WorldO'McCord

a red plate, a curly headed walker, and some new grading pens.

2012-01-25T18:53:00.002-06:00

It has been quite the past couple weeks around here.

Busy. Chaotic. Full of illness. And exciting new things.

Last Monday Justin started a new job at Stratmark - an advertising agency that works primarily with non profit organizations. It has only been a week and a half, but he loves it! He has been assigned to a few projects and is already getting busy working on them. We are so excited for this new opportunity. On his 2nd day, we celebrated him. Dinner was his choice, and he got to eat it on the "You are Special Today" red plate.

The reason we had to celebrate him on day 2 was because little miss Stella came down with RSV on Monday. We had to give her breathing treatments every 2 hours the first day and then every 4 hours the next 2 days and then every 6 the last 2 days. Boy do breathing treatments make me tired. Needless to say, she is all well and can now be called a "walker." She choses to walk all the time now and it just might be the cutest thing ever.

And new grading pens for me!

What teacher doesn't just love some office supplies?

And fun pens just might be the best "office supply" out there.

With Stella having RSV and then P getting strep throat and mommy missing days of school, my grading has piled up. So those fun new grading pens are about to get some serious work. :)

play.

2012-01-19T20:15:00.002-06:00

70 degrees in January = a perfect afternoon for a little play time at the park

these 2 little feet.

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000-06:00

these 2 dainty, little feet belong to stella.

my sweet little girl.

after being a "boy mom" first, i was totally content (and convinced) that i would always be a boy mom. and i was more than happy with that. i love the rough and tumble that comes with boys and the extra energy that seems to hiding in each part of them.

but God thought it would be perfect to add a sweet, laid back, easy going, little princess to our mix. and i just love that He did. i love her sweet personality. the way that she can hold her own against her brother. and the fact that the always pulls out her hair bows. and the way that i can dress her up in sweet, girly stuff. and her precious little feet.

fifty percent of the time...

2012-01-18T08:27:00.000-06:00

....stella prefers walking to crawling.

she isn't a full out walker yet, but she is getting close.

and one of my favorite things about her walking:

each time she walks, pierce starts clapping and says, "good job baby stella."

i love how excited he gets for her.

Stella's Winter ONEderland Party

2012-01-17T13:12:00.009-06:00

a winter ONEderland party fit for our little princess.

the sweet birthday girl.

cake time.

thank goodness for a big brother to help with the candle.

the big kids enjoyed the beautiful (almost 70 degrees) weather.

stella and her sweet friend charlotte

our family.

**happy 1st birthday, sweet stella. **

we love you!

the hero next door.

2012-01-11T12:15:00.000-06:00

You know when they say "It's just a phase?"

Around here... right now... we're not so sure.

In Pierce's eyes:

He is Fireman Sam (the hero next door). Mommy is Elvis (Sam's bumbling companion). Daddy is Station Officer Steele (the mustachioed man in charge). Stella is Penny (the one that flies the helicopter). And Dunc is the fireman puppy.

It's not just that.

Our home is the firestation. Mommy's car is the firetruck. Daddy's is the helicopter, or the ambulance, depending on the day.

Pierce wants to wear his fireman boots and hat to the store, no matter the time. We've even happened upon real firemen at Kroger, who loved to see their understudy decked out.

Speaking of the store--the grocery cart is also a firetruck--one that requires riding on the side so we can get down and get to the fires quicker.

"Hey Elvis!" is his favorite way of getting Mommy's attention and has even been heard in the middle of the night when he wants Mommy to come in and see him.

And he insists on Daddy parking the "ambulance" in the garage backwards for a "quick get- a- way."

We love our little hero. His creativity (and dedication to staying in character) makes our hearts smile. Even when we are referred to as Elvis in them middle of Target.

January 10th - The Difference a Year Can Make

2012-01-10T20:53:00.005-06:00

January 10, 2011

5 pounds and 6 ounces

17 inches long

January 10, 2012

Our 20ish pound, blue-eyed princess.

One that is full of laughter and is so easy going.

Our sweet one who loves to eat and is taking more steps each day.

Our Stella that has only 1 tooth and is done with all bottles.

One that is enamored by what her family is doing - especially Pierce and Duncan.

One who has grabbed the strings of our hearts and has forever changed our family for the better. We love you sweet girl! Happy 1st Birthday!!

and how sweet is this?!?!

her sweet teachers and friends at school made her this card.

let the celebrating begin.

