THE GUAJARDO FAMILY

Mini-visit from the Brewer Girls!

2011-07-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Missy & her sweet girls, Briley & Kayelyn, came for a short visit this week. They brought yummy peaches & pecan treats with them, which we completely devoured during their stay. Missy helped us set up facebook pages so we can join the rest of the world online & hopefully get a ton of publicity in order for our business to grow, as it has done wonders for her... so she says. My opinion, her work speaks for itself. Just look at the amazing job she did for us, once again!

Thanks so much Missy for a truly amazing job once again. Check out the rest of her great work at http://www.snappedwithlove.com/

Introducing Jeremiah Adam

2011-07-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here's my very last big belly pic in the hospital the night before Jeremiah was born... 39 weeks & 2 days pregnant! Dr. Irvin & I had several talks during my pregnancy about the weight of this baby & how long into my pregnancy would be wise for me & the baby both to go. Because of how large Tripp was, and being 5 days late, she opted to have me induced a few days early.

and thankfully she did... he was almost 8 pounds at 4 days early!

Welcome to the world, Jeremiah Adam

7 pounds, 14 ounces

20 inches

3:52 pm

Monday, June 20, 2011

Bella & Kenzie coming in the room to meet their baby brother

& Tripp too... they were just a bit excited! ;)

Kenzie holding Jeremiah

Bella giving Baby J kisses

Tripp is so excited to have a little brother... can you tell!?!

We are so very happy to welcome our sweet baby boy home. Our little (okay not quite so little anymore) family couldn't be happier. The boys have finally evened things up around here. We are truly enjoying every bit of joy, love & happiness our sweet baby boy is bringing to our family. We can't wait for all of you to meet him!

Love & hugs to all,

the Sensational Six! :)

never doubt the power of prayer!

2011-04-17T06:38:00.000-07:00

So, we had my appointment on Tuesday for my glucose test & yet another, ultrasound. I had already come prepared with a list of questions for my ob about our next steps in actually setting a date for the c-section and various other questions about the actual process. Since I had to be there for an hour anyway before they could draw my blood, they went ahead and did the ultrasound first. The technician was pretty quiet at first and then said, "Well, this is odd. The baby's head is right there & I can't seem to see the placenta!" What!?! We were all shocked & amazed. The placenta had done exactly what it was supposed to do from the beginning, exactly what we weren't expecting at this point in the game. By the time we went back to see my doctor, Anthony & I were just both so giggly and ecstatic. Dr. Irvin came in very cheerful as usual, but we weren't aware that she hadn't seen the pictures yet. All of a sudden she looked at us with surprised eyes and said, "Oh my goodness! Are you serious!? This is amazing news!" She too could not believe that things had changed so drastically from my previous appointment. There are two forms of placenta previa; partial and complete. In most "partial" cases the placenta tends to move where it is supposed to be as the baby and uterus grow and things move around. In "complete previa" there is just so much less of a chance because everything is right on top of the placenta and it isn't able to move back up as easily. My family and so many others have been praying nonstop for both myself & the baby. We were sure things were going to turn out okay for my delivery, but I really hadn't thought there was even the slightest chance of things changing before. I am no longer in need of a c-section or at high risk for this pregnancy. I have never doubted it before, but this just re-strengthens my faith in the power of prayer even more. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who have been praying for me. I really didn't know how stressed out I was about the situation until after I found out things were okay. Whew... what a relief! We did find out one very minor something else during the ultrasound. The baby has a nuchal cord, which means the chord is around his/her neck. Although, this is very common (1 in 4 babies) and there is no reason for concern as it usually changes on its own before delivery. Thanks again! We were so excited to get to share this wonderful news! Love & Hugs!

Snapped With Love

2011-04-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend two of my greatest friends from college came for a little mini-visit. Missy (with her amazing assistant of a husband, Nathan) was shooting a wedding in Marble Falls on Saturday and thought it would be the perfect chance for an opportunity to swing by our place and take a few maternity pictures while she was here. Between both of us having kids & trying to run home businesses we have had little time for visits lately. We realized it had been well over 2 years since we had the chance to see each other. Missy hadn't yet met Tripp & Nathan hadn't had the chance to meet either him or Mackenzie. You never would have known that however, once they got here. All 3 kids were waiting at the front window of the house for about 30 minutes before they got here anticipating their arrival. As soon as they pulled up, they were greeted with hugs and smiles. Tripp was instantly attached to Missy as though they had been best friends since he was born. It was too sweet! All 3 kids were hanging on both Missy and Nathan, like the little monkeys they are, the entire time.

(see what I mean!)

After a little catching up, and finishing getting ready at the house, we headed to our school to do our little photo shoot. I am extremely blown away at what an amazing job Missy does with her photography. She is a true natural! I am so lucky to have a friend with such a special talent ask to take our pictures, because the kids are just so comfortable with her. So, enough of my rambling... here is a little sneak peak of some of the pics Missy sent me to hold me over until we get our CD, courtesy of Snapped With Love Photography, by Mellisa!

....and they were done!

Thank you Missy, so much!!! We had such a great time hanging out with the two of you and are so thankful for the lasting memories you have given us. Can't wait to see the rest! :)

a little pregnancy update

2011-04-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

Things are moving along quite nicely with our little one. I hit my 29 week mark yesterday. Baby & mommy have both been doing wonderfully. There are a lot of changes going on at home right now. We are in the process of moving (more on that topic later), so as you can imagine things are a bit chaotic at the moment, causing more exhaustion than I am use to at this point of the game. Anthony & I found out at my 20 week appointment that I have a condition called placenta previa. As far as the effect it has on myself & the baby during pregnancy, it is really minimal. I just have to be sure to take it extra easy and not overexert myself for any reason and hopefully that will help me avoid any bed rest as the due date gets closer. The real factor comes in for delivery. If the placenta doesn't move before my 36 week appointment I will be scheduled for a c-section at 37 weeks. One exciting part is that we get to see the baby at every appointment (because I am required to have an ultrasound for monitoring the placenta & the baby.) We just have to be extra careful not to see the sex of the baby any time... no, we still aren't finding out for this one. My next appointment is this coming Tuesday. We will continue to keep everyone posted as things draw closer to our due date and we find out more information. Thank you so much for all your prayers. We are putting everything in God's hands & have faith that both the baby & myself will be happy & healthy after delivery! :)

the Kemper blog

2011-01-26T18:46:00.000-08:00

Todd & Pene have created a blog (YAY!!!!!) so we can follow along life with their little princesses, Zoe, and my two newest nieces, Abigail & Sophia.
Go for a visit when you have time & are willing to shed a few (happy) tears ;)
http://toddkemperfamily.blogspot.com/

The TWINS are here!!!!!

2011-01-17T05:37:00.000-08:00

aren't they precious!?!!!!!

Well, they just couldn't wait! Arriving 6 weeks early... Please join us in welcoming Abigail Reese and Sophia Leigh Kemper! Abigail was born at 9:31 am on Sunday January 16, 2011 weighing in at 4 lbs 9 oz and measuring 17 ¼”. Little sister Sophia arrived two minutes later at 9:33 with a birth weight of 4 lbs 7 oz and a length of 17” even.
The best news of all... Mom and babies are resting and recovering at the hospital and everyone is healthy. We are so blessed by this wonderful event and could not be happier!
Congratulations Todd, Pene & BIG SISTER, Zoe. We are so extremely happy for your sweet family! Love & Hugs!

Good News on the results & more...

2011-01-15T07:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for all your prayers. Good news: everything with my biopsy came back normal. It looks like my enlarged thyroid just came about with this pregnancy and is nothing of big concern. This is what we were hoping for and honestly really thinking was the case, but the thought of all the possibilities of what could be was definitely enough to get the mind wandering. It was so nice having such a wonderful support system praying for me. I think it was the anticipation in waiting that was the scariest part of the whole thing, even though I had such a strong feeling that everything would be fine. Thanks again! I love you all & am so grateful for all your thoughts and prayers.

my 17 week baby bump

In other news, all the kiddos just got over having a really yucky stomach bug. We are so grateful for that to be over! Anthony got to play in a high school alumni football game this past Sunday. It was a lot of fun getting to see so many of the guys we graduated with. Sort of a mini-reunion, which was nice since we missed out on ours last June because we were in the hospital having our sweet baby boy! Unlucky for him, he ended up dislocating and breaking his right ring finger at the knuckle. He had the paramedics buddy-tape it to another finger so he could finish the game. (Typical Anthony!) This was at the end of the first half. He went on to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter (yes... with his broken finger) and get the medal for defensive MVP. I guess the adrenalin kept him from feeling the pain during the game, but it sure did hit him afterwards. So, a 4 hour trip to the e.r. later wound him up in a cast all the way up to his elbow because he apparently pulled the major tendon that runs from your finger to your arm off the bone. Ouch!

Daddy's biggest fans ready for the game:)

Monday and Tuesday were extremely challenging for him staying home with all 3 kiddos being sick and having to give left handed baths, thanks to all the mess that goes along with a stomach bug! I think I better give him a medal for making it through the most difficult daddy day yet.;)

Our last little bit of news for this post... we should have 2 new nieces next week!!! My sister-in-law, Pene, is in the hospital now resting and scheduled for a c-section on Tuesday. (A "mini-vacation" according to Todd:) ) It's a little earlier than expected but due to a few different circumstances will be best for both Pene and the girls. So exciting! The first set of twins in the Kemper family ever! Prayers for a healthy delivery would be great.

Pene, Mom, Todd, me & Lyndsey

@ Pene's shower - December 4th

Good News/Bad News

2010-12-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

I really need to try to get to the point from not having to preface each of my posts with how busy we have been and how I wish I had time to blog more often. I think it is obvious life can be a bit hectic with 3 little ones and running our own business from our home. Still, for some reason it seems to be the trend. Maybe 2011 will be the year of getting back on track.... we'll see! :)

So much has happened since I've posted last. The kids have all grown quite a bit. Isabella and Mackenzie are both attending the Montessori school where I teach (and the same one I went to growing up.) Which I completely LOVE and am so grateful for. They have already learned so much in just the first half of this year. Isabella is already writing in cursive (yes... cursive at 4 years old!) and coming home speaking more Spanish than even Anthony can understand.;) Mackenzie is such a hard worker in her class and has become so independent she hardly lets us help her with anything anymore. They are both such great helpers to both me & Anthony at home and love to do anything to help out with their little brother. Who, by the way, is not so little anymore. He seems to grow a little more every night.... we think he may pass Mackenzie here pretty soon. So... on to the other news....

the "good"

I wouldn't just say good... more like GREAT! Many of you have probably been wondering when this announcement would come. That's right! We are expecting... again! My due date is June 24th (my sister, Amy's, birthday!) This makes me 15 weeks on Friday. I'm already showing quite a bit... the baby bump seems to come a little faster with each pregnancy. So, I'll have to post a picture soon. We are so excited to be expecting another little blessing. The girls are very anxious to have a new baby in the house. They want to know if it can come home now! I told them God doesn't work that fast, but the baby will definitely be here before we know it!

the "bad"

So, at my ob appointment a couple of weeks ago, when my doctor was doing all the regular check-up stuff, she found a rather large lump in my throat. She said that I had an enlarged thyroid and she'd like me to have it checked right away. So, I immediately set up an appointment for an ultrasound to get it all checked out. The radiologist found a pretty good sized nodule, 3.5 by 1.8 cm. So, I head back tomorrow to have a biopsy done. It all sounds pretty scary, and to be honest I was a bit scared at the initial news. But, the good part of it is that even in the worst case scenario... if it did happen to be cancer, it is something that is very easily treated. What a relief! So, my reason for even posting this is to know I have a support system praying for me in addition to my family. Thank you all so much in advance. I have complete faith that everything will turn out just fine.

Hopefully our next post will simply be the good news!:) I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas time with your families. Love & Hugs to you all!

p.s. We're a little late on getting our Christmas cards out.... surprise-surprise! So, I'll give everyone a little preview of some of the pics we took for them... none of which actually made it onto the final card. Ha!

Last night in my 20s....

2010-10-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, I will be 30 years old tomorrow. I'm having a hard time accepting this reality... I thought maybe if I wrote it down it would be easier to grasp. Ha!!!

There are so many goals I thought I would have reached by the time I was 30! So many more things I expected to have accomplished. I had my life pictured completely differently than it has turned out to be.

It's truly amazing to see God's path unfold. I may not be where I thought I would or should be in my life, but I couldn't be happier than to have it be the way it is. (Thank you Anthony, for helping me realize that. I love you more than life!)

