss my mama and would give anything to have even just a few more minutes with her. I still know that God is good and He is faithful. He does not abandon us when we need Him most, and for that I am completely humbled and thankful. The God of the Universe is revealing Himself to me in mighty ways right now. In the midst of deep sadness, there is also a sense of peace as I know that my God is mighty to save and loves me more than I can fathom. I am poor, pitiful, blind and naked on my best day (thanks Ronnie Smith) but He still calls me His beloved. Thank you Lord for your loving kindness and the gentle way you hold us in times of utter sadness. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. You will never let me go even when I am prone to wander. Love on my family now as we pick ourselves up and move forward.

There is a sweet memorial website if you want to see photos of my mom. http://www.mem.com/ Just type in her name "Linda Loop" on the search button on the left.

our little man, boone timothy

2009-07-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Boone Timothy

7lb 3 oz and 20 inches

Buddy decided to come early the morning of July 1st. I woke up at 3 am with minor contractions. I wasn't even sure if I should wake Joel up or not! After 10 minutes I woke Joel up and asked him to start timing the contractions. We quickly realized they were coming every 3-4 minutes...so I decided to jump in the shower knowing our time was limted at this point. Halfway through the shower as I am on my hands and knees, Joel and I made the executive decision to call Julie to come over and hang at our house with Emmy. She showed up within minutes and even helped me through several contractions by rubbing my back and offering to brush my hair!

We left the house around 3:45 and showed up at the hospital at 4. The door we chose to enter through was unfortunately locked; as I made my way back to the car I was forced to the ground on all fours once again as a contraction hit like a MAC truck. A sweet man on the janitorial staff with wide eyes called out to us from the aforementioned locked door, "Need a wheelchair?" We quickly made our way up to the maternity ward where the nurses immediately discerned I was already in active labor. I was dilated to a 6 (on a 1-10 scale) when they checked me first. Ten minutes later Dr. Grogano checked me again and I was dilated to a 9! That is extremely fast! No time for an epidural (although I wanted one badly!). Boone was introduced to this world at 5:15 am. All in all the whole labor and delivery process was two hours...unbelievable! Just to put things in perspective- I PUSHED with Emmy for two hours...Joel's parents watched Emmy for us while we were in the hospital. She had a ball and was always excited to come visit her "Bubba."Doesn't get any sweeter!!Our little elf man.

Emmy didn't know Bubba could make so much racket.
Boone is a great baby so far. He eats and sleeps like a champ and tolerates his sister's pokes and proddings really well. Emmy loves her brother but doesn't necessarily love how much time I have to spend nursing brother. We are in the process of learning how to best handle Emmy's tantrums and general acting out. This is just a phase, right????

Last "belly" post

2009-06-24T06:28:00.001-07:00

Joel felt weird without his shirt on in this one. This is very much not his style but I thought this was a cool artistic picture of the belly.
Isn't this skirt AWESOME?!?!

We had so much fun taking these pics! Our friend Mandy loaned us the precious skirt that Emmy is wearing in some of the photos. She LOVED it. She pranced around and giggled uncontrollably.

So I am pretty sure Cletus will be here before the end of the week. The doc said things are progressing well and she doesn't expect me to go past the due date. Crazy! I can't believe we will have another addition to our family soon. I'll be sure to post our first pics once he decides to grace us with his presence. Until then I will continue my nesting and WAITING.

9 days and counting

2009-06-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

I must admit I was very tempted to schedule an elective induction (getting some drugs to make labor begin for those of you not thoroughly intrenched in the world of obstetrics) today as I met with my doctor. I'm all about the element of surprise and letting things happen naturally on their own if there are no complications, but it really sounded nice for some reason. I will say though that I am looking forward to that phone call to Joel..."Honey, it's time. Get some twine and scissors." Just kidding, but Joel really does think it's funny to keep reminding me that he has helped birth numerous calves and feels he would do a great job as my interim OBGYN. To that I say, "Tempting, but I'll pass."