2012-01-08T20:12:00.004-06:00

Stella enjoyed her first birthday celebration tonight with my family.

It was a sweet time to celebrate the littlest grandbaby with my family.

Sweet Stella is so blessed to be loved by so many.

eatin' some green stuff.

2012-01-08T13:48:00.002-06:00

little missy is a great eater.

and i don't think she's meet anything that she doesn't like.

she might be messy, but she sure is a cute mess.

a sweet moment captured.

2012-01-07T15:12:00.003-06:00

i am not going to lie - there are times when having a 3 year old and a 1 year old are not easy.

they usually want what the other one is playing with.

or what the other one is snacking on.

but today, i captured a sweet moment.

a moment that has been on my mind all day.

pierce and stella sharing goldfish and watching fireman sam together.

it was perfect.

for a brief moment of time.

no, it is not always like this.

but today it was just what i needed.

thank you, God, for these 2 precious children.

i love them with all my heart.

new year. new beginnings.

2012-01-07T14:45:00.004-06:00

happy twenty-twelve.

here are my sweet little ones.

love them.

i love how God works - gives you changes, that you weren't expecting. and then like He does, He makes them great changes.

pierce and stella started a new school on january 2nd and have transitioned amazingly. both of their teachers have commented each day how impressed they are with how well they are doing. our decision to switch daycares was a quick decision and a decision that i knew would be the best for them. and God has been so faithful through this transition.

and today marks justin's last day working at fc dallas. we have been praying for some time for God to open up a door for justin and He did just that. on january 16, justin will begin a new job at stratmark - an advertising agency that works with nonprofit organizations. he is so excited about this next chapter and i am excited for him.

as we start this new year, i am so very thankful for God's faithfulness - in the big things and the little things. i am excited to see what other changes this year might hold and how God works each of them for His glory.

NYE 2011

2012-01-01T20:09:00.006-06:00

we rang in the new year with some of our favorite friends - the leaches and the atkinsons.

since all together we have 6 kids, we kept it low key. just a dinner at our house.

the kids ran and played until they finally fell asleep around 11:15ish.

it was a fun night - different than what we use to do when we didn't all have kids, but i loved it. every minute of it.

it was a perfect ending to a great year.

here's to 2012 and making new memories.

our little party man

and this is what happens when you are the younger sister.

so very thankful for these two.

every nye party needs a little silly string...

cheers to a new year!

Ma's Birthday Dinner

2012-01-01T19:57:00.002-06:00

We celebrated my mom's, Ma, birthday last week. We enjoyed a fun dinner at a Hibachi grill in Arlington. Our chef was so fun and the kids loved all the big fires that he made.

Ma with her grandbabies

2011 highlights: mccord style

2011-12-31T17:20:00.004-06:00

some of my favorite moments of 2011

stella's birth day!

our week long snow storm

macie and kendra came to visit - twice!

i was able to start running again

justin turned 30 with an 80's party!

i enjoyed a fabulous 12 week maternity leave and it ended with a sweet playdate with brady and becky and charlotte

becky and i went to the nkotbsb concert!

pierce was potty trained.

pierce's first movie - cars 2

ahhh...the beach!

lots of soccer games

stella was dedicated at church

pierce turned 3

i turned 30

our baylor bears had an amazing season!

jeff is running for office!!!

these two have such a special relationship

what a great year full of many blessings.

here is to another year - full of sweet blessings!

wild about harry's.

2011-12-28T14:34:00.002-06:00

this week - the week between christmas and new year's - just might be my favorite week of the the entire year. i love how there is no schedule, no real place to be, and the precious time with my little family. the busyness of christmas is behind us and the anticipation of a new year is in front of us.

one of our favorite places to eat is wild about harry's. it is a fun little hot dog place on knox in dallas. we don't go often enough, but we had a fun family lunch date there yesterday.

first tooth.

2011-12-28T14:27:00.003-06:00

guess who woke up on christmas day with their first tooth?!?!

our little princess.

christmas day...

2011-12-28T14:07:00.004-06:00

i love christmas day.

even all the craziness of it all.

i was up before my kids this year.

i couldn't wait for pierce to wake up and see his train table.

and he was a little unsure about it at first (even though he has been talking about it since last january) and soon he couldn't get enough. and little miss stella just went with the flow - playing with her toys (a push toy and a real cabbage patch kid) and the train table.

we headed over to ma and bob's house for christmas there too.

pierce and stella of course hit the jackpot there.