I have such an amazing family that I am beyond grateful for; 3 beautiful children and the most wonderfully helpful, supporting husband I could dream possible. Anytime life seems a little tough, I am always able to stop for a moment and look at what amazing people I have surrounding me and forget all my worries because I couldn't be happier. They are what makes me happy & feel accomplished! On this birthday I have many visions, dreams and goals in mind for the next decade of my life. I only pray that I can be as happy and blessed in the next 10 years as I am today.

Thank you to God & my wonderful family for giving me the happiness and joy to truly enjoy this birthday. Love, love, love you!!!!

my 3 little munchkins, who bring joy to me every day... this is true happiness!

One more year...

2010-09-17T20:21:00.001-07:00

Another September has come without our sweet angel. We love you and miss you dearly. Although you are not here with us on earth, you will live in our hearts forever. Happy 6th Birthday Baby Girl!

March For Babies is Here!

2010-05-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

It has been just over 5 years since Anthony & I went through the tragedy of losing our daughter, Mary Alice. After months of pregnancy complications, emotional ups & downs, we faced the unbearable... our sweet child was coming in only my 5th month of pregnancy. For years Anthony & I had dreamt of getting married and starting a family. Never could we have expected what we were about to go through.

Last year was our first year participating in the March for Babies walk. We plan on continuing this tradition every year from now on in memory of our sweet angel, Mary Alice. With the help of our wonderful family and friends we were able to raise just over $500 and put together a team of 16! Thank you again to everyone who helped us last year.

Nothing has felt better for me than to know I am making a difference by helping others, in the future, to not have to go through the loss that Anthony & I did. If we can even help just one family, one mother, one child... I feel we have done something to make a change.

Please consider donating to help this wonderful cause. It means so much to us and so many others. If you cannot donate, but would still like to help out, we would love to have you on our team.

It is my personal goal this year to double our team size... that's right, we want to have a team of 32 people!!! So, get out your walking shoes & lets March for Mary Alice!

Just click the link to the right in order to donate or join our team.

Thanks and God Bless!
Anthony, Alice, Isabella, Mackenzie & Tripp

Jamie is safe!

2009-11-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone for your prayers!!!! Jamie is safe at home with Amy & the kids now. It has been an extremely long day with lots of waiting and praying, but I'm happy to say that I have a true hero for a brother-in-law! THANK YOU GOD!!!!! More later, but Goodnight for now...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER!

2009-10-31T23:57:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to say Happy Halloween to everyone & a very Happy Birthday to Cassie! We love you to pieces & miss you soooooooooooo much!!!! Give your cute little dragon & big hug from us & tell her to give you on back too!

Kenzie Roo Turning 2

2009-10-31T23:56:00.000-07:00

How can our little baby girl already be 2 years old!?! Mackenzie has grown up so much this past year & developed quite the personality. We had a low key dinner at our house on her birthday with some of the family. Her favorite part... the cake, of course!

Is everyone singing for me?

Want some?!?

The following day we had her party at the Texas Jumping Bean. What better place to celebrate our little Roo's birthday!?! Mackenzie is constantly bouncing around the house as a different animal every day. (This being the reason that her nickname as stuck since her first Halloween.) I really didn't get many pictures at all. We had so much fun running around & bouncing that the camera was a bit neglected. Next time I think I'll have to hire a photographer to tag along.

I did get one good picture of the Birthday Girl in the party shirt that Anthony & I made for her...

Kenzie saying "thank you" to everyone for making her birthday so special.

5 Years

2009-09-17T23:56:00.001-07:00

Today marks the fifth anniversary that our baby angel came and left our lives so quickly. There is not a single day that goes by that Anthony & I don't think or talk about our Mary Alice. However, every September 17th on her birthday, our day is consumed with her memory and thoughts of what life would be like if she was still here. She would be 5 years old today. What a special birthday. This marks such a "big girl" age in Isabella's eyes. So many things she says all the time start with, "When I'm 5 years old I can... (fill in the blank here.)" I can only imagine what it would be like to have 3 little girls running around the house right now & 1 little baby brother. I can completely envision how much fun all 3 of our girls would have together. Life would definitely be different.

At the same time, I cannot imagine my life without my precious guardian angel. How many people can actually say that they know who their angel is?! I believe with all my heart that she is ours and that she is continually watching over our family. How else could we have been blessed with 3 other wonderful & healthy children?

Today was special for another reason as well. We celebrated the life of Anthony's great-grandmother who passed away on Sunday. I know our little angel is welcoming her home. She was a truly amazing woman who will be greatly missed.

We love you Mary Alice & miss you every day. Your memory lives on in our hearts and will never ever fade. My heart aches for you so unbelievably, but I know you are in a much better place. May God bless you & continue to hold you in the palm of his hands.

Bye-bye Summer

2009-08-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

Where to begin...? So much has been going on since our last post. I cannot believe how far behind we have gotten. I said I would do my best to stay updated, but obviously that has been a little difficult. The summer was wonderful, for both our business and the family. We can only pray that things will keep up during the year. We've been staying busy with shirt making, sports, spending time with the family, more sports & more shirts!

Tripp & I sporting our shirts at Daddy's softball tourney

Tripp is already almost 3 months old! It is amazing how quickly the time is flying by. At his 2 month check up he weighed in at a whopping 14lbs., 8oz. He is definitely our big boy! 97th percentile! He is still eating and sleeping for a very big part of the day, but he has so many more awake moments now. When he is awake, he is just so alert & smiley. Such a little cutie & joy to be around.

Mackenzie has developed quite the personality lately. It is so fun to see what an individual she is becoming. She loves to make people smile and laugh, just like her daddy. She is definitely starting to come out of her little shell.

Isabella has really become my little helper. She loves to do as much as I will allow her to help around the house. Cooking, cleaning & helping out with her little brother & sister. This is her very first attempt at making homemade tortillas. I have to say she did a pretty good job! We have tried to spend as much fun outside time with the kids as the high temperatures will allow this summer. This usually means we are by some sort of water... which they love!

We recently just got back from a trip to Corpus Christi. The kids all loved the beach. Their favorite part had to be building sandcastles. They even braved the big waves in the ocean for a bit.

We took the kids to the Texas State Aquarium where they got to see all sorts of cool sea life.

The following day we went to the USS Lexington. The kids loved seeing all the planes on the ship and getting to sit in them to test them out, but the favorite of the day was the little jail cell. Go figure!

This is ultimately what we live for right here. The 3 sweetest kids you could imagine. Some of our favorite times are early in the mornings when we all cuddle together in our bed. They just make life so much fun!

Although, with this many in the bed, the positions can get a little silly at times. Kenzie & Tripp at one end...

& Bella at the feet!

Beautiful Chaos!

2009-07-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is the title of my friend, Missy's, friend's blog (make sense?) Anyway, I cannot think of two words that better describe our life right now. "BEAUTIFUL CHAOS" If it wasn't already taken, I think I would definitely make this the new title of our blog. Life with 3 kids (all 3 & under!) & running a new business from our home has proven to be one of the most incredible, crazy, fun, stressful, happy, chaotic times we have dealt with thus far in our marriage. This being the reason for our lack of posts lately... sorry.

I wish I had tons of pictures to fill everyone in on what's been going on the last month of our lives, but the truth is I have just been way too busy to keep up with pictures lately. Anthony took two weeks off after Tripp was born. It was wonderful! But, when he went back to work, he was told he no longer had a job. Ugh! Not again. It was right after we found out I was pregnant with Tripp that I lost my job. Once again, God was testing us to see how we could handle the situation. Thankfully, we were able to find the hidden blessing in the situation. For the past few months Anthony & I had been talking about how we really wanted to invest more time in our business & eventually get to the point where he would no longer have to work & we could both focus on Georgetown Fanatics full time. We didn't think we were quite ready but God decided to give us just the push we needed. It's been a little scary along the way, especially at first, but we're just trying to make it through one week at a time right now. So far we have stayed consistently busy, which is really nice. Last night (or should I say this morning... at 6am) we actually just finished a job of 150 shirts that were only ordered on Thursday & due by noon today. With Anthony gone all weekend at his state softball tournament we didn't get a start on it until Sunday afternoon. Talk about a time crunch! Times like this really bring me back to my college days of all-nighters spent up at the architecture building.

I'm not going to lie, trying to balance everything & keep the house organized at the same time has been quite the challenge for me so far, but hopefully I'll get a handle on it soon. This is what our dining room table looks like when it's taken over with the business. Hopefully we'll be able to get it under control soon or we might end up on an episode of Clean House!

Our sweet little man is growing up so quickly. I can't believe he is already a month old. He brings so much joy to our family. It's amazing how easy going he is. He pretty much eats or sleeps all day & the times that he is awake, he is just as mellow as can be. Definitely our little gentleman!

smiles like this just make me melt...

The girls are absolutely in love with their little brother. They both call him "my baby" now, a nickname Isabella started when he was in my tummy. We haven't seen any jealousy just yet, as I thought might happen with Mackenzie. I think it's because the girls are so close with each other. Mackenzie has just grown up so much in the last few months & loves her time with her best friend, Bella. They spend endless hours every day playing with each other & love to take random breaks throughout the day to go check-in on "their baby." Having Anthony home during the days has been so nice. It has felt like a continuous vacation or long weekend, just with a lot of working on the side & late at night. The girls really love having daddy here all day & I'm definitely not complaining either.;)

This isn't the best picture because of the background, but can you tell what he did to his hair? Yep, it's in a mohawk. At his tournament this weekend, both Anthony & his cousin decided to get this new do. Silly boys!

It's fair to say we've been extremely busy lately. I really will try my very best to keep the blog updated as much as possible. Although, it's taken me over 5 hours for this one post because of all the breaks I've had to take since I started it. :)

Introducing our precious baby

2009-06-12T11:31:00.001-07:00

BOY!!!!!!!!!!!

Anthony III

Born on June 5, 2009 @ 9:20 a.m.

9lbs. 2oz.
20 inches

We headed to the hospital Friday morning (4 days past due) for our scheduled induction. Here I am right before I changed into my hospital gown as big as can be at 40-1/2 weeks.

After getting all set & hooked up to my IV, the nurse started my pitocin drip at 5:50a.m. I was already 3 cm dilated & 70% effaced, so we were off to a good start. An hour later at 6:50 my doctor came in to break my water. Another hour went by & I was already 6cm & 90% effaced. 9:05... 10 cm! By 9:10 I started pushing & 10 minutes later we were welcoming our sweet baby boy into the world. It wasn't quite as easy as it sounds.
Our little one was such a big boy that this was definitely the most intense pushing I have had to endure of all my deliveries. My doctor kept saying the baby wasn't happy & I really needed to hurry to get him out. His heart rate was dropping which was really scaring me but caused my adrenalin to get going at the same time. Once his huge head came out, Dr. Irvin told me the cord was wrapped around his neck so I had to get him out with the next push. I immediately started crying & pushing at the same time. I had to get him out NOW! His shoulders ended up getting stuck so Dr. Irvin had to help twist a little to get him out. His cry was the absolute sweetest sound I have ever heard. Thank God for a happy & health baby! She held him up & the cord was right between his legs. It was the screams from mine & Anthony's moms that first gave it away that we had a baby boy. How exciting!
Everyone kept saying how big he was & as soon as they took him to the scale I knew why.... 9pounds 2ounces!!!!! I can't believe I was able to push out a baby that big. Dr. Irvin said absolutely no more going past my due date for any other babies. In fact she said she'll most likely induce me at 39 weeks next time.

So we had been trying to think of names to call our little man other than "Anthony the 3rd," which is quite the mouthful. "Little Anthony" didn't really fit because, well, he's just not that little. We had thought about Trey for a long time as well, but we have a really good buddy named Trey & that's who we automatically think of when we say that name. So, we finally decided on Tripp. It's short & sweet & fits his personality well. He does get called Baby Anthony quite a bit as well. I tend to call him Anthony when I'm talking to him & Tripp when I'm talking about him to someone else. Isabella still calls him "my baby" as she did the entire time I was pregnant. She keeps telling me how happy she is that "her baby" is finally here. Mackenzie just calls him "baby." I'm sure over time he'll gain a few more names & become the boy with many names, as most people in the Guajardo family have multiple nicknames.

Tripp & Daddy

Relaxing on his first day at home.