I find myself soaking up every minute I have with Emmy. I get a little weepy inside when I hug her before she goes down for a nap or bedtime. I can't keep my hands off of her or stop kissing her any chance I get. She doesn't seem to mind either, as I think she has a sixth sense about what is about to happen to her little world. Some cute things she is doing right now include:

Saying "Tench jew" which translates, "Thank you."
Whenever she sees a picture of a pretty girl she says "Mama!", to which I reply, "That's right Emmy. Mama really enjoyed that photo shoot with Fitness Magazine." I mean people pay for that kind of encouragement! Who cares that I rarely get to take a shower anymore, have not worn my hair down in forever and weigh almost 40 more pounds than normal...my daughter (and husband) thinks I'm gorgeous! Who could ask for more?
She really enjoys dancing in our bedroom. The best is when some hip hop comes on the ipod and she coolly bobs her head up and down. Oh thank goodness for the ghetto in her!
Throws her hands up in the air and squeals whenever she sees her favorite friend, Chase.
Loves wrestling with her daddy on the bed. They both act like they are bulls...she puts two fingers on top of her head and makes a snorting sound. FREAKING HILARIOUS.
We pray for all of our family before she goes to bed and she makes a grunting noise (her special language with my dad) whenever we say Pancho's name (my dad).

In other news, I think my sister may get to meet Cletus as she is coming in town this weekend!! Yipppee! I miss my family a whole lot and am praying that things work out for them to be here when Cletus arrives. Oh it is so good to be near those folks who have known you and loved you from the beginning. Sad that you sometimes don't fully understand or appreciate your own mama until you are in her shoes.

2009-06-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

The fleas are gone! Summer is here! Yay! Texas weather doesn't play around. I think it was 92 today and we just started June. We have had a fun past few weeks. Memorial Day kicked off the fun with a party at the Williams' house. They have a wonderful pool...that unfortunately was still too cold to get in, so we spent most of our time in the hot tub. Don't worry, the irony of that is very apparent to me also as I just complained of the sweltering heat.

Here are all the dads minus Matt who was off in some far away Latin American country doing all sorts of good things for the church...he was missed!Jan was the only brave soul to venture into the pool. Reese and Caroline squealed and laughed as their appendages turned purple.

Last weekend we were invited to the Dasilva's beach house in Port Aransas. We were there with four families total...five kiddos all under the age of 3! It was quite an adventure. Not quite the laid-back vacation that we all came back feeling rested from, but lots of fun nonetheless.

Friday the guys went fishing and the gals took the kiddos to the beach. Julie's husband was sweet to stay back and help us out. These birds were ridiculous. I was shocked by the lack of concern on Emmy's part as these creatures flew within inches of her little body. She loved throwing her snacks and watching the scavengers fight over a tiny Goldfish.

Mary (the baby on the left) is only 1 1/2 months older than Emmy! She is a giant compared to our munchkin! She pushed this little truck all over as Emmy rode like royalty.

Mine and Julie's smiles are hiding the fatigue we felt as the beach proved to be a little more work than we expected.

Lunch time...wow. We had a great time getting to know some new folks and hanging with this passel of little ones. The house was so nice and the weather was incredible.

This next picture shows the crazy mass of curls Emmy has going on! Kind of looks like an afro. She loves to watch me put on makeup and has recently decided she knows what she is doing. One afternoon we walked in the bathroom and found Emmy doing her own makeover. The video shows her crazy skills. Girls will be girls.

We've got fleas

2009-05-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Arrggghhh! Fleas are from the pit of hell. You know it's bad when you sit on your couch for just one relaxing moment and find four fleas have decided to join you all in the span of two minutes, and they bite and they really hurt and they are really nasty looking. Long story short, we have fleas and I HATE IT! It's pretty sad that most of my time has been spent the last few days scouring the carpet picking fleas and putting them into a small plastic bag. The fleas then get transported to the freezer where I take much pleasure in watching them die. Sick, I know, but I have been driven over the edge. The profesh (proffesional) is coming out next Tuesday and to that I say, "PLEASE COME SOONER! WE'LL PAY ANYTHING!!" So, we feel like prisoners in our own home for the time being and Emmy and I will probably be spending the next few nights at our friend Julie's house.
In other Foshea news, I'm still preggo and Emmy is still a handful. We went to McKinney Falls today for a little fun in the sun. Who knew we would be hiking over cooled-lava type terrain for half a mile before we reached water...with no shade...and little green things that bite your bottom when you sit in the water. It really was fun though despite the not so perfect conditions! It's all about the company! We had five babies, Chase's mama, one nursing mama, and three pregnant mamas. Emmy had a ball and did a great job navigating the treacherous river bottom. I didn't bring the camera because...well, I brought the rest of the house (as you tend to do when you have little ones) and didn't want to keep up with it. Julie got some good pics though so I will post them when she sends 'em to me.

