Valentine's Day 2013

I try to carry on some of the traditions my parents gave us.  Some are meaningful and some are just for fun. Every year, my mom would put together special valentine treats for all of us and set it on the counter so when we came downstairs we would see it and be surprised. I loved this special tradition and it was just enough "holiday" without the overkill.  Every year she would put out the cards each grandparent sent in addition to our "loot".  I have done this every year with the exception of the card mailed from the grandparents only because they could receive their Valentines in person. But not this year. So it was with a smile on my face that I added the cards my parent's and Michael Ann sent to each child and fondly remembered all the years my grandparents sent me a card with $5 and a sweet handwritten note.

Below are the kids in their "festive" clothes-a tradition I created when the girls started pre-K and I realized that every mom in their class bought their child a valentine shirt and I did not--big mom fail:(

We ended the day with homemade heart pizzas that each child made themselves. They were really good and so easy that I think this might become a new tradition!!

A Little Winter Vacation

We are new around here and we missed the memo that everyone goes skiing or to some exotic vacation for the two-day winter break at the end of January.  Being the good parents we are, we tried to book a last minute vacation at the Great Wolf Lodge in Pennsylvania but it was full. I suggested skiing but Joe shot that idea down since his last skiing adventure was winter survival training in the Marine Corps and he is not quite over that (Ha!). So we decided to stay overnight in the heart of Washington DC at a hotel WITH an indoor pool.  We found a great deal and I started planning. We headed into the nation's capitol on a Sunday night and went straight to the pool as soon as we checked in. We had the entire thing to ourselves!! This was no ordinary pool either. This pool was on the fifth floor surrounded by windows overlooking the streets of DC. I had a blast people watching while the kids walked between the huge pool and the warm hot tub.  That night we went to a restaurant recommended by my Southern Living as being very kid friendly and having very good food. Despite being crowded, we had some of the best homemade sandwiches and milkshakes I have ever had.
The next day we walked a couple of ten blocks to the Spy Museum in the rain. I'm sure I looked like the Momma duck in "Make Way for Duckling" with four soaked kids in single file making our way there and back:) Joe was a good guide and kept me laughing in spite of myself.  The museum was a bit over the little one's heads but it was still fun (and it was free for Cuatro and Audrey!). We headed back to the hotel, packed up and ate lunch on the way home. It was a simple vacation but well worth it.

Snow, Snow, Snow!!!

When we told the kids we were moving to Maryland, the first thing they asked was if they were going to see snow.  We told them confidently that, "Yes of course" they would see snow!!  We moved in July and it was really hot. Then around September, the weather became more mild and more pleasant. The kids asked around October when we would see snow. And then Hurricane Sandy came and brought tons of rain and we heard rumors of snow but there was no snow. It got really cold in November and we saw some ice and we started a fire in the fireplace and there were rumors of snow but no snow.  In December, we headed back to Texas for Christmas and there were rumors of snow in Maryland when we left and it DID snow on Christmas Eve but we were many miles away and our kids cried big tears because we missed it. January came with more bitter cold weather and on January 24th there were rumors of snow and I sent the girls to school in hopes that they would make it back home before the supposed storm hit (thinking it would only be ice). But 3 o'clock rolled around and we saw this:

The snow stuck around for about three days and we were able to make tiny snowmen (not the best snow for building) and snow angels while I tried to keep four excited kids warm and dry. It was a good memory and I am glad my kids have seen snow!! However, like true Texas kids, by the time the third or fourth snow came they were over it and chose to stay inside by the fire.

Looking Back...2011

I recounted our moments last year and I feel it is a good exercise to do every year. So 2011...well, hmm. If I had to sum up this year in one word it would be FORGIVENESS. We have had some run-ins with not-so-nice people this year and we have had to really study what God has said about forgiving others and actually shed tears and ask God what it looks life in real life. I would love to wrap up this year in a pretty little package and say I have overcome this sin and here are the steps to not fall into that ugly pitfall but it is ongoing and sometimes a daily task. BUT God has been faithful and loving and shown me so much about Himself this year. I began Bible Study Fellowship this year and we have been studying Acts and Hebrews and this has been an eye-opening experience to see God's hand in the formation of the early church and the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and the realization of the power He has today in my life and the lives of the women in my group. The girls have been going with me to the kids program and we have amazing conversations on the way home about God and His work around the world and how some Christians are persecuted for their faith. It brings tears to my eyes to see them "get" it. God really has been good to us this year and has shown His faithfulness to us so clearly. So without further ado, here are a few highlights of 2011:

January: Joe and I went to San Francisco for a wedding and few days of sight-seeing on my birthday weekend (best present ever!!). The girls turned six and we celebrated with six other girls at a hotel with an indoor pool and an all-night slumber party.