We got home from the hospital on Sunday afternoon & spent the rest of the short day we had left relaxing from our long weekend away from home. Monday we were planning on spending our first day together at home as a family of 5. Little did we know that there were other plans waiting for us. About 8:30 in the morning Tripp threw up a rather large puddle of blood. We immediately called the doctor to set up an appointment to take him in. His Dr. ended up calling us back a few minutes later & told us we needed to go ahead & take him into Dell Children's Hospital for testing. So, my dad came to the rescue to watch the girls & Anthony, Mom, Tripp & I were off to the hospital in Austin. The staff there is completely amazing. We were treated so wonderfully while we were there & everything seemed to go by so fast. Tripp started off with x-rays of his tummy. Then, they pumped his stomach & took a stool sample. They also had me pump some milk to make sure the problem didn't lie elsewhere. During this whole process the ER doctor asked me not to nurse him until we could figure out the problem. After all the tests had been done & most had come back normal the Dr. told me that I could go ahead & start feeding him. (Poor thing had gone most of the morning without eating.) She was waiting for the results of one last test to come back & she really wanted to postpone admitting him to a room for as long as possible so that he wouldn't be exposed to any other germs in the hospital. As soon as I started nursing him, we figured out the problem. I was dripping blood from my breast & that is the majority of what he was getting rather than my milk. Poor baby! This is what the Dr. had thought originally except that when I pumped milk there was no blood at all. It was only when he nursed because of the bad grip he was getting. Thankfully, Tripp ended up being just fine. I had to give my body a break for a couple of days & strictly pump in order to feed him. I am completely healed now & we are both feeling much better. Sorry for the late post, the first week at home was a little different than we expected.

Our little buddy resting with Daddy @ Dell Children's

Happy to be home at last! You can see the little drop of milk coming from his mouth. He must have a happy tummy.;)

Look at our big boy!

Change of Plans

2009-06-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

So, I know this is super late but today has been a crazy busy day. We have had a change of plans & I am going in at 5am to be induced on Friday rather than Monday. I realize most of you probably won't be reading this until after the baby arrives but we'll be sure to let you know of our wonderful new arrival as soon as possible. I think I am too busy at the moment to even be nervous. I am really excited, although I still don't think the reality has hit me yet. Please say a prayer for us if you can that things will go smoothly. We cannot wait to introduce our newest little miracle to the world!!!! Love & Hugs to all! Alice, Anthony, Isabella & Mackenzie....

the much anticipated 40 WEEK!!!!!!!! update

2009-06-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

Still no baby yet! I guess this little one is deciding to follow after big sister, Mackenzie, & hang around a bit longer than expected. How is it that the more kids I have the longer I stay pregnant each time? I thought they were supposed to come sooner every time. Oh well! I think in my case they don't come sooner, just faster.
I asked for this baby to be patient for me to make it to at least my due date & now I suppose it's the baby's turn to ask for my patience. I had my appointment today & am still only 2cm. There hasn't been any change from last week. My doctor doesn't want me to go past 41 weeks though, so we have set an induction date for next Monday, the 8th at 5am. That is of course, if the baby doesn't decide to come before then. I love my doctor & she is great enough to follow my wishes of trying to go into labor on my own, but there does come a point where one does need to see an end in sight. I think I'm there.
I also asked Dr. Irvin today what she thought of the baby's weight at this point since that seems to be a question I get asked quite a bit lately. She really doesn't think the baby will be too much bigger than either of the girls. Isabella was 7lbs.8oz & Mackenzie was 8lbs. even. So, I think we'll stay pretty close to that. Only time will tell.
It is very exciting to know that we will definitely have a new little bundle by this time next week, if not sooner. I am looking forward to seeing the girls' reaction to their new sibling. It's amazing how much they already love the baby without even meeting him/her yet. I think Isabella may be more anxious than any of us. (By the way, she changed her vote today to a girl.... for the entire 9 months I've been pregnant she has said we're having a boy to anyone that has asked her... or me, for that matter & then all of a sudden when Dr. Irvin asked her today, she said "girl." Anthony & I both looked at each other shocked. I'll have to check with her tomorrow to see if she switched back or not. )
We'll be sure to post a new update on Monday unless anything happens before then. Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers! Love & Hugs to all!

Mid-Week Update

2009-05-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

So, I had my appointment today at 39 weeks & 2 days. I have only increased to 2 cm & 60% effaced. At this point I'm thinking our baby is being very cooperative & going to let me make it to both graduations this weekend before showing up.:) Dr. Irvin also informed me that she is not on call this weekend, so I'd really like to try to hang in there until at least Monday (my due date) before the baby arrives. If I don't have the baby before Monday, then Dr. Irvin wants to set an "end date" so I'm not still hanging on past 41 weeks.
At this point I am completely 50/50 as to my thoughts on the sex of the baby. I have no gut feeling either way as to whether or not we're having a boy or a girl. I am always wrong anyway, so what's the point in guessing now. My guess for the date is June 3rd & I have a feeling this baby will be bigger than both the girls... around 8-1/2 lbs. Anthony's guess was for today (missed that one) & he's thinking GIRL, 7lbs. 3oz. Isabella has said BOY from the very beginning. She just told me that she thinks the baby is going to be here in 5 days... that would be Monday, my due date.
Any guesses? I'd love to know what everyone is thinking at this point. I'm going to go ahead & add a picture, because I know every one's curious. I am absolutely HUGE at this point & don't really think it's possible for my belly to stretch anymore than it already has. Sorry for my sleepy eyes... guess the exhaustion is starting to show.

39 Week Baby News

2009-05-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today marks one short week until baby is due. If this baby is like Isabella, I won't make it through the week. If this baby follows after Mackenzie, we'll be pushing into much later next week. Either way, I'm getting really close. I had to give an update today since my due date is only a week away. However, since today is Memorial Day I didn't have an appointment. Last Monday at my appointment I was still just 1cm dilated. My visit this week is scheduled for Wednesday, so by then we'll be able to see how much progress I've made. I have actually been having contractions off & on throughout the weekend, but nothing major enough to make us rush to the hospital just yet. I would love to be able to wait until the end of the weekend because Anthony's brother & my niece are both graduating this weekend. I know everything is in God's hands, so we'll be happy regardless. We would love every one's prayers for a healthy delivery & baby. Thanks so much for all of the thoughts & prayers along our journey.
***Just a little side note... Kristi, I'm so sorry I had to miss your shower this weekend. I knew if I didn't go nothing would end up happening, but at the same time I couldn't get the thought out of my head of having this baby on the side of 35 in the back of my car. Sure would have made for a good news story though. I missed all my girls this weekend & hope it is not too long before I get to see you all again. Love you all to pieces!!!!!! xoxoxoxo

Mother's Day & Baby News

2009-05-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say a belated, but very "Happy Mother's Day" to all the moms & mommies-to-be out there. It is such a wonderful day dedicated to making the moms in our lives feel special. Anthony & I made our moms really cute coffee mugs for their special day. On Janie's mug we put pictures of all the grandkids inside hearts & the top said "Grandma's Loves," which is what she calls all of them. We took this picture with my mom after church to put on her mug with the saying, "Peace, Love & Nana." (I don't think we could have fit all 17 of mom's grandkids on one mug.) They both turned out really cute. Plus it was a great chance to get a good pic with my mom & the girls. After church, I pretty much got to relax the rest of the day which was nice after our long walk on Saturday. Anthony wanted to send me out shopping for a day by myself, but staying home to relax was really what I needed more than anything.

I know every one's anxious for the baby news. I had my 37 week appointment on Monday. WOW! It is really hard to believe our next baby is only 3 weeks away... CRAZY! The appointment went great. Dr Irvin was on vacation this week so her nurse Kimberly checked me. She could feel the babies head right away. I am just 1 cm dilated & 40% effaced. To me, this doesn't mean much. I was at 1 cm for 2-3 weeks with both the girls so it looks as if things are moving along right on schedule. Although, I can definitely tell the baby has dropped. I told Anthony that I have been feeling like a duck lately having to waddle around everywhere. I'm feeling pretty silly. I wanted to add this picture in it's full version because it shows off my basketball belly much more.... & NO, I am NOT having twins!!!!!!

We Did It!!!

2009-05-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

"Team Mary Alice" in front of the capitol

Today was a very successful day. We participated in the March of Dimes, March for Babies. It was a 3.2 mile walk around downtown Austin. Luckily, it didn't send me into labor. We'll see on Monday at my appointment if it did have any effect on my progression though. We were accompanied by many family members which made the day so much more enjoyable. It was rather humid out, but the clouds helped protect us from the extreme heat of the sun. Everyone had a blast & we are all already talking about the walk for next year.

Thanks so much for everyone who helped out along the way. I am very proud of the outcome we achieved. Even more so, we had a great time doing it.

Luke & Adam

Amy & Cian

Aodhan just hanging out

Claire passed out by the end of the walk

Anthony & I made shirts for our team members for the walk. We were really pleased with how they turned out. We all had "TEAM MARY ALICE" on the front & the backs said, "in memory of our very own guardian angel" with angel wings & Mary Alice's birthday below. Mine & Anthony's were a little different. We added a heart over our right shoulders saying, "I love my angel daughter" and Isabella & Mackenzie both had a heart on theirs saying, "I love my angel sister."

You won't see pictures like this much longer. This family of four will very soon be a Party of 5!!!

Last cry for help!

2009-05-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I am getting really excited. Our walk for the March of Dimes, March for Babies is tomorrow morning. Anthony & I are planning on finishing up our shirts for our team tonight. Less than 24 hours away and I am a mere $5 away from reaching my goal. I know several of you said that you would like to help out if you can. No better time than now. It's really easy. Just click on the link on the right side of my page & you can donate online if you'd like.
Also, anyone that's in the area & would like to join us for the walk, feel free. It starts at 9:30 at Auditorium Shores & the walk is a little over 3 miles. (Let's hope this doesn't send me in to labor!) There will be tons of activities for the kids to participate in afterwards as well, so feel free to bring the whole family. Be sure to give us a call if you decide to come out so that we can look for you.
Thanks so much to everyone for your support. This is something that I am extremely proud to be a part of & will continue to look forward to every year. We will forever remember our sweet angel & are overjoyed to be walking in her honor. We love you, Mary Alice!
Love & Hugs to all!!!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter this year with all the kiddos. This day was really all about them. The morning started off pretty stormy on our way to church, but by the time mass had ended the weather could not have been more beautiful!

The Easter Bunny paid us a visit while we were away at church. He was extra nice this year!

the girls checking out their treasures

Once the rest of the family came over & the weather cleared up, it was pretty much outside time the rest of the day. First off, the cascarones (confetti eggs.) SO MUCH FUN!

Kenzie & Bella teaming up on Jamal

Show us your baskets. Time for the hunt!

After a long day of fun the kids decided it was time for a little R&R!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2009-04-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a quick minute to thank everyone for helping me raise money for the March of Dimes, March for Babies walk I am participating in on May 9th. It is exactly one month from today & I am only a mere $5 away from reaching my $500 goal. I never really even expected that I would reach this goal, but it was more of a dream. It would not have been possible without all of your help. Thanks so much.
We are so excited to participate in the walk. Anthony & I are coming up with a t-shirt design for everyone who will be walking with us. I already have the girls' shirts ready & they're super cute. Anyone that is interested in walking with us, be sure to let us know. The walk is May 9th in Austin. Obviously our family follows the saying, "the more, the merrier!" So, everyone is welcome.
Anthony hadn't even had the chance to make his own page for the walk yet & I am already so close to reaching my goal that I am directing everyone to his personal page now. His is http://www.marchforbabies.org/maryalicemarch
So, if you were planning on donating still & haven't had the chance you can always donate there so we can help Anthony reach his goal.
Thanks again everyone! You are really making a difference in so many lives. This is helping all the babies-to-be that otherwise may have never had a chance to survive.
Love & Hugs to all!!!!

Isabella's Farm Party

2009-03-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated Isabella's 3rd birthday with a little farm party. Whenever Anthony's mom had asked her, about a month ago, what she would like for her birthday this year, her response was... a donkey, a horse, a cow & a pig. Knowing we weren't planning on making a move to a ranch anytime in the near future, we decided to bring the animals to us. It was a really big hit with all the kids. There was a little pony for the kids to ride around on & also a petting zoo complete with a baby calf, goats, bunny rabbits, and a few baby chicks. They all really seemed to enjoy it. Isabella has already asked when her animal friends will be coming back.

She really loved the baby chicks

& Mackenzie loved the pony!

The sweet baby calf enjoying a nap.

The goat kids helping us with our yard work.

The animals were a big success & all the kids seemed to be sad when it was time for them to leave, but once they did it allowed us to get to the "usual" party events...

Blowing out the candles on her barn cake,

& lost in the sea of presents!

Thanks to all our friends & family who were able to make it. Isabella had a wonderful birthday this year & we are all so appreciative of everything you all do for us.

We love you Isabella... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!!!