Swimming lessons!

2009-05-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

Emmy is on her way to being a certified aquatics princess. The YMCA holds classes for all ages and we were so excited to introduce her to a much larger version of her bathtub, which she loves. The minute we got in the pool she was all giggles and her eyes were as big as saucers. She has been "swimming" before: last summer at the Dripping Springs community pool and the beach in North Carolina. But this was her first chance to get real coaching tips from the professionals!
We joined her friends Nate and Gracie. Nate and Gracie are going to be celebrating their one year birthdays soon...and they both have more hair than Emmy...hmmm. Here we are waiting to receive our instructions before class. (I guess these could count as Cletus' first lessons also)
I don't know if you can tell how excited Gracie is about her swim lessons! Jan and I were pretty stoked as well. I loved feeling weightless for 40 minutes. I think I need to hang out in pools more often as we count down to Cletus's arrival!

She did not particularly like floating on her back. I think she has some trust issues...
This was her favorite part of the whole lesson- JUMPING! We were supposed to show our babies how to get up on the side of the pool, count to three and then have them jump into our arms. I was pretty skeptical at first but she loved it! Her jump was more like a tiny step, but I was still really proud of her for coming into the water without me holding her. So fun!

Preggo Pictures

2009-04-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

While folding some clothes tonight Emmy decided to get on my lap, pull up my shirt and start kissing my belly. We tried to get her in action but of course she would not perform when asked! This is her happy giggle because she knows she isn't complying and thinks it is so funny to exasperate her Mama and Dada.We then decided to go ahead and take some fun pictures of the preggo belly in all its glory.

Emmy wanted to show off her own belly, which actually looks a lot like mine!

Baby boy Foshea is much more active than Emmy was. He decides to practice his karate moves mostly at night and has seemed to situate himself right on top of my bladder. Thus even if I don't have to use the restroom I always have the sensation that I have to. Fun.

My sister

2009-04-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Today is a glorious day. I just found out that my baby sister (I guess a working college graduate living on her own in a big city can still be called "baby") has started her own blog. Oh wonders of all wonders! So I have dedicated this post to Lesley. Here are just a few reasons why I LOVE having Lesley as a little sister:

1. She is freaking hilarious. No joke. She doesn't even have to try. It's because she is so dadgum smart...

2. Even though she is really smart and funny, she is a humble gal and a loyal friend. I have not met one person who doesn't instantly love her when they meet her (except that one kid who told her something mean when she was in the 1st grade...but I took care of that fool...)

3. She introduced me to one of the greatest off air tv shows of all times (next to "Arrested Development"). Together we watched 2 whole seasons of "Alias" in one sitting, only getting up to get food and take care of "business." We spent an entire Spring Break doing just that when she was at OU. The weather was yuck and well, there just isn't a whole lot to do in Norman, OK.

4. Her adventurous spirit has begun to really grow! I would have NEVER guessed she would move to the opposite end of the country, and LIKE it!! We are also kindred spirits when it comes to traveling. We have yet to take a trip (sans parents) together, but I am hoping for a Europe trip somewhere down the road. I think we'd make amazing traveling buds.

5. We have the best time rehashing hilarious moments from our childhood. Being 6 years apart, it is funny to hear the difference in perspectives on certain events.

6. She really loves on Emmy, which of course in turn, loves on me.

7. I love to live vicariously through her shopping experiences. She has the best wardrobe and looks super fab in her work outfits... so grownup!

8. She just rocks.

So, here's to you Pugs. God was so sweet to give me a sister like you and I can't wait to see where He takes you in the coming years (selfishly I want it to be wherever I am...). Mucho amor!