February: Audrey turned one along with her cousin Grayson and we had a small celebration at the house with a valentine-themed party.

March: We enjoyed a restful Spring Break and I was able to sneak off to a wonderful Women's retreat with some ladies from church. We also hired a sweet lady to help with children and laundry once a week (she has been a blessing!!)

April: We attended so many birthday parties and had a wonderful Easter with family and friends. We also were invited to go to Lake LBJ for the last weekend in April. Our friends have a great lake house and we had a wonderful time on the boat.

May: My sisters, mom, and I put on an estate sale with Joe's uncle's household items and that was an extreme undertaking. I don't think we will ever do that again! We attended a wonderful graduation party and attended many end-of-the year parties. We also took Memorial day weekend to go on our first trip of the summer--Clearlake, Texas. We loved being with our friends the Totton's. We enjoyed swimming, the boardwalk, and good laughs with amazing friends.

June: The girls completed Kindergarten!! We left the following week to Family Camp on Mustang Island. This will become a tradition with three families from our church since we had so much fun (and so did the kids!). We came back Sunday and started VBS and Cheer Camp on Monday. What a week!! We ended this hectic week with the annual Berges Fest parade that the girls were able to be in (huge perk of living in a small town). Cuatro and the girls also started gymnastics lessons and loved it.

July: We went to the Calder's for the third (or fourth) year in a row to their Fourth of July Party. We look forward to it every year. We also started renovating the kitchen and girls room so we moved to the guest house and survived (barely).

August: We went to Fort Worth at the beginning of the month to see Joe's older sister and her family. We stayed at a downtown hotel with a pool and then toured the Science and History museum. We stayed there for three hours and could have stayed longer if it wasn't nap time. What an amazing place! We also went to the Stockyards for the first time and had a blast. We will be going back next year. This month also brought a new dog. A golden doodle Cuatro named Shasta was brought home to live with us and she is wild but we love her. August 19th we celebrated our 11th year anniversary with a weekend at home with no children(thanks mom). Everyone (but Audrey) went back to school on the 22nd and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. We ended the month with a fourth birthday party for Cuatro complete with a rented water slide bouncy house combo.

September: We celebrated the baptism of two very special girls (Endie and Makeda). Cuatro started swim lessons (at an indoor place). I co-led the church garage sale for the fourth year in a row and competed in my first ever skeet shoot tournament (it was for charity and I will probably never be asked to be on a team again).

October: We attended two galas (I love to dress up but Joe doesn't). The girls had their walk-a-thon at school (the fundraiser for their elementary school). I snuck away for a weekend in Fredericksburg with some old college friends. We trick-or-treated in our friends neighborhood as a cowgirl(Laura), rockstar(Grace), Ironman(Cuatro), and a cow(Audrey).

November: My sister renewed her vows with a nice big party at the beginning of the month. We had a wonderful evening of food and laughter. Joe and I attended another anniversary party the next weekend which was the couple's 11th wedding anniversary on 11-11-11! We got all of our flu shots with the help of my mom(only had to hold down Cuatro this year). I took the kids to see the local high school production of "Beauty and the Beast". We had Thanksgiving in Carrizo Springs (where Joe is from) with some of Joe's family and was able to enjoy the ranch for a few days (well the kids and Joe did while Audrey and I enjoyed heat and comfort at the big house in Carrizo).

December: We were able to be in "A Walk in Bethlehem" that our church puts on every year. Cuatro and Audrey have both been baby Jesus in previous years (with Joe and I playing Mary and Joseph of course). This year we were the town gardeners and showed people how we gathered and planted food back then. It was a wonderful time as a family and helped our kids see what it was like when Jesus came to this earth. We also attended lots of holiday parties and programs for the kids in the last weeks before school was over. My mom and I took Grace and Laura to the Riverwalk for dinner and then to the Majestic Theater to see the Symphony perform their Holiday POPS show. Joe's older sister and her husband came in a few days before Christmas and then his mom's side of the family came on Christmas Eve to have dinner and go to church with us. We celebrated Christmas at my mom's house and then left the next day for three days in Carrizo Springs. We came home and had Joe's niece stay with us for two days and now we are catching up on laundry, life, and sleep!! We are looking forward to ringing in the new year with a sweet group of friends tomorrow night.

My prayer is that 2012 brings us rest and a deeper understanding of what it means to serve God. We are hoping our kids see that there is much need out in the world and that by meeting people's physical needs, we are able to open up communication to show that there is a spiritual "need" as well. I hope we can sum up 2010 with the words "boldness" and "diligence" and "forgiveness" as well:).