Please join me in supporting March of Dimes March for Babies‏

2009-03-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

Dear family & friends,
This September will mark 5 years since we lost our sweet angel, Mary Alice, to my premature delivery. It is hard to believe that it has been that long, when it feels like just yesterday that Anthony & I received the news that our precious baby would not survive my delivery. Nothing in our lives has compared to the tragedy that we went through at that time. As with most trying times do, this only brought us closer together & closer to Christ. Since then, we have been blessed with two beautiful daughters & are expecting our next baby at the beginning of June. God is good!
We are always looking for ways to be able to help other mothers & families in any way that we can. If there is anything that we can do to prevent at least one other family from going through what we had to, we're more than willing to help. This is the least we can do. I am very excited to be a part of March for Babies. We are participating in the walk to honor our baby angel, Mary Alice. I am posting this blog to ask for your help. Please support my participation by making a donation or even joining my team.My personal web page address is...
http://www.marchforbabies.org/marchformaryalice
The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Thank you all so very much for just taking the time to look over our page. It means the world to us. We know our sweet angel is looking down with joy on what we are doing to try to help others. God Bless You all!
Love & Hugs,
Alice, Anthony, Isabella & Mackenzie

Sleepless in Seattle

2009-02-25T06:38:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to say that we have finally made the final steps in getting our new business up & running. Some of you know that we have been chasing this dream for quite some time. The business story will have to be an entirely different post all together. Making a long story short, Georgetown Fanatics is our newest baby. We will be doing screen printing for athletic wear, everyday t's, holiday apparel, the list goes on...
Back to the post at hand, we made a trip to Seattle last week for the training for our new machinery. The girls started the trip off sick, which didn't make for very pleasant plane rides. Other than that part, it was a wonderful trip.

Bella on her first plane ride ever...

Kenzie knocked out from her meds... poor baby! However, this was much better than the screaming fit that preceded the nap...:(

Apparently, we were told we brought the Texas sun with us because it did not rain a single drop the entire week we were there, Monday thru Saturday. Seattle is a beautiful city with the water, gigantic evergreens & gorgeous mountains. If we wouldn't get so homesick we would definitely consider a move there. The scenery is simply amazing.

This was the view from in between 2 streets of the little neighborhood where we stayed in Kirkland, WA. Can you imagine this in your backyard!?! BEAUTIFUL!!!
We took Aunt Rosie with us for the trip so that we could have the girls tag along for the journey. Anthony & I had training all day Tuesday thru Thursday which left us with Friday wide open for all the touristy stuff. We started the day off with a "ride the ducks" tour. It was so much fun for the kids. The driver was super goofy & we got to see an entire overview of Seattle in 90 minutes by land & sea. Pretty cool!

Daddy & Kenzie on the truck/boat

Mommy & Bella
Space Needle in daylight

Duckie Lips

view from our boat ride of the "Sleepless in Seattle" house... sorry, I can't point out exactly which one it was
Mt. Rainier

Pike's Market

After the ducks, we headed to Pike's Place Market. My one big request for the trip. Too bad we're not huge fans of seafood, because they had the most amazing looking fish on display you could ever imagine. My favorite... the, what seemed like, mile long highway of fresh fruits & vegetables.... mmmmm! Pike's is also the proud owner of the very first Starbucks ever!
So, you may be wondering where the "sleepless" part comes into play. With all the excitement from our training class & getting our new business going I think Anthony & I totalled, maybe 3 hours on average of sleep each night. We kept having all sorts of dreams/thoughts of what we will get to do. Honestly, ever since we've been home the dreams haven't stopped. Some of our best ideas have been coming to us in the wee hours of the night. We are really excited to share with everyone our new journey. In the meantime, while we're getting things really going, you can check out our website: http://www.georgetownfanatics.com/

It is just a parked page for now but will hopefully be up & running really soon. We'll be sure to post again once things really start to take off.

Another little man in the Flan Fam

2009-02-09T04:26:00.000-08:00

After much anticipation all week long, we were all very proud to welcome our newest little nephew into the world yesterday, Aodhan Patrick Flanagan. Amy had already been in the hospital two times earlier in the week expecting the arrival of their newest cutie, was actually due yesterday, but scheduled for a c-section this morning, Monday. I guess Aodhan (Irish spelling for Aiden) knew the day he was supposed to arrive & was determined to stick to it. Amy went to the hospital pretty early Sunday morning. Starting off with great progression and then after several hours at 5cm, she didn't move on from there; same as with Cian. So, the doctor decided it was time for a c-section. We're so proud of you Amy & know you worked so hard. I'm happy to say baby & mommy are doing wonderfully.

Only some of the kiddos waiting for their newest cousin

It's a BOY!!!

The proud new parents yet again... he's so handsome!

Cian checking out his little bro

Jamie & Aodhan, once again this little man has his daddy's genes

Sister Story Time

2009-02-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

The other morning I was working on the computer & noticed the girls being extra quiet in the play room. Uh-oh, this can only mean one thing... they're up to something. So, I go to check out the situation. They were both quietly sitting on their window seat reading books together. SO CUTE!!!
So, I ran to grab the camera as soon as I could before they decided to do something else. Of course they realized what I was up to once they heard the first click of the camera & quickly "cheesed it" for my next picture. Silly girls!

Thank You, Mackenzie

2009-02-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

The other night after dinner I was sweeping up the kitchen floor while Mackenzie was happily emptying the tupperware cabinet. This is something I really don't mind letting her do because it can keep her occupied for quite a while & she really enjoys it. Although, I knew something else was going on once I heard her saying, "Thank you... thank you... thank you!"

I turn around & this is what I see...

She had made her way over to Ruby's food cupboard, taken out her doggie biscuits, and was feeding them to her one by one saying "thank you" every time she handed Ruby a treat. Ruby was loving every minute of it. She had to have had at least 15-20 treats in a row. Needless to say, Ruby didn't eat much dinner that night.

Our 2 year old sweetheart...RUBY

2009-01-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

On a much lighter note, we celebrated Ruby's 2nd birthday last weekend. It sure does seem like she's been around for much longer than that. I had fun making a bone cake for her. As you can see in the pictures she got a hold of the bottom of it before we even had a chance to sing "Happy Birthday." Of course the girls appreciate any reason to get to enjoy cake or any sweets for that matter. I did let Ruby have one cupcake, without icing. Although, she ate the whole thing in one bite I wasn't fast enough to get a picture. Happy Birthday Ruby Girl!

Prayers for Jaouad

2009-01-28T06:10:00.000-08:00

Last week was another challenging week for our family. My brother-in-law, Jaouad, was rudely greeted by severe chest pains Wednesday evening while hanging out with his buddies after work. Gratefully, one of his friends avoided listening to him say he would just go home to sleep it off & called 911 to rush him to the hospital. Cassie went to the rescue to go watch the kids & Rose drove Tina to the hospital. Thankfully, Rose was there at the hospital with Tina when she got the awful news that Jaouad had actually had a heart attach!!! The surgery that was supposed to last 15-20 minutes ended up taking over an hour. Jaouad spent the entire next day in ICU trying to recover & get his blood pressure back up. Many prayers from our family helped move the process along to get him home. He is now home with his amazing wife, my sister, Tina who is not only taking care of Jaouad but also doing her usual job of caring for their 3 kids. If you wouldn't mind keeping their family in your prayers it would be greatly appreciated. Mainly for the obvious, Jaouad's health. But a close second; financially this is going to be very difficult with the hospital bills, medication, & the fact that Jaouad will have to stay home to recover for quite a while they will have no income between the two of them for their family of 5. We are so blessed that once again God has answered the prayers of our family and brought Jaouad safely home.

The boys stayed the night on Thursday while Tina was still at the hospital. On Friday we started the morning off with some story time & when that wore off all the kids made a sweet card for Jaouad to take to him on their visit to the hospital.

***A little side note: This was the first time Isabella has written her entire name by herself. (A very proud moment for a mommy.) Of course the "b" is a little off... looks more like an "o" & "l", but for the most part I think she did pretty good. Jaouad, you should feel special. She did it for you.:)

20 weeks & kickin'

2009-01-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

I had my 20 week appointment last week. Things are moving along rather quickly this time around & growing even faster than you could imagine. I don't know if it was all the yummy food from the Christmas holidays or the fact that I had been sick for almost a week straight when I had my last appointment & was losing weight, but I gained 12 pounds this past month! Crazy, I know!!! So far at 20 weeks I am just starting to feel a little bit of kicking around. This is my favorite part of pregnancy. Everything starts to feel so much more real & the thought of having another sweet little miracle begins to really set in.

We got to have another sonogram to see our little one moving around, busy as ever. He/she will fit in just great with Isabella & Mackenzie. Looks like we have another little monkey on our hands. While watching the sonogram Anthony & I both stated how this baby looks a lot like Mackenzie. (Well, from what you can tell with the ultrasound pictures anyway.) Once we got home I pulled out Mackenzie's sono pictures. Looks like the same baby!

our newest little miracle at 20 weeks

Mackenzie at 20 weeks

This is my favorite picture of our little miracle so far. Ellison, our amazing ultrasound tech, was very excited because he said this was a first for him as far as the picture goes. The face, both hands, & both legs all curled up in one picture. A true little bundle.

How sweet!

Merry (very belated) Christmas!

2009-01-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

I know we are extremely behind on our blog these days. What can I say, so far 2009 has been a pretty busy year. We had a wonderful Christmas filled with lots of family, but as usual, not everyone was here this year. My one BIG wish for Christmas next year is that our entire family can be together. How awesome would that be!?! I wasn't very on top of things with the camera either. So, the majority of our pictures are from Christmas day here at our house. We had a fairly little Christmas at home this year which consisted mainly of stocking presents. With the girls' reactions you never would have known the difference. They loved every minute of it. We hope everyone had wonderful Christmases & more than anything that you have all had a great start to 2009! I have to say, so far it's looking to be a pretty good year. Our family is so extremely blessed! Love & Hugs to all!!!

the girls enjoying their stockings

Even Ruby's stocking was filled with goodies.

Mackenzie & Tyrone

Isabella's favorite gift from Cousin Fabian.... a bike!

God's Plan

2008-12-16T11:15:00.000-08:00

This past week has been one chaotic whirlwind. It all started with the dreadful phone call I received Wednesday afternoon at 4:30. I knew for quite sometime that our company had been in trouble, but never really thought it would come down to this. Especially not at this time. Only a few weeks before Christmas. Right when I was expecting a call to come pick up my Christmas bonus, the complete opposite happens...I get a call telling me that I am being laid off. Now my 2 weeks of vacation time that I have worked so hard for all year long & saved up to enjoy time with my family during the holidays has been stripped away from me & will be spent searching for a job. Obviously, I was devastated at the news. As always, I tried to keep my spirits up as I am an extremely firm believer in God's plan for all of us. I know things can get really difficult in life at times, as I am sure they will be for us over the next several months, however; I know God has something bigger & better waiting ahead. We have been through much harder times emotionally, more than most people can imagine, with the loss of our first daughter. At the same time, we have never had a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. This time around may be the hardest financially for us. Only time will tell. All we can do is put our faith in God & his plan for our family.
I would like to share with you the reading, of which I am pleased to say, I was the lector for this Sunday at church. I could not have imagined a more perfect reading at a more perfect time.
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil.
May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
While reading this letter in front of my entire church, I tried my hardest to fight the lump in my throat & hold back the tears I knew were about to come. As always, God pulled me through. This was the third Sunday in Advent, also know as Gaudete Sunday, which means "rejoice" in Latin. This Sunday we were given a chance to rejoice in the Lord and look forward to all the ways He will make justice and praise arise in the future, as were apparent in the lessons of the Gospel. As hard as life seems to be at times, it is in these times that I am so grateful for my faith in God & all He has given me. All I can do know is look forward to what lies in the future.

It may be a tough journey, but it is one we are not willing to take without God as our leader.

Christmas Weekend...Girl Style

2008-12-09T10:28:00.001-08:00

Anthony was out of town this past weekend for his annual flag football tournament. So, that left me at home with the girls all by myself. Isabella wasn't very excited at the thought of Daddy being gone for 3 days straight so, I had to put my creativity to work & think up some extra fun activities to keep us busy.
Friday night, after I put Kenzie to bed, Isabella & I stayed up watching Alvin & the Chipmunks & making the girls Gingerbread t-shirts. We had a lot of fun & I think they turned out pretty cute. Saturday we spent the day at the Christmas Stroll in downtown Georgetown. I look forward to going to this every year because my brother, sister & I were always in the parade as kids & it brings back so many memories.