April pictures

2009-04-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Emmy has a new face; it's the "Monkey Kiss" face. I think it is one of the funniest things she has done so far. Here is a small sampling, but note that there is nothing like seeing it in person. She closes her eyes really tight and juts out her bottom lip as she moves in for a smacker. My friend Julie can attest to the goofiness of this expression as she witnessed Emmy trying to give her son Chase a big monkey kiss.
Life at the Foshea casa has been pretty busy lately. My belly gets bigger and bigger each day (along with every other body part). I think Cletus is going to be an eater because I did not consume this many calories with Emmy. Joel thinks it's because it takes a lot of work growing the baby's man parts...once again illustrating that men are a little over zealous about their "bits." I really don't have anything fun to post this week...I have had writer's block the past few weeks... so here are just a bunch of random pictures. It's all I've got! I am sacrificing my afternoon nap for this... I know that probably sounds a little snotty, but I don't have enough steam to keep up with a 15 month old and carry around a 30 week old cantaloupe! Call me a wimp but I live for the time during the day when Emmy goes to sleep!Chase is one of Emmy's beau's. He's super cute and I think they have decided to start a band together. They made some beautiful music with these pots and spoons. I think they will be holding auditions some time in the summer.Joel has been working on putting in a stone patio in the backyard. Emmy was helping to spread out the concrete in what will be the base for a stone bench along the perimeter of the patio. She LOVES being Daddy's big helper.
We were so blessed to get to spend the weekend with one of Emmy's best friends, Bailey. We took the girls to the bounce house here in South Austin where they of course had a blast!Joel went turkey hunting for the first time over Easter weekend. Here he is with his gobbler. I was a little grossed out when he brought home the feet and the beard...who knew turkeys had beards?
Most people still think Emmy is a boy when we are out in public (her lack of hair tends to be the main problem) so I love it when she looks very girly in a cute dress. This is one of my favorites right now!

PUNKin

2009-03-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Anyone who does not believe in Man's sinful nature from birth should come on over to the Foshea house and check out our little PUNKin. I capitalize the first part of that affectionate name on purpose. Emmy has certainly begun testing her limits...usually with a giant smile on her face. Her consistency in doing things we have repeatedly told her not to do is quite extraordinary. She is like a moth to the flame when it comes to playing with the CD player or splashing in the toilet(I know, gross, but that's nothing compared to other stories.) Those are not really a huge concern, just frustrating as she usually does them when we are trying to get dinner made or are in the process of cleaning one of her previous messes. I do get concerned though when she tries to play with the electrical outlet or turn on the oven (note to self: must buy plastic shield for the stove knobs at babies r us tomorrow). I am tempted to buy a "No machine"- somewhat like a fart machine, just not nearly as funny and only audible to babies. Is that even possible? Can I find a product on the market that will save me from saying the "n" word five thousand times a day? I laugh as I clearly remember telling my own mom at a tender age that I would always say yes to my children because I would love them more and want to give them everything they want. Oh the parenting philosophy of a 13 year old.

Emmy is also very curious about my belly these days. In the morning as we watch the news and Elmo she cannot stop herself from lifting my shirt to poke my belly button and press in on my growing abdomen. I try to let her know her brother probably doesn't appreciate being prodded like that, but I think she understands, "Keep poking my belly because you are the princess and ruler of this house." I'm pretty sure that goes for everything else I tell her NOT to do.

Oh how I love this little girl. Sure there are days when I fight back the tears behind my sunglasses, but that is NOTHING in comparison to a precious baby hug or a giggle in the back seat as I wave my hands for the 50th time to songs only a mama has the stomach to listen to. So my little PUNKin, know that you are loved immensely and unconditionally. As you continue to grow and we continue to deal with your rebellious nature never forget that nothing will ever get in the way of our love for you.

Fun, fun and more fun

2009-03-12T08:37:00.001-07:00

Emmy has had a lot of fun these past few weeks. Now that the weather is beginning to cooperate we are able to spend more time outside getting to know the wildlife around us. Emmy is undeniably drawn to animals and cannot contain herself whenever one gets close enough to play with. A couple of weekends ago we took her to the Austin Zoo for the first time. Let me preface by saying some think this zoo is terrible: not enough animals, ugly landscaping, etc. It is a rescue zoo after all, but we loved it! Emmy thought she was in heaven.Here is the not so friendly llama that Emmy was excited about until it decided to nibble her head. Emmy liked to tease the goat with food. She laughed and laughed when he climbed on the fence and reached his neck out as far as he could to get to her. She is a true stinker.

Next on the agenda was some kite flying at the Ausin Kite Festival. It has become a tradition thanks to our friends the Mezgers. We loaded up after church and headed out to Zilker Park even though Emmy was WAY overdue for a nap. The minute we got there and she saw her friend Bailey, she didn't need no stinkin nap!