We love the fall

Our family always looks forward to the fall-pumpkins, pumpkin patch, pumpkin spiced latte. On the other hand, maybe we are obsessed with pumpkins not fall. Every year in our town, a pumpkin patch appears in one of the town squares. It has been a tradition to go there every year and pick out a pumpkin for any child who is able to carry their own pumpkin to the car. These pumpkins are a bit overpriced but it is a fundraiser for a local church so I don't mind at all. This year, we headed out after school and the kids were so excited. They each tried to talk me into the biggest pumpkin in the patch but I am only so generous so we all decided on the medium pumpkins. Audrey just wanted to throw the pumpkins so she ended up with nothing (we are heading into being two and I can tell already that this is going to be a long road to the stability of a four-year-old). We brought the pumpkins home and carved all three. I failed to get the finished product but I did get the process. Yes, fall is here and we are gearing up for the holiday season of family traditions and fun all around and maybe some fall weather in Texas, maybe?

Oh my goodness..

It has been so ling since I blogged. Life is busy and confusing and hectic right now and then you add four kids to the mix:)

The girls are doing great in the first grade. They are getting more fluent in their Spanish which is fun to hear (even if I don't understand). Cuatro is enjoying his third year in preschool at our church. He is also taking swim lessons once a week and already swimming under the water!! Audrey is walking and talking and CLIMBING everything. We are about to go into the holiday season and I am really looking forward to decorating this year with all the changes and construction in our house. Joe is extremely busy and getting more so with hunting season fast approaching. I plan on doing a week in the life of posts as well as some others. Here are some of our latest pictures:

My life so far in phone pictures (Part 2)

Audrey ready to go to the Calder's for the Fourth of July (a tradition now)


We received a whole bunch o toys from some people in our church and one of them was this little shopping cart that Audrey deemed her own set of "wheels"


Cheer Camp for Grace and Laura!!



We gutted the kitchen at the beginning of the summer




It RAINED on the way home from Sea World one Sunday...Texas is in a drought and there were people dancing in the rain when we stopped to get milk on the way home



Audrey's first recorded pigtails (I love pigtails on little girls almost as much as I love BIG bows on little girls)

My life so far in phone pictures (Part 1)

So my camera battery died in June and apparently it is next to impossible to get another one without ordering off the Internet. So while I am waiting for this essential to come it, I have been relying on my camera phone. So here is what we have been up to in pictures:


We went to Kiddie Park for Cuatro's Preschool "End of the Year Field Trip" and Audrey loved the carousel (She screamed every time I took her off)

Cuatro and Carson at Kiddie Park (I did not tell them to hold hands)

My sisters and I had a garage sale and Audrey and Grayson tried out the merchandise

Our latest family photo and why it portrays real lfe

We recently took our church directory photo. They took five pictures total. And this is what the communications coordinator sent me last week:



She thought it was funny. I think this is our life right now. And I am okay with it. Memories.....

An Impromtu Picnic

A few weeks ago, Joe was traveling and the evening was so pleasant that I decided it would be a great opportunity to have a picnic for dinner. The kids love anytime we are able to eat outside so they helped pack our bag and get towels and head out to the front lawn. We had the best, most relaxing time enjoying nature and each other. Here are some of the pictures from that night (Audrey had a bit of a cold and loves to play in the grass so don't judge the dirty baby):

2010

I have decided to try and remember the moments in 2010 that defined our year and I hope to do this every year I continue to blog....so without further ado - 2010:

January-The girls turned five with a fun day with me and mammy. I was huge being 8 months pregnant with Audrey. I did go into early labor at 34 weeks and was hospitalized overnight and given drugs to stop the contractions. The doctors were on the fence about stopping everything but I was more than happy to let them since I was in no way ready for baby #4 to arrive yet. So once I got home and rested, it was a mad dash to get everything prepared just in case she came early!!

February - Cuatro got a big boy bed (the day before Audrey was born). Audrey came into this world on February 11th. With a five day stay in the NICU and me going back and forth and daddy taking care of the kids, we were happy when she came home on February 16th which happened to be the day her cousin Grayson was born.

March-we adjusted to no sleep with a newborn and taking care of three children. Cuatro did not take to being a big brother at all so there were lots of moments I wanted to pull my hair out!!

April-Audrey was baptized on April 3rd. Her godparents, the Baldwins, threw a small party beforehand. We also went to the Battle of Flowers Parade and continued to adjust.

May-This seemed to be the month of birthday parties!! I think we had at least 2 a week. The girls also graduated from preschool!!

June-The girls had their first dentist appointment where we found out that Laura had three cavities. They also attended their first cheer leading camp and loved it! VBS rounded out the month and we made many preparations for Clegg and Jenny's wedding.