Tori, Isaiah, Isabella & Mackenzie in front of the BIG tree on the square

We couldn't get Mackenzie to stay still to take a picture with Isabella, but they both did good on their own...silly girl.

We started off the day watching the parade & then went to stand in line to see Santa. This is actually the first year I have even taken Isabella to get pictures with Santa, so they got to enjoy their first experience together. Mackenzie was okay once we got her distracted with a Christmas ornament.
But, once she realized who was holding her, she wanted down immediately.
Cassie took Claire in afterwards & told her they were going to see Papa. Why didn't I think of that!?! She did so good!
Isabella's favorite part was of course the jumpy. They had an entire area full of activities for the kids which was completely free. Very cool!
One of my favorite parts was the little town of Bethlehem. They had a really sweet little skit with the story of Jesus' birth. All the kids squatted down to watch right in the front. After all, Jesus is the reason for the season!
After the stroll, we went to the store to pick out a Gingerbread House for the girls to decorate. We ended up saving that for Sunday since we were all worn out after our day full of walking around. The best part was getting all prepared for it & seeing how excited both of the girls were.

Ready to begin

Oops...we almost forgot to wash our hands. Isabella being the big helper, as usual.

Beating the gingerbread kit like a drum...very excited!

Isabella working on her masterpiece

Proud of the finished product

So, that ended the festivities of our Christmas weekend. Although, I have to say, their favorite part was seeing Daddy walk in the door after a long weekend away.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-12-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

from the Kemper kids!!!This is the first time we've all been together since Mary Beth was here for Todd's wedding last September!!! I think that may also be the longest we've ever been apart.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with lots of yummy food & wonderful time with family as we did.

We've gotten a little behind on our posts again because our computer was infected with a virus.... 41 actually, to be exact. Luckily, my computer genius brother-in-law came to the rescue (Thanks Mark!) So we are back to the blog world once again.

Baby Randomness...

2008-11-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

So, this is my attempt at a response to being tagged by Emily & Kristi. I know it's rather late but what a better time to share a little information about our newest little miracle on the way. I know I didn't share much in the last post, but we just wanted to get the wonderful news out to everyone. So, here goes...

1.) My due date is June 1st... Anthony's sister's birthday, also the day after my dad's birthday. Once again this baby is coming right during a cluster of family birthdays. (But, I suppose that's pretty much impossible to avoid at this point.)
2.) This will be my parent's 18th grandchild & #8 for Anthony's parents (if you count our first baby angel...which my parent's always do.)
3.) I am 12 weeks as of today, Monday & I am already starting to show quite a bit. This time around is much different.

4.) Mackenzie & the new baby will be 20 months apart (the same age difference between myself & my sister, Amy); Isabella & Mackenzie are almost 19 months apart (the same age difference between Amy & my brother, Adam)
5.) If we're following any sort of pattern (in reverse order), my theory is that this baby must be a boy. Although, Anthony still thinks we're bound to have 5 or 6 girls before we get a boy. So far he has been right all 3 times...& I have been wrong every time. Isabella's guess is for a baby brother. Mackenzie just stares at me with a smile when I try to get an answer from her. Any guesses?
6.) Once again, we are not finding out the sex of our baby. It will be just as much a surprise to us as everyone else. Only 28 more weeks of waiting.;)

These are our 6 random baby facts. Instead of tagging 6 more people I am putting out a little challenge. I challenge all of my blog readers, family & friends, to start your own blog if you don't have one already. It really is so much fun & a great way to keep everyone updated in our lives. Especially with the holidays coming up, everyone is bound to have tons of great pictures to share. We love you all & hope everyone is doing well.

Halloween '08

2008-11-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

Since Halloween was on Friday this year, of course that meant Friday night football. This has been what our Fridays have been consumed with since the beginning of September. It has been so much fun spending our Friday nights cheering on Paul Michael along with the rest of the Georgetown Eagles. It really brings us back to our high school days. Only this time around I actually get to cheer along side Anthony & the 2 biggest Georgetown Eagle fans I know, Isabella & Mackenzie. So, on Halloween night we decided to dress the girls up as "Eagle Princesses" rather than having them wear their typical Friday night t-shirts... & they just loved it!
The Eagles have had an excellent season. They won their last game of the season last week 24-0 & clinched a spot in the playoffs. How fitting is it that their first playoff game tomorrow is back in my 2nd hometown of College Station! So, off we are to Aggieland tomorrow morning to watch the Eagles in their first playoff game in 9 years!!! Gig 'Em Eagles!

Since we spent Halloween night at the football fields, we had our 3rd annual Halloween Party a day late on Saturday night. Anthony & I spent so much time preparing our costumes all week long. We barely finished them up just in time for the party. Introducing the Guajardo Backyardigans...

Uniqua, Tasha, Austin & Tyrone

the real crew...sadly, we left out our favorite, Pablo

the little bat family; Jamal, Nadia & Amar

Angel Amy with the "little devil" Cian

Punkin Claire with her "baby", Cassie

the two little princesses, Ava & Tori

Birthday Surprise!

2008-11-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful birthday this year. I woke up early on Saturday to go out all by myself to get a much needed haircut. It's the first actual style I have had to my hair besides just long & straight since high school pretty much. I got a really yummy fruit bouquet from Anthony's family complete with chocolate covered strawberries & all...mmmm. Later in the day Anthony & I got to go see a movie while my parents took the girls to a Fall Festival for Mom's school. Then on Sunday, we had my family over for brunch after church. It was a great weekend. But, nothing could top this last present...

SURPRISE!!!

Happy Birthday Kenzie Girl

2008-10-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe our little Kenzie Girl is already a year old....& what a little cutie she is. (Yes, her birthday was on the 2nd & I'm just getting around to posting pictures...sorry!) We love you so much Mackenzie & look forward to seeing what the next year holds. You are such a precious little angel. Love you to pieces!!!!! Mommy, Daddy & Bella Girl

I had a lot of fun making Mackenzie's birthday outfit...about as much fun as she had taking pictures in it. Anthony says I should start selling these...what do ya think?!? :) hehehe

Kenzie's Carnival

2008-10-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

For Mackenzie's birthday party we threw a little carnival in our own backyard. We set up tents for everyone to sit under, had the guest house set up as our concession stand/ticket booth, & had tons of candy & games for all the kids. It really was a lot of fun. A bit chaotic at the beginning, but it all turned out great.

Kenz & Mommy

Vanessa even dressed up as a clown & painted the kids faces....which they all loved!

Cake & Presents ;)

Isabella helping Kenzie with her cake

Silly Girl

She was very excited about her Gloworm....& truthfully, I was too!

All the kiddos playing musical chairs

By the way, I know you're all probably wondering what is going on with my lovely outfit. I was supposed to be a clown, but since I never had enough time to paint my face & Anthony never had enough time to put his clown outfit on, I just ended up looking like a crazy lady. I don't normally dress this way...honestly!

Bourbon Street, Bush & Babies...

2008-10-09T10:12:00.001-07:00

The last weekend of September we took a road trip to New Orleans to go watch the Saints & 49ers play football. This had been a much anticipated trip for quite some time. We got our tickets back in June, but Anthony & I had actually been talking about going to an NFL game ever since we got married. Now that our 2 favorite teams were going head to head in New Orleans, we had found the perfect opportunity for a vacation.

We started off our trip with a stop at the Brewer's house. We were all so excited to finally get to meet baby Kayelyn. She is truly a little angel from heaven. What a doll! I only wish we could have spent more time with them when all the girls were awake.

Friday morning we headed on our way to New Orleans. We got there pretty late in the afternoon, so we just did a little walking around our hotel before grabbing dinner & calling it a night. We got a lot of looks from other people walking around. It mush have been from the massive double stroller we got for the girls.

Saturday was a really great day. We spent most of our time walking around the French Quarter & Bourbon Street. It definitely lived up to our expectations. Even during broad daylight it was just like one big block party. The architecture reminded me so much of my trip to Paris which I really enjoyed. Once back at the hotel we ordered in a New Orleans feast consisting of red beans & rice, jambalaya, & shrimp gumbo. It was a first for all of us & I have to say we all really enjoyed it.

Sunday was, of course, the best day of all. We headed to the football game after finishing up the final touches to our poster. We were trying to get ourselves on T.V. It didn't work though because the camera man was directly in front of us filming the 49ers side the whole time...bummer! We really didn't mind though because we had such a great time. We had amazing seats on the 3rd row, 50 yard line. As soon as we walked into the stadium we got to see all of the players practicing. Reggie Bush was right in front of us....very cool! The game was so exciting. All four of us really enjoyed it. (I have a feeling we might have a couple of future cheerleaders on our hands!) I think I enjoyed it the most since the Saints actually won. Although, I don't think Anthony was too disappointed. The whole thing was just very surreal & we all thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

We stayed with the Brewers again on Sunday night, but got there pretty late after the girls had already gone to bed. Before heading home on Monday, we stopped to visit Karen & Joshua. What a cutie pie! Both the girls were absolutely in love with him. Isabella has actually named one of her baby dolls Joshua since we've been home & even asked for a little brother.
All in all, it was a wonderful vacation. We look forward to the time (if ever) that we get to do it again.

Backyardigans at Sea World

2008-09-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Anthony & I had been wanting to take the girls to Sea World all summer. So, when we found out the Backyardigans were going to be there one weekend we decided to jump at the opportunity. We couldn't beat it.... two great deals for the price of one. All week we had been telling Isabella that we were going to Sea World to watch the Backyardigans. So, as soon as we got there, that's what she did. Sat on the bench & watched the Backyardigans....sign. Funny!

Dolphins!

It was so cute watching the excitement on the kids' faces when they got to see their favorite characters in person. Isabella, Isaiah, & even Mackenzie were so excited!

As soon as Isabella saw them walking in she shouted out above everyone, "Pablo, come here... I want to hold you!" I don't think she realized this Pablo was about 5 times her size.

Tyrone

Uniqua

Pablo

My personal favorite of the whole day was getting to see Shamu. The show was truly amazing. To watch the trainers with all the whales is a remarkable sight to see. I just loved it!

3 Angels

2008-09-17T21:02:00.001-07:00

Anthony & I realize that we have been blessed by three little angels in our life. Sadly, the first one was taken away from us much too soon. However, we believe that she had a hand in assisting God with choosing our other two we have today. We celebrated the 4th anniversary of Mary Alice's birthday by bringing her flowers at the cemetery & all singing Happy Birthday to her. Isabella said she was going to visit her "angel sister." She also told mommy & daddy that she heard Mary Alice singing very quietly at church. My heart just melted when she said this. I do think that sometimes little children get to hear or even see a little something special from God. I've believed this ever since our youngest sister, Rose was a baby...probably around Isabella's same age & she used to tell us about when she lived with the angels. (Seeing who she has become today, I don't doubt it for a minute.) Every September 17 is always a very special day for our family. Not only do we take special time to honor the sweetest little angel we lost but we also reflect on our lives & are so grateful for all the blessing she has helped to bring us today.

We asked the girls to help us lay the flowers down for Mary Alice. Instead they both started taking the flowers of the stems & Isabella would lay them down one by one. Anthony decided we should let her continue & we ended up liking the finished result much better .

in loving memory of our baby angel

Zoo Kids

2008-09-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Chris, Shane, Anthony & I decided to take the kids for a fun day in San Antonio. We started off eating breakfast at Mi Tierra, our favorite Mexican restaurant in SA (yummy!) Then we headed to the zoo for an extra hot, really long day of looking at the animals. For our last stop, Rainforest Cafe on the Riverwalk. It was a great day & by the end of the trip all the kids were super exhausted but all had a blast!

Mackenzie, Ava, Isaiah, Isabella, Tori & Alex

the girls were impressed by the mariachis
Zoo Time!

Being silly @ Rainforest Cafe

Silly Boys

2008-08-27T06:25:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went over to my brothers house to hang out with the family. We were all btalking in the living room when we heard a bunch of giggling coming from behind the big chaise lounge in the corner. My brother peaked back behind the chair to see what was going on. Luke quickly jumped up to reassure him they were just playing. Amar, Jamal & Luke were all 3 behind the chaise up to something for sure. It wasn't until right before we left that Anthony was looking at our camera & this is what we found....

These were preceded by about 9 black pictures. So, apparently one of them figured out how to use the flash towards the end of the photo shoot. What silly boys!

We love Joe!!!

2008-08-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Right after the 4th of July we had a very much needed visit from Uncle Joe! He finally got to come visit us here in Texas for the first time in 18 months! Last time Mary Beth & the kids came to Texas, for Todd & Pene's wedding, Joe was in California & unable to make the trip. So, when he was recently on his way to Georgia for training, he thankfully had time to come visit for a while. We have missed him so much & were so grateful that we were able to finally see him after such a long time. To put things into perspective a bit... the last time he was here, Isabella was the age Mackenzie is now. Crazy!