You had to watch out because at any second you could get dive bombed by some amateur kite flyer.This is our new dragon kite! So cool!The Kite Crew

Next up, the Young Life Fundraiser out at this exotic animal farm managed by the Texas Disposal System...I know, seemed a little weird to me also but it is actually a really cool facility. We saw all sorts of animals: weird looking deer and antelope that are supposedly from Africa, buffalo, ostriches, zebras, camels, and the ones below were our favorites.

This rhino was a hoot. He kept charging the fence and it felt like there was an earthquake each time his hooves hit the ground. So cool!There was a guy doing some hunting dog demonstrations, but Emmy was more excited about the duck decoys. Go figure.

Finally, we got to see the Bakers this past weekend. They made the wise decision to come down South from Oklahoma to see Liza's new nephew Luke (who's super cute by the way!).They spent one night with us and Emmy was so excited to see her friend Graham.

These aren't the greatest pictures and I am super sad we didn't get any all together. This one is a perfect display of how Emmy likes to sit in such a ladylike manner.

Preggo pictures to come!

24 weeks Prego

2009-02-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

It has officially happened- the popping out of the "bump." That bump would consist of a little over a pound of baby and lots of other things in my belly that help that baby stay happy in the oven. We had our sonogram a couple of weeks ago and BAM...on the screen we saw the biggest penis any baby has ever had (or so Joel believes). Yep, a boy. I am scared to death. My friend/hairdresser laughed about how many trips to the emergency room they have had recently...her son isn't even THREE yet! All I could think as she went on and on about how active he is and how far he likes to jump off of things was, "What in the h$&* have we gotten ourselves into?? What meds is she on and how do I get them??" Emmy is rambunctious enough! Have I mentioned that hospitals tend to give me the heeby-geebies?
So we are preparing for baby #2 now who we lovingly call Cletus the Fetus. If you ask Emmy what her brother's name is she will tell you, "Bubba." It's pretty darn cute I must admit. I am hoping the addition of another male will help to lower our incidences of drama in the Foshea household. I also hope Emmy will be a SAFE influence on her brother and model how a SAFE toddler should play. Joel just hopes he won't be a sissy. Which led to a discussion about how we will not spank him if he wants to sing and dance instead of run and throw things. I love all things musical and theatrical and believe deeply that boys can be just as artistic as girls without becoming effeminate weiners. That may sound offensive, but here's what I mean. Unfortunately our society deems certain characteristics to be female and others to be male. I think that is a load of dung and want our kiddos to simply seek to know God and through that be opened up to His uber creative world. Whether Emmy wants to be a dancer or an engineer should not be up for society to decide. Our prayer is that the Foshea passel is one dedicated to being authentic believers who care about the things Jesus most cared about. Plain and simple. Which means no weiners...because Jesus was anything but one.
I will try to take a flattering picture of the growing belly, but that is getting harder and harder as things continue to spread out and the clothes I can fit into continue to dwindle. I promise to post pictures next time of Emmy and the belly (happy Brittany??).

7 random thoughts

2009-02-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

Please don't let the utter randomness of this blog scare you away. I have a few minutes (they are few and precious) of quiet and my mind is racing. So here are my random thoughts:

1. Check out Jeremy and Christina's blog if you want to see a really cool (and funny) picture of how God has used two whities from Austin to offer new life to a precious little Ethiopian baby named Nate (watch the coming home video. classic). Pretty inspirational when you think about the fact that we are all adopted by God the Father through Christ; I am almost jealous of the way Nate will understand this profound and glorious truth in a way I struggle to grasp daily.

2. Being a stay-at-home mom is hard. I'm not going to sugar coat it. I don't think it is any harder than anyone else's situation, I just have a new understanding of what a transition this is. All of the sudden you are your own boss (or you cry at dinner to your husband because you are afraid he has become your boss and you hate the feeling that he is evaluating your work performance based on how clean the house is or how tasty dinnner is that night...even though he totally isn't and just wishes you would stop crying all the time...or so I've heard). There is also the shift in your own relationship with the Lord, although I don't really know how to describe it. I feel more dependent, more needy, more conscious of my sin than ever and more crippled in my ability to "do ministry" than ever. Hmmm...