July-Clegg and Jenny were married on July 10th. We threw a shower for the Boddie's who were getting two girls from Ethiopia. AND Joe got fixed after my procedure didn't happen but I got some good drugs given to me:) Michael Ann also came for a visit and Joe and I were able to go on an overnight date--what a treat.

August-I was able to go with my college sorority roommates to the coast for one night on the 3rd--it was so nice to catch up. When I came home, Joe's dad was put in the ICU at the hospital and on August 13th, he passed away. He was very sick for so long but Joe and I were not prepared for him to die when he did. He had made it through all the past obstacles before but God chose to take him home and while the kids were sad and didn't understand a whole lot, Laura and Grace pointed out that "Grandaddy isn't sick anymore and he won't fall down anymore". I love that they know that Heaven is a place of no more tears and pain. Joe and I also celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary as best we could with a dinner at the place where we went on our first date. It was a good evening but bittersweet as we were in the middle of planning his dad's funeral. On August 23rd, the girls started Kindergarten. They were excited and I held in the tears until I was driving away. AND Cuatro turned three with a birthday party at Kiddie Park with his friends. So August was a busy month with a few sprinkles of joy.

September-We adjusted to having to be somewhere everyday on time and very early. Cuatro also started playing flag football for the first time. He didn't quite get the concept but had fun. The girls also became daisies (first level of girl scouts). They love going to the meetings and seeing all the girls they love and don't get to see now that everyone is in different schools. I ended the month by co-leading the annual church garage sale. What an undertaking but it was worth it. This is also the month where we hired a sitter to come twice a week to help me out....a great blessing.

October-We had a memorial service for Uncle Bob and Joe's dad in Carrizo Springs followed by a trip with all four kids to the ranch for one night. Cuatro came home throwing up and Laura got the bug two days later for FIVE days. This was a busy month with added activities for Halloween. This year, Cuatro was the big bad wolf and the girls were the three little pigs. They were adorable!! (pictures to come soon)

November-Cuatro played his last flag football game of the season on the 13th. This month brought more sickness in the form of vomiting and a virus with high fever and congestion. Cuatro started throwing up on Novmember 16th and did not stop until he was hospitalized (that was in another post). We had a great Thanksgiving with my family with no sickness until the day after.

December-was a whirlwind month. There were many parties for the kids schools as well as church groups. The girls had two and a half weeks off of school as we prepared for Jesus' birhtday (a concept Cuatro is still getting the hang of). We had a wonderful day at my parent's and ended the year with a visit from Michael Ann and her family.





So there is 2010 in a nutshell. It was definitely a defining year for Joe and I. But as always, we serve a good God who constantly reminds us of His grace and mercy through the kindness of our family and friends.

Come on 2011 and may you be a year of rest for the Tidwell's!!!

My Very First Post

So I have tried to stay away from blogging for two years now...even though I read a number of blogs faithfully. But I am "biting the bullet" for me and my kids sake so that I can remember this time in my life with a little more clarity and pictures. I have four children now and life is crazy and hectic. And I am the crazy lady who wants to remember everything---the good, the bad, and the ugly. And, oh my goodness, it gets ugly real fast around here...especially if we have to be somewhere AND look presentable.

So here it goes. Grace and Laura, you are five and a half right now and about to start Kindergarten in August. I can't believe we are at this point already. You two make me so proud. You are so sweet to others and play so well with everybody and are quick to obey or apologize. You play well with each other most of the time and will even entertain your little brother while I take a shower. I love you girls so much and am so thankful God gave you both to me at the same time. I can't imagine life any other way. Your quote of the week is: "We are never getting married, mom. Because that would mean we would have to kiss a boy and that is gross".---Daddy loved that one:)

Cuatro, you are my little handful all the time. You never stop moving unless you are sleeping or watching "Max and Ruby". I love your funny faces and big smile. You make us laugh all the time. Though some days, I just throw my hands up with all the stuff you get into. But such is life with an active two year old boy. You love putting on the girls dress up clothes and shoes but tend to stay in their room to do so since you know Daddy doesn't like seeing you in dresses. But I have some great pictures I will show you one day. I am thankful that God has let me be a mom of a little boy especially to you.

Audrey, you are two months old and weighing in at 10 pounds 10 ounces and 23.75 inches long. You are the most petite precious little girl that has ever graced the face of the earth. You are a beautiful gift from God. You are so laid back and go with the flow. I love it!! And you have brunette hair like your momma---finally a child with my coloring. We all love you so much and all your siblings fight over who gets to hold you.

So I will end my first post and hope to be faithful in writing down all our moments in the future.