*Just a little side note to Mary Beth. You might be wondering why Joe will have several random pictures of himself once he gets home. Those are courtesy of future photographer Isabella.:)

4th of July Fun!

2008-08-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

As every other 4th of July, we headed down to the San Gabriel Park for a day of fun in the sun. The last couple of years it has actually been pretty rainy, so this year it was a nice change, although extremely hot!

Playing hide-n-seek with Isaiah

Who needs toys when you have sticks?

Kenzie saying "hi"

Isaiah & Bella on the airplane

She loved it!

That was a BIG slide!

Daddy & sleepy Kenzie girl

the kiddos posing with the cake, Tori & Alex helped me decorate

Last year the fireworks were cancelled because of all the flooding & we came pretty close to having them cancelled this year because it's been so dry. Luckily it all worked out & we got to enjoy some great fireworks at the end of the night.
The perfect ending to our long day...watching the fireworks!

Sisterly Love

2008-08-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

I think the best part about having two girls is getting to watch them interact with each other. Now that Mackenzie is already 10 months old & walking she has alot more fun playing with Isabella. (Although, she wasn't walking yet in these pictures...these were at about 9 months) They have such a great time with each other. Watching them together is my absolute favorite thing to do, so I thought we would share some pictures of "sister time."

Kenzie gets so excited when she sees Isabella after nap time

hanging out on Isabella's bed early in the morning

lovin' the bathtime hair-do

mmmmmmmmm

WAHHHH!!!!!

kisses for Bella

silly time

Galveston Vacation

2008-08-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

The last weekend of May we took a little family vacation to the coast with the rest of the Guajardo gang. We spent a day at the Schlitterbahn water park, another hanging out at the beach & really just enjoying the time we all got to spend together. The kids all had a wonderful time. I think if it was up to them, they would all just turn into fish!

Schlitterbahn Galveston

Kenzie girl & Mommy

The water was a little cold,

but they both seemed to like it!

Anthony with the girls

Isaiah getting brave

Alex, the fish

Bella & Mommy

Ava & Isabella

We had to get a little creative when it cam to nap time at the park.

Although, I think the award for the most creative napper goes to Alex...in his tube!

Beach Day!

Ready to hit the waves

Kenzie enjoying her first trip to the beach!

The weekend we were there happened to be the annual AIA Sandcastle Competition. Even though we weren't exactly on the same part of the beach as the competition, we had a little competition of our very own.

Daddy, Isabella, Mackenzie & Mommy

Brewer Fam

2008-07-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Just a little note to say that the Brewers have started a new blog. They have been through so much this summer with their new little miracle, Kayelyn Olivia. I am constantly amazed at how strong Missy & Nathan have been through their whole ordeal. Now you can read all about it through their blog: http://brew-aggie.blogspot.com/
We will continue to keep your family in our prayers. Right now we're praying that everyone stays healthy & at home. No more hospitals!!!

4 years in Paradise!

2008-07-27T03:42:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that 4 years have gone by since the best day of our lives. We celebrated our anniversary this year by taking a little trip to the Riverwalk in to San Antonio. I fell in love with our hotel & plan on designing our house with all the inspiration I was able to pick up while we were there. It was the perfect little getaway from our very fast paced life at home & we all had a great time!

Being silly at the Market Square

Mommy & Kenzie relaxing in the hotel room

Isabella in the courtyard (our hotel was beautiful)

Mommy & Bella girl
Daddy & the girls

Easter 2008

2008-07-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

Easter came a bit early this year. It was the day after we had Isabella's birthday party & there was a complete change in the weather. It was very cloudy all day & really cold. We went to the park for a picnic & let the kids go hunting for eggs. But, most of the time we tried to stay bundled up & out of the wind. It was still a great day!

the girls with their baskets

SISTERS!

Isabella searching for eggs

And, of course, we had to include everyone's favorite part....confetti eggs.

Isabella's Backyardigan Birthday Adventure

2008-07-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

For Isabella's 2nd birthday party we had a Backyardigan Adventure of our very own in our backyard. The kids all had a great time jumping in the bouncies, playing with all the water toys & sliding down Isabella's new slides. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was truly a beautiful day.

Isabella, Mommy & Mackenzie getting ready for the party

Water Fun!

Yummy Pablo cake

Kenzie, Mommy, Daddy & Bella

Isaiah & Isabella testing out her new super slide

Relaxing on the couch after the day of fun...

Spring Has Sprung....& long gone!

2008-07-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess you could say spring was a very busy time for us. Obviously, because I never did get around to putting up any new posts. Hopefully we can try to find a little more free time this summer & get everyone up to date on the adventures of the Guajardo fam. We hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the heat of the summer. We'll do our best to get up some new pictures of the girls very soon. Love & hugs to all!

Happy St. Patrick's Day..........

2008-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

& HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY TO OUR BELLA GIRL!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!! XOXOXOXO

moments

2008-02-28T22:32:00.001-08:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love being a mom?! I'm sure I have. If not, what better time than now. Nothing specific happened that caused me to put up this blog other than the simple fact that I just love my girls & their wonderful daddy, of course. There are some moments in a mother's very fast paced life that cause you to just take a deep breath, pause & notice all of the wonderful things around you. I'm not exactly sure what it is that causes these moments. I like to think it is God....yep, God, that's it! It is in these moments that I am able to realize all of the wonderful things I have in my life & how much I have to be grateful for.
The girls are growing wonderfully. Much too fast of course. Yet, at the same time, I am so thankful to be able to realize this & know that it is okay to just stop for a minute & LIVE in that very minute. Thankful for everything I have at this very moment! Just to sit back & watch. I love seeing them play together. Whether it is Isabella loving on Mackenzie because of the fact that she is just so overjoyed with being a big sister or Mackenzie staring in total awe at Isabella anticipating the very moment that she will be able join her running around & discovering all there is to discover in this world, or the times when Anthony comes home from work & is just completely filled with happiness to be with his girls and you can literally feel all of the love in the room. I love watching it all.

Too many times we are caught up in the rush of life & getting ready for what is going to happen next that we forget to enjoy where we are. My biggest prayer right now is to have more of these moments....moments when I am able to realize it is okay to slow down & just enjoy life & live in this very moment.

Here are a few pictures of the girls doing what they do best, loving life....and each other!:)

Some of their favorite times are the those shared with their cousins...

Daddy time;)

A Soldier's Coming Home!

2008-02-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

Jamie's homecoming from Iraq was definitely one of the most exciting things that I have ever been able to be a part of. After being gone for 15 months (minus the very short leave he was able to take when Cian was born) we were all very excited & anxious to have him home. The buses came in around 11pm that Sunday night. After several hours of waiting in the cold, there were hundreds of people eagerly awaiting their soldier's arrival. When the buses pulled up across from the fields where all the family & friends were waiting, all the soldiers got out on the opposite side & were not seen until the buses drove away. (I felt like we were in an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition when everyone is shouting "Move that BUS!") Then we had to wait even a little longer for the speech. Luckily it was short, sweet & to the point. Next it was a mad dash to go find Jamie!

Betty, Mackenzie, Mom & Don

Harley, Rose & Amy....anxiously waiting for Jamie

Cian & Papa Bear

The buses just arrived!!!

And they're off!

Reunited at LONG last!

Harley loving on her daddy.:)

The last time Cian saw Jamie was for only a couple of weeks after Cian was born (11 months ago!!!!) But there was no doubt, he recognized his Daddy right away!

Kisses for Daddy

Jamie & his dad

Christmas Time

2008-01-31T14:36:00.001-08:00

Christmas was spread out over a whole month for us this year. First, we had our regular Christmas on the 24th with the Guajardo family. Then, Anthony & I had our Christmas with the girls first thing Christmas morning. Finally, we ended it all with the Kemper family Christmas on the 20th of January! (We wanted to wait until Jamie got home from Iraq!) It was a month of lots of fun Christmas cheer. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to have had Mary Beth's & Tina's families here. We surely missed ya'll & hopefully next year we'll get to celebrate with the entire family.:)

Santa's helper got a little exhausted!

Guajardo family stockings

Ruby was so happy to get her monkey that she ran away to her bed for pretty much the rest of the day.

Christmas kisses....what sweet sisters!

our little snowflake girlies

The Kemper Christmas

Lukers loving on Kenzie Girl...can you tell he's ready for a little sister!?!

Some of us sleepy & others super excited, either way we were all happy that Christmas had finally arrived. (Lukey, Mariah, Alyssa & Rosie Posie)

A&L

the Newlyweds;)

Look at all those dimples!!!!

Anthony & Mackenzie

Nana Banana

Bring on the presents!

Even though she's been a Flanagan for 2 years now, she still can't seem to shake that "Kemper tongue".

Mark & Claire Bear

Zoe always has the perfect reaction to make us feel like we got her the best gift EVER!

Looks like Adam was just as excited about Luke's new football as he was.;)

Even with all the presents, I still think Luke's favorite thing was dressing up in all of Jamie's army gear.

Weekend Visitors

2007-12-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had two visitors come to our house (other than Birdie.) Brooke & Karen had been making plans to come visit us since before Mackenzie was born & they finally made it this weekend. Isabella thought "Brookeandkaren" was one person until they got here & she was able to meet both of them. We had a lot of fun just hanging out & letting the kids entertain us. Isabella really misses her two new friends...she's been talking about y'all all week.;)

Kenzie & Karen playing on the couch.

Brooke, Mackenzie, & Karen

We couldn't get Isabella to take a picture with us, so we got one of her sitting with her dolls instead.

All the girls (minus Isabella.)

The grass is greener on the other side...

2007-12-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks our doggie neighbor, Birdie, & Ruby have been trying to get to each other by digging a hole under the joining fence of our yards. The neighbor even put cinder blocks in the holes they've created to try to get them to stop. Well, apparently that didn't work because Birdie made her way into our yard on Friday afternoon.

When we got home from the store I had let Ruby out to do her business & noticed she was taking a bit longer than usual. So, I went to check on her & this is what I found...

This was truly a team effort as you can see Ruby trying to pull her through. Birdie even lost her collar in the process.

They were so excited to get to play with each other without a fence in between them.

I was so impressed that they both sat for me the first time I asked. I guess they really wore each other out.

Then Isabella wanted to show me that she knew how to sit too & she was so proud of herself.

*Note: No doggies were injured during the process of their silliness.

Gig 'Em Aggies!

2007-11-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

Once again the Aggies BTHO tu!!!! WHOOP!!!! Nana & Papa came over for the second half of the game & we all got to relax & enjoy our leftover turkey while watching another great Aggie victory. Isabella even made a call to two of her favorite Longhorn uncles to tell them, "Gig 'em Aggies!" Her new favorite saying.

We even got to enjoy our first fire with the cold weather. I think we had one every day from Thursday through Sunday. Overall, it was a great holiday weekend.

Thanksgiving Day!

2007-11-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

We were so excited to get to have Thanksgiving at our house this year. Every year we have to split up the day, half with the Guajardo family & half with the Kemper family. Luckily this year, we got best of both worlds. A full day with everyone at our house!:) This year we our most thankful for our two beautiful daughters & all of our wonderful family. We are so blessed!

Todd & Pene with the girls....I think she's ready;)

Kenzie Girl

Daddy & Bella being silly

Mommy & the girls

Once again...being smothered in kisses!

Amar & Bella, so cute!

*** I forgot about the funniest part of our Thanksgiving until I got Kristi's comment. We were so excited about having Thanksgiving at our place although (I must admit) a little nervous that we were in charge of the turkey this year, it being the most important part of the meal and all. No worries, I had been watching Food Network for the past 2 weeks & saving all turkey related shows to our DVR in case of any catastrophes. And, of course, we always had our parents to call in case there were any last minute questions. So, I woke up early Thursday morning to clean & prep the bird. It was going so smoothly. I set it on our nice roasting rack & pan that we got as a wedding present & had yet to use. I must admit, it looked pretty good with all the butter & spices. I was so proud of myself for getting it all ready just in time to go into the oven by 8:30 for our noon lunch. To my surprise, I open the oven to stick in the turkey.....& it doesn't fit!!!!! All my worry over fixing the turkey just right & not buying a bird that was too big for our tiny oven did I ever think of checking the pan to see if it would fit. Thank God for my parents. Dad came to the rescue & got the turkey to take over to their house. I guess next year we will have to either get a smaller pan or a bigger oven.:)

1 month old!