3. Having joy is an elusive thing these days for me and yet we are told to have it. It is a command! "Be joyful," the Bible says. That is my ultimate battle these days- to trust that God is good and that this life is not as good as it gets. Life is beautiful, but it is also full of heartache. If you don't know Christ and trust that He alone can save you from yourself and ultimately an eternity apart from God, then what is the point? I really can't imagine what life would be like without my precious Jesus. He alone keeps me from checking myself into a mental hospital at times. So, please join me and pray for JOY!!!! I think a thankful heart is a necessity for believers.
4. When Emmy toots, it makes me giggle. Then she starts giggling and her face scrunches up and I just want to squeeze her forever. I can't wait to see what Cletus is like.

5. Facebook is my nemesis. I either get on and am encouraged to see an old face from long ago, or I get on for 40 minutes and have the life sucked out of me because I get caught running down a million rabbit trails. I have limited myself to checking it once a week now.

6. I want to be more like Christ. Anyone know the easiest way to do that? No? Didn't think so. Actually, I can watch my two friends Ronnie and Sharon Smith and get an idea of what it is like to walk faithfully with the Lord. Our pastor said this past Sunday, "Nobody cares how you start your life with Christ. Ultimately, people are watching to see how you will finish."

7. Here is one of my favorite videos of Emmy lately. She makes me smile.

Girls' Weekend

2009-01-29T07:08:00.000-08:00

"Laying out." It was a little chilly.

This past weekend I was able to embark on a much appreciated venture, far far away from the cries of a baby and the smell of last night's meal brewing from a diaper. Joel was oh so brave in accepting the challenge to watch our beloved little peanut...ALL BY HIMSELF. I left with three other gals for the coast of Texas, to the lovely Port Aransas. Honestly, we could have gone to a trailer park and I think I still would have been excited. We stayed at this amazing beach house, thanks to our friend Julie. I must say we all felt a little funny getting out of the car the night we got there. No car seats? Only one bag each?? No Pack n Plays to set up first thing??? We were in a different world.

Needless to say we had a blast. We spent the majority of our time doing 3 things: sleeping, eating, and TALKING! You know we also threw in some shopping (can't stop a woman from shopping!), exploring the island and other beach houses, and meeting some interesting locals.

When I got home, I was a little disappointed that Joel didn't seem as desperate to see me as I had hoped. He did a great job handling the little one's schedule and still being able to get some things done (like selling my beloved Honda Civic, who has been with me since college. tear.). I feel like a different woman. Here's to getting away and waking up to nothing but the sound of the ocean outside our window...wait...I think I hear Emmy waking up from her nap. Back to reality, until the next girls' weekend!

Emmy took Joel to her friend Madeline's birthday party. Are his eyes like that because he is having fun or because he is overwhelmed by his weekend as Mr. Mom?

Here's what four mamas look like after a FULL night's sleep...all smiles.

Update from Joel

2009-01-13T20:27:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

This is my first blog entry, but I was just reading Katie's recent additions to the blog and I felt compelled to post an update pertaining to Foshea baby #2. Well first of all Katie and I never have liked referring to our unborn child as "It" so we have affectionately named this one "Cletus the Fetus" for the time being. Today we went to see Katie's doctor and we surprisingly learned that Cletus the Fetus is a little bit farther along than we expected. We were estimating that the due date would be in mid July, but today we learned via sonogram that Cletus the Fetus is 16 1/2 weeks old and is predicted to arrive on June 26, 2009. Katie had a little tougher first trimester this time around but thankfully she has now settled into the blessed second trimester.

Well that is all for now. Thanks for reading,

Joel

Pictures and more pictures

2009-01-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

I am terrible at remembering to a: bring a camera to important events or b: remember to take out said camera and use it in the event I do remember to bring it. That is why I am super lucky to have good friends who are far more gifted in this area. I really believe it is a gift that one should be able to list on a resume under strengths and talents: documents life well with digital camera. So here are some photos from the past month that are only available because of my friend Melissa, whom without we would have hardly any proof that Emmy even made it past her 5 month birthday. Thanks Melissa!
Emmy, Owen and Bailey looked so cute in their pajamas! This was after we attempted giving them all a bath together...

I don't know if you can tell, but Emmy was not a fan of the community bath time.

Here is the trio again, moms in tow. We are uber excited for Alison and Kyle M. to move to Austin. They came to visit in December and we took every opportunity to hang out!