2007-11-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, the 2nd, Mackenzie turned 1 month old. It's amazing how the time has just flown by. She has already grown so much in this short time. We took her to the doctor for her one month check up & she weighed 10 pounds 4.5 ounces & was 22-1/2 inches long. Our little chunky monkey!:) In one month from now she'll get her first round of shots, so it will be nice to get out a little more often. This weekend we're planning on having a Meet Mackenzie party here at the house. So, hopefully we'll have lots of visitors for our Kenzie Girl. She has been such a wonderful blessing & brought so much joy to our growing family. It has been so much fun seeing the sweet interaction between Mackenzie & Isabella. They make wonderful sisters!

Kenzie & Mommy at the doctor

Silly girls!

Trying so hard to hold up that head.

Getting ready...

to be smothered in kisses!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2007-11-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we had our 2nd annual Halloween Bash with the family. Once again, everyone did a great job of dressing up. I must say we were pretty impressed with all the creativity. We all partied way too hard & ate too much, which always makes for a great night. I wish we had been better about taking more pictures, but I guess we were just too involved in the fun. So, the mission for my family...send me your pictures!!!!! That way I can make this blog a little more interesting. In the meantime, here are just a few of the wonderful characters we had show up...

Christopher Robin, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Pooh & Tigger

Mom & Dad were planning on showing up without any costumes, so I decided to take action & tell them what they were going to be.:) (I have such cooperative parents!) It worked out great & we were able to have 2 more members of the Pooh gang.

Isaiah, our little monkey nephew

Cassie, the farmer, with her little pumpkin, Claire

(unfortunately after the cutest pumpkin costume EVER already came off!)

Woody, Jessie & Buzz Light Year...very cute!!!

& Nadia, as the cutest little ladybug

look at those gorgeous blue eyes!!! B-E-A-utiful!!!

There really were so many other wonderful costumes we didn't even get pictures of. So, I'm really counting on my family to help me out & send me your pictures!:) We're already looking forward to next year & waiting for everyone to out-do themselves once again. Thanks to everyone who came; we all had a blast!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-25T08:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day, so we decided to take the girls out for some pictures with the pumpkins. It was a bit too windy for Mackenzie, so the photo shoot only lasted about 5 minutes. Isabella really liked playing with all the pumpkins. She thought they were all basketballs! This will probably really confuse her when we go to carve the jack-o-lantern.

our little punkins

kisses for Kenzie

& the pumpkin ;)

Sweet Mackenzie

2007-10-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Isabella sure does LOVE her little sister

ready to eat

our sleeping beauty

already smiling for the camera

Surprise, Surprise!

2007-10-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

It's another girl!!! We were blessed with our newest daughter, Mackenzie Elizabeth, early Tuesday morning, October 2nd. She arrived at 7:40 am weighing a whopping 8lbs & stretching out to 19-1/2 inches long. As you all know, we were scheduled to go into the hospital at 5am so that I could be induced, but Mackenzie must have already known that was her day to be brought into the world. After having strong contractions throughout the night, we headed to the hospital a bit earlier than planned. I checked in at 4:45 am, already 4-5 cm dilated. By the time the nurses were able to get me into a room, get all of my paperwork complete, & set me up on an IV, I was already 7 cm & beyond ready to have an epidural. It barely had time to go into effect because only 15 minutes later I was complete & ready to start pushing. After 5 minutes of pushing we got to meet our newest little miracle. And now, after much anticipation, we would like all of you to meet her as well.

Meeting Mommy & Daddy

All cleaned up after her first bath!

Kisses from Bella ;)

Sleeping Beauty

Heading home!!! YAY

Update...again!

2007-09-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

So, I had my weekly appointment yesterday that my doctor didn't think I was going to make it to. I am already 3 cm dilated, so things have definitely progressed over the last week. Needless to say, we were all a bit surprised the baby didn't make an appearance over the weekend. We went ahead & set up for me to be induced on Tuesday of next week. That way we can give the baby a chance to come on his/her own for another week, but I won't be going too far past my due date of this Thursday. There is still plenty of opportunity for the baby to come on one of our family or friends birthdays which start today & consecutively run through Friday....6 people total in the next 3 days! But, this baby may decide to be our little pumpkin & hang in there until the beginning of October. Regardless, we should have a happy & healthy new arrival in less than a week!!! A big thank you to everyone for all the thoughts & prayers for our family. We love you all!

Baby Update

2007-09-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

It's down to only a week now. Although, the doctor seems to think I won't even make it to my next scheduled appointment on Tuesday. It's hard not to get too anxious & even harder trying to get work done. "Baby" is the only thing on my mind right now. With any luck, we'll have a new baby by the weekend. How exciting!!! So, be sure to keep coming around for the updates!:)

In Memory

2007-09-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

of our sweet angel, Mary Alice. We love you! Happy Birthday!!!

Then there was one!

2007-09-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

We have less than two short weeks left until our newest little miracle arrives. As of my appointment on Tuesday, I haven't made any sort of progression yet, so we'll see if the baby really comes on time or not. (Plus, I've been measuring 1 week behind schedule for quite a while.) It is amazing how quickly this one has snuck up on us. The anticipation is getting stronger each day. We are really looking forward to all of the love & happiness a new baby brings. It is going to be so much fun seeing Isabella grow as a big sister. I'm sure we'll have lots of extra help this time around.

She just can't wait to be the BIG sister!

When I started out this pregnancy I already had 3 pregnant sisters! Slowly one by one, the number got fewer & ever since Cassie had our sweet niece Claire, I've been on my own. So of course, the question on every one's mind, who will be next?!? My prediction...one of the two wonderful Kemper sister-in-laws! Only time will tell.

Tina (5 months), Amy (9 months), Cassie (2-1/2 months), Allie (1-1/2 months)

Allie (5-1/2 months), Tina (9 months), Cassie (6-1/2 months)

Allie(6 months) & Cassie (7 months)

8-1/2 months!

the NEW Mr. & Mrs. K

2007-09-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Todd & Penny chillin' out before the festivities begin.

What an awesome weekend!!! My brother got married to my wonderful new sister-in-law on Sunday. It was such a great weekend getting to see all of our family. The wedding was at Reunion Ranch (yep, same place as the Guajardo reception) & it was super-fun. All the little ones were the life of the party, livin' it up on the dance floor. It was too cute.

William & Zoe

the beautiful couple

The ring bearer was our cute little nephew, Amar & the flower girl was Penny's friend's daughter, Avery. They definitely brought one of the highlights of the wedding. As Avery & Amar headed down the aisle together Avery started dropping the petals as she was supposed to. Amar stopped, threw up his hands & said, "WHAT HAPPENED!?!" It was pretty funny. But, the best part was after Todd & Penny walked off, when it was time for Amar & Avery to head back down the aisle one more time. Avery stopped, bent down & started putting every single petal back into her basket one by one. Once again, Amar looked at her like she was a little crazy. She looked up at him & said, "Can you PLEASE help me?!" They had all of us cracking up.

Amar walking down the aisle all alone

I think Todd laughed throughout the whole ceremony....probably to keep from crying!

Avery stopping to pick up the flowers

& Amar, utterly confused

The new Mr & Mrs Kemper!!!
Ya think she's excited!?!

peek-a-boo

playing on the stairs with Daddy

ALL the Kemper sisters

& William!

Cian & Amy

Cassie & Mark with sweet baby Claire

I'm not really sure what we were doing in this picture, but I thought it was pretty funny. It looks like we're just discovering the fact that I'm pregnant.

Congratulations to Todd & Penny! We're all so happy for you. Oh, how I wish we could be in Costa Rica right now too!:)

Missing her Ruby

2007-08-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

Isabella sure does love her Ruby. I got some really cute shots of them loving on each other on Thursday before we left for Houston for the weekend. Isabella loves to cuddle with Ruby in her bed. Luckily, I think Ruby enjoys it just as much.

Ruby giving Isabella hugs while she uses her as a pillow

& little kisses on the neck!

I guess it started to tickle.

As we said before, Isabella got to play with several other doggie friends over the weekend. However, she was super-excited when she knew she was going to see her Ruby again. As soon as we pulled up to the house on Sunday & into the driveway she yelled, "RUUUUBY!!!" We felt so bad trying to explain to Isabella that Ruby was still with her other doggie friends at the kennel & we'd pick her up tomorrow. Of course she didn't quite understand & still went searching for her once we got inside.

So, guess where she ended up falling asleep for a little nap yesterday...

in Ruby's bed...all alone!

Fun with Briley Bear!

2007-08-28T06:01:00.001-07:00

We were so happy to get to go spend the weekend with our friends in Houston. Anthony was supposed to have a softball tournament but it ended up getting cancelled. So, that just gave us a little extra time to spend with everyone. We spent Friday night with the Brewers & Saturday night with the Bartons & were even lucky enough to even have dinner with the Thigpens. Isabella loved getting to meet all her new puppy friends; Addie, Zoey & Ranger. I wish we could have gotten more pictures of the whole weekend but, I guess we were just so busy we couldn't keep up with the cameras. Of course, her favorite part of all was getting to play with Miss Briley. She's such a cutie & I can't believe how big she has gotten since the last time we saw her.

Anthony's getting a feel for what life is going to be like in about 4 weeks!

Kisses from Briley Bear

Missy & Briley

It's a Girl!!!

2007-08-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Our newest little niece arrived early Monday morning. Mark & Cassie's sweet baby girl, Claire Marie, was born at 1am weighing 6lbs. 13oz. & 18-3/4 inches long. Even though she decided to make her debut 3 weeks early, like any "true Kemper" she had to arrive fashionably late. Cassie's water broke at 3:30am on Sunday & Claire barely squeezed in that 24 hour window by 1am Monday. Of course she was well worth the wait and Mark & Cassie have the sweetest little addition to their family. We're so happy for ya'll. Love you & God Bless beautiful baby Claire!

true LOVE at first sight

Todd & Pene getting that baby itch;)

Daddy, Claire, & Mommy

Summer Vacation

2007-07-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went on a little vacation with the family. Friday was our trip to Schlitterbahn, Saturday we went to Fiesta Texas & then on Sunday we went to the San Antonio Zoo. It was so much fun & all the kids had a really great time. We were so lucky to get such nice weather the entire weekend & not have to get rained out of any of our activities.

Schlitterbahn

getting ready for the water

Isaiah, Tori, Chris, Isabella & Anthony

Daddy & Bella being silly

31 week belly

going down the slide with Daddy

& then Mommy...oops!

Fiesta Texas

lovin' on Bugs

riding on the carousel

driving the big rig

Porky & Foghorn

San Antonio Zoo

Mommy & Bella

our beautiful butterfly

petting the goats with Isaiah

Lions...or horses?!?

the BIG flood

2007-06-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Since it has basically been raining nonstop for over a week, it is only expected that we are now seeing some major problems starting to occur. Parts of central Texas have received over 18 inches of rain just since last night alone!!! Craziness I'm telling you! So, I thought I'd share some pictures with all of you just in case you didn't believe the stories...they were hard for me to believe until I saw them for myself.

San Gabriel Park

South San Gabriel River in Georgetown

This picture was taken from what is normally a 30 ft cliff overlooking the river!

These last 2 pictures are at the end of Anthony's parent's street. Yes, that is the stop sign completely surrounded in water. You can even see the little saw horse just barely sticking out of the water in the first picture that says, "water over bridge"...you think!?! Just a little side note....they live on a dead end street. So, needless to say, this being their only point of entry/exit, they are completely trapped in with no way to get out. Let's all just hope & pray that it doesn't get any worse or we might need to call Noah here pretty soon!

If you want to see any more pictures, just go to either http://www.kxan.com/ or http://www.kvue.com/. That is where I got all these pictures from. No, we did NOT swim over to the Guajardo house just to take these.

Life is a bowl of....PEACHES!

2007-06-14T06:31:00.000-07:00

So, one of the great things about our new home is that we have some amazing fruit trees in the back yard. The peaches had just ripened & were perfect for picking so, that's what we did!

a few days before picking

our basket of peaches

Isabella just can't wait!

YUMMY!!!

So, if anyone knows of any great peach recipes we should try out, send them our way. Or, if you'd just like a nice juicy peach, come on over. They are definitely the best I've ever had. There's nothing like a truly fresh peach!

As for now, I'll leave you all with a little verse from one of my favorite songs about peaches!

Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches
I'm movin' to the country, I'm gonna eat me a lot of peaches
I'm movin' to the country, I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches
Movin' to the country, I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches
Peaches come from a can they were put there by a man, In a factory downtown
If I had my little way, I'd eat peaches everyday!!!!!!!

the newest Rose in Texas!