A little "after church Rudy's Bar-B-Que." Yum!

Emmy had so much fun playing with her new tractor. She even let her friend Zeke play with it at her birthday party, although she did feel the need to offer some tractor driving training.

This is probably the only time you will see a bow in her hair. As you can see, she was on her way to ripping it out as this photo was taken.

Opening presents with Uncle James and Aunt Brittany.

Bear got some birthday loving from Bailey.

Whoa Nelly!

2009-01-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

What a blur this past month has been! Christmas is past and the New Year has begun. Whoa Nelly. We spent Christmas in Houston with the Loop family. Some of you may know that my brave Mama has been battling bone cancer this past year, so it was sweet to spend quality time with her. Emmy LOVES her Grandma and Pancho. She growls every time Pancho (that's my dad) walks in the room...don't ask me...it's their "thing." Emmy got a John Deere tractor on Christmas morning. Talk about a fun time had by all. She also received a moving and growling lion from her great-grandpa in New York and a cool work bench from her Nana and Pa in Dallas. I must say those have been the three favorites.

Though the presents are wonderful and well thought out, our hope is that Emmy will treasure time with family and friends far more than any "thing" she receives. All of that stuff is going to be trashed some day (and certainly has no eternal value) while we trust and believe that our relationships with the Lord and with people are more valuable than I think we even understand.
Here are a few random pics. More to come!All bundled up for the Trail of Lights. Yes, she is wearing her Baylor Bears hat. Sic em!It was COLDWe found this great park near my parent's house in Houston. Emmy had so much fun, as did Joel I think.I mean, a LOT of FUN! Does life get any better than that?

Here's our little farmer on her tractor and her cute dress Aunt Brittany gave her. Aunt Brittany is her style guru.

Slumdog

2008-12-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

So this is not a post about the offspring (gasp!) but I felt compelled to share my thoughts on a phenomenal movie. By the way, I don't throw that word around when it comes to movies. As the offspring has forever altered our lives, I don't tend to get to the movie theater as much anymore. Being an avid movie-goer, this has been really hard on me. It's just not the same when you watch a movie in your own home, especially when you have an old-school boob-toob that is anything but flat or large.

All that said, go see Slumdog Millionaire! It is phenomenal! I think I already said that. It ranks up there with Life is Beautiful and The Pianist, two other phenomenal movies in my humble opinion. This movie is such a beautiful portrayal of a redemption story at its best. Since I don't get to see that many movies anymore I rely on the reviews of others as I don't have the time to waste on bad movies (ie Fool's Gold, etc.). This one is a gem. I believe it speaks to the very raw truth that love truly does conquer all. Don't worry, it's not done in a cheesy way by any means. I just love movies that give us a taste of what God promises us: life to the full and love wins. No one wanted to leave the theater even as the credits rolled because your heart is so drawn into this amazing story. We always want the underdog to win, especially if that underdog has incredible integrity and character. I believe it is because we all know truth whether we will admit it or not: that there is good and evil and good will prevail in the end. I have been accused of over analyzing movies but I don't care. This movie spoke to my very soul and I am thankful for the reminder that this life is not all there is. Maybe you won't walk away as touched, but you will certainly not have wasted 8 bucks.

Christmas Is Coming

2008-12-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

Emmy LOVES the Christmas tree! We were a little nervous about putting it up, but she has been such a champ. She is pretty gentle with the ornaments she can reach.
If you look closely enough, you can read some of our address on her face. While I was getting ready to begin mailing Christmas cards, Emmy decided to take our address stamp and give it a kiss!

These pictures are actually from several weeks ago. We had so much fun at this great bounce house here in Austin. It is this huge warehouse type place full of inflatable fun! We had so much fun with Julie, Laura and Kara...and all the kiddos.

The slide was my favorite. Doesn't look to be Emmy's.

As December 25th quickly approaches, I am filled with a sense that this Christmas feels different. I am more excited than I have ever been and it's not because of any great trip we are taking or great presents we are giving/receiving. I am so excited because Emmy brings a whole new perspective to the holiday. I am having so much fun thinking about all of the cool Christmas traditions we can start (Advent tree, reading the Christmas story, serving on Christmas Day, giving money as a family to an overseas mission, etc.). If you have any fun traditions or ideas, please let me know!