2007-06-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

& what a beautiful Rose she is!!!

Here is our newest little niece, Nadia Rose. She was born on Friday, June 8th at 12:09pm weighing in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces & stretching out to 19.5 inches long. She's the perfect little addition to Tina & Jaouad's growing family. Now the boys have a sweet little sister to love. YAY! Congratulations Mommy & Daddy; we're soooooo happy for you!!! Love you all to pieces!!!

I must add, Tina is quite the pro now. With only 3 pushes, Nadia was born in less than 10 minutes. Way to go!!!

Just because I can!

2007-05-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

So, I'm writing this blog just because I feel like being super emotional & sappy. Blame it on the pregnancy hormones or just the fact that I feel like procrastinating since both the girls are sleeping & I need a little break from work before lunch. Plus, it's been far too long since I've updated & frankly I just have some things I'd like to share. What can I say, I come from a highly loving and emotional family who is not afraid to let the love pour out of our hearts from time to time. So to the point already, I just feel so lucky to have such amazing people in my life. God has truly blessed me beyond belief. I have the best parents anyone could ask for. They are the ultimate role models, as I'm sure you all already know. They have raised 8 amazing (if I do say so myself) children & are still going strong. I hope that Anthony & I can be just like them. I'm not so sure about the 8 kids part, but I wouldn't doubt if we come pretty close.
I'm am so amazed with the love that all my brothers & sisters share with each other. I'm sure we learned this from watching Mom & Dad as we were growing up & it just became part of who we are. I couldn't imagine life without a single one of them. They are all unique & special in their own ways. I can only pray that our children will grow up to be as close with each other as I am to all of my brothers & sisters. To make things even better, I think everyone has picked such the perfect match to suite themselves. I have the greatest brother & sister-in-laws ever. I probably couldn't have done a better job picking them out myself. You have to be a pretty special person to come into the Kemper family, accept all our craziness & just fit right in like you've been here all along. Way to go boys & girls!
My friends are some of the greatest people I could have ever hoped to come into my life. Of course there are a few that have been around since we were just little kids, the majority of my closest friends are from college. I love the fact that each time I talk to one of them, no matter how far away they are or how long it's been since we last spoke, we can always seem to pick up right where we left off. I wish that we were able to all live closer as we did in college but I know the miles really never matter. We will always be close no matter what!
Of course I couldn't finish this rambling blog of mushiness without including my wonderful, amazing, super-cute hubby! I couldn't be any happier than I am with him. We just celebrated our 3 year anniversary (maybe another reason for all the emotions) & it honestly feels like just last month we were getting ready to walk down the isle. I couldn't ask for a better husband & father to our children. Each day we grow stronger & closer together. It is so much fun to see his silly personality shine in Isabella. I love watching the two of them interact & just seeing the love that they share. Right now the 3 of us are the best of friends you could imagine. We have so much fun together. I know that our newest little miracle will bring even more joy & happiness into this loving family. I just want to thank you all for your love & all the greatness you have brought to my life. I really do love each & every one of you! MWAH!!! xoxoxoxo;) Of course my thanks go to God for providing all these wonderful people in my life. Hopefully I was able to bring a little tear to some one's eye with all of my sap or even the slightest little lump in your throat (or maybe just a laugh or little giggle.) Whatever the case may be I hope it made you feel all warm & fuzzy inside because that is how I feel right now. But, in all seriousness, I really truly am so grateful to be a product of such great love & I just felt like sharing. Hope you enjoyed it!

Movin' On U-up...

2007-04-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

After almost 3 years of marriage & living in the same apartment, we have now decided to take the BIG step. We bought a house!!! It will all become official Friday morning at 8:30 when we have our closing. We are so excited & blessed that we have reached this point in our lives...our very first home. It is located on the East side of Georgetown (oh-so appropriately fitting the song) & less than 3 minutes to church...nice! With the new baby coming it will be nice to have more room to stretch out a bit. The best part, we have a HUGE back yard for Ruby & the kids to enjoy! We are so excited for everyone to come see it really soon. We'll post more pictures after we close, but for now, here's a little sneak peak of the front...

future home of the Guajardo family :):):)

Texas Bluebonnets

2007-04-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Last weekend when the sun was actually shining & there weren't freezing temperatures outside, Amy & I took the kids out for the traditional pictures in the bluebonnets. Isabella was more interested in picking the bluebonnets than she was in sitting for pictures. Although, we did manage to get a few good shots. Enjoy!

Amy & Cian

Hunting for Eggs

2007-04-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

It was Isabella's 2nd Easter, but really her first year to participate. She had a great time with all her cousins hunting for eggs. Afterwards the war broke out with the cascarones. This is a big tradition in Anthony's family. Everyone has to come prepared with they're own confetti eggs. Otherwise, you'll just be attacked & have no way of retaliating. It's so much fun & makes a huge mess. Isabella loved it & really liked seeing everyone act all silly. We hope you all had a wonderful and Happy Easter!

Searching for the eggs...

& eating them along the way.:)

Isabella & Mommy after getting attacked.

What a mess!

Nothing like a blue tongue after all that candy.

So, we let Isabella stick to the peanut butter crackers.

H-O-T

2007-03-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

This has always been one of Isabella's favorite words. She'll walk up to the oven when it's not even on just to say it. This past Saturday she found out the true meaning of the word, "hot!" We were over at Anthony's cousin's house having a barbecue & Isabella decided she was going to check out the whole situation. She was walking around the back yard & leaned in & touched the iron BBQ pit. OUCH! I was walking only 2 steps behind & still wasn't fast enough to get her in time. (Guess I'm out of the race for Mom of the Year!) We weren't sure just how bad the burn was so decided to take her to the emergency room. She sure did provide a lot of entertainment to all of the people in the waiting room. She was able to put some smiles on several really sad faces. After 3 hours of waiting, they put some burn cream on her hand (the same stuff we have at home) & bandaged her all up. She now looks like she has a turkey leg for a hand. Poor baby was more upset about being so tired than her hand actually hurting. Luckily the cream they gave us is some sort of miracle cream, because we apply it twice a day & you can't even see the burn marks anymore. It's amazing! I think her least favorite part of the whole situation is that she is temporarily unable to use her right hand. Anthony covered her other hand up with her socks the other morning & she thought that was pretty neat. Now we have 2 boxers!;)

reading a magazine in the waiting room

she really liked the bed in the ER

Isabella with her new hand

& realizing it's temporarily out of use :(

Bella's 1st Birthday Bash!

2007-03-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

the big ONE year old

It's so hard to believe that our little baby is already a year old. So much has happened in the past year that it seems like Isabella has been here forever yet, it still seems as if it all just flew by. We had her 1st birthday party this past weekend in Georgetown. It was filled with lots of food, family, friends & of course, fun. Isabella had a big ball pit for her & all the kids to play in, a wagon from Grandma & Grandpa to ride around in & all sorts of games for the little ones to enjoy. When it came to cake time I'd have to say she was less than impressed. We were waiting for the big show of smashing her whole face in the cake, but she really didn't want to have anything to do with that. Maybe next year. Isabella recieved tons of presents. More clothes than any little girl could dream of & enough books to start her own little library. (Thank you everyone!) As usual, we stayed for a really long time at the park & got completely worn out. It was totally worth it though. I'm not sure if there is any topping this party next year. Thanks to everyone who was able to come. It really meant a lot to us to have so many of our family & friends there. We love you all! Happy Birthday Bella Girl! Love, love, love you!!! xoxoxoxoxo

Daddy, Isabella & her Birthday Boxer, Ruby

the cupcake cake

see, not so interested...

but the books sure did taste great!

Daddy, Isabella & Mommy

Loving on Nana & Papa

Karen, Michelle, Brooke, Alice & Bella Girl

Amy & Cian, our cute little Irish nephew:)

riding around in the wagon with Alexis

crashed at home

the birthday bath

THE END!!!

Sweet Ruby

2007-03-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

Thursday before Isabella's birthday, we got to pick up our little Ruby from the airport. She was exactly 8 weeks old that day & got to fly in from St. Louis. She is so playful & energetic and the perfect little addition to our family.

Isabella getting Ruby's bed ready the night before she comes home

soooo excited to meet Ruby

someone got a little too excited;)

They're always going for the same toy.

A picture is worth 1000 words! ;)

2007-03-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

the littlest valentine

2007-02-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

Cian Valen is here! He made is grand entrance at 6:33pm on Valentine's Day weighing in at a whopping 6lbs.50z. Cian has beautiful blue eyes & a head full of dark brown hair. (Although, I have a feeling it will be turning red before too long.) He is such a little cutie & the sweetest little addition to our big family. Congratulations Amy & Jamie! You done good! Or, as Grandpa Wells would say, "Atta boy...girl!"

our little Sweet Pea

3 Musketeers

2007-02-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

Tina (5 months), Amy (9 months) & Cassie (3 months)

Here is probably the last picture we'll see of my 3 pregnant sisters. Amy's litlle Sweet Pea is due to arrive on Wednesday (Valentine's!) She will be going into the hospital at 6am Wednesday morning if Sweet Pea doesn't decide to make his appearance before then. We are all so excited to have a new little nephew in just a few short days. YAY!!! Then, we won't have to wait much longer before 2 more little bundles arrive. If anyone needs a baby fix, you know where to come!

Some more pictures...

2007-01-27T05:20:00.000-08:00

for your viewing pleasure!:)

Isabella with her stash of Christmas presents

all the Kemper girls at Sweet Pea's Shower

Bella girl with mommy

Amar "helping" Luke with his shoes

Bye Mary Beth :(

Uncle Todd & Lukers making some music...so cute!

Enjoying the snow!

& having a ball!

Isabella's First Christmas

2007-01-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

So, exactly a month later, we are finally getting around to posting the Christmas pictures. As usual, we had a very busy Christmas. Christmas Eve at Anthony's Aunt Susie's, then his Mom & Dad's before heading to midnight mass. Christmas morning at our house & then off to Nana & Papa's for the finale. Whew...that's tiring just typint it. It was a wonderful Christmas. Definitely the best ever....although, I think we say that every year!

Opening gifts at Aunt Susie's

Grandma & Grandpa's with Tori

Grandma & Isaiah

Daddy & Isabella being lazy Christmas morning

Mommy & Isabella enjoying all our Christmas presents

Adam & Lyndsey

Papa (a.k.a. Santa)

Mrs. Clause (what a cutie!)

Amy, Pene & Todd

Tina, Amar & Jaouad

Lukers & Amar...what goofballs!

Cassie & Mark with the best present of the day. Look at her shirt...Mommy 2 Bee! Yay. That makes sister #3 that's pregnant right now. Awesome! By next Christmas there will be atleast 3 more nieces or nephews! (They started the morning off with this big anouncement before we opened any presents. After all the crying, laughing & hugging Dad follows up with, "Well, I guess Christmas is over! I don't think we can top that!") Congratulations Mark & Cassie!!!:)

The BIG 1!!!

2007-01-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

Yep, that's right! Our little nephew, Jamal is now a whole year old. He had a great party complete with the whole family from Hawaii!:) Filled with games, presents, and of course...CAKE!

Amar, Rosie, & Luke

The cakes, made by Tina, what a pro!

Time to dig in!

Only 5 days later, our nephew, Isaiah, also turned a year old...

That is one BIG balloon!

Already digging into the cake before blowing out the candle.

San Antonio

2006-12-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

For Anthony's birthday weekend we took a trip down to San Antonio. His family used to do this every year for his birthday, but the last time we all went was when we were still in high school. So, we decided to start the tradition back up again this year. It is such a great time to go with all the Christmas lights & decorations. It looks so beautiful & definitely gets everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Isabella & Daddy at our favorite restaurant in San Antonio...Mi Tierra...mmmm,mmmm, good!

Daddy, Isabella & Mommy

Isaiah & Vanessa

Chris & Tori

Isabella fell in love with the mariachis...this girl LOVES music!

MARACAS!

Playing with Tori

Mommy & Isabella at dinner at the Hard Rock

the "after party" with Grandma

Proud of our Papa

2006-12-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago Anthony & I attended the Knights of Columbus Christmas Party along with Amy, Mark & Cassie, and Mom & Dad. It was a great night with yummy dinner, dancing & just spending time with the other Knights & their wives. The coolest part of the evening....our awesome daddy received the award for Knight of the Year. Way to go Papa!!! We are so proud of you!:)

my adorable parents....so in love

Anthony must have said something goofy

Anthony & Allie

Cassie & Mark

the "Knight of the Year"

all the girls

& the goofy boys!