(but so did justin and i :) )

and our last stop of the day was ... keller.

here we got to celebrate with justin's family.

kevin, of course, out did himself with an amazing italian feast.

and the kids were once again spoiled rotten.

a pair of pink TOMS for stella!

cousins.

and a worn-out, but extremely blessed, mccord family.

the 23rd.

2011-12-28T13:57:00.004-06:00

on the 23rd we headed to arlington to celebrate christmas with my dad's side of the family. it was lots of fun to get together with everyone.

mema and her only great granddaughter

merry christmas from the mccords.

2011-12-25T05:16:00.000-06:00

santa, we are ready for you.

2011-12-24T22:47:00.002-06:00

Santa,

We are sound asleep in our new jammies from B and PawPaw and we are so ready for your visit. Tell Murray, our elf, that we love him and will miss him. Be safe flying around tonight!

Love,

Pierce and Stella

happy birthday, jesus.

2011-12-24T14:08:00.002-06:00

my most favorite holiday tradition.

a little birthday cake for jesus.

pierce was so excited about making a cake for jesus.

he did a great job decorating with the sprinkles.

little missy loved helping too.

she too enjoyed the cake!

our finished product.

baby jesus (from our veggie tales nativity) joined the celebration

thank you jesus for coming to earth as a baby and saving us from our sins.

we are thankful for you and for the opportunity to celebrate your birthday.

merry christmas!

o christmas tree.

2011-12-24T13:55:00.003-06:00

"o christmas tree. o christmas tree.

how lovely are your candies."

thank you, pinterest, for the great idea of using an ice cream cone, green frosting, and candy to make our own little christmas tree.

christmas vacation is...

2011-12-21T20:57:00.002-06:00

HERE!!!

and we are so excited for some serious playtime!

Dear Santa

2011-12-20T06:38:00.000-06:00

Christmas at Bar L Ranch

2011-12-19T06:32:00.000-06:00

Celebrating a true Cowboy Christmas

at Bar L Ranch

me and Suzy (the hostess)

Christmas Party at SweetPeas

2011-12-18T14:23:00.002-06:00

Pierce and Stella's little in-home daycare, SweetPeas, had a Christmas Party on Friday afternoon with moms and dads and even Mrs. Claus. The party was so fun and Mr. Nate and Mrs. Tracy did a great job hosting.

an attempt at a group picture..

watching Mrs. Claus

Pierce and his sweet friend, Brynlee

walking skills.

2011-12-18T14:22:00.003-06:00

No pictures to document, but little Miss Stella has started taking steps all over the place. She still crawls at times, but she is definitely getting more and more confident with her walking skills.

SOAPhawks.

2011-12-14T21:04:00.003-06:00

bath time is our favorite time.

11 months

2011-12-10T21:29:00.002-06:00

one month from today we will have a 1 year old.

i know i say it each month, but time is flying by.

sweet stella marie, we love you!

you love to eat. and will eat anything.

you are cruising all over the place.

and standing up on your own.

just waiting on those first steps. (and those first teeth.)

check out the curls....

you are so easy going.

and you laugh all the time.

and you mimic everything your big brother does.

you, sweet girl, make my heart oh so very happy.

you are my sunshine.

and i love you.

and in other news....

Baylor's own RG3 won the Heisman tonight!

it was ah-maze-ing!!

#leachfortexas

2011-12-08T19:41:00.003-06:00

it's not every election season - or ever in my life - that i have not only known a candidate, but have been able to support a candidate like this. one of our very best friends, jeff leach, is running for district 67 which just so happens to be our district. we have a sign proudly displayed in our yard and i love to wear my "Leach for Texas" shirt. we were in a parade last weekend for jeff and are in another one this weekend. we are looking forward to continuing to campaign for jeff. we are so excited for him and his family!

brother's christmas jammies

2011-12-05T19:28:00.003-06:00

i didn't save much of p's clothes, but i did happen to save his christmas jammies. i pulled them out for the little missy the other day. and she wearing them tonight with a bow! precious.

and here is p in the same jammies.

think they look alike??

christmas at newman village

2011-12-04T20:11:00.003-06:00

on friday night we headed out to newman village's rendition of "it's a wonderful life." there was a train ride, santa, and fun christmas music. the kids had a good time and it was fun to celebrate this season with some our of favorite people.

pierce and brady with santa

sweet friends.

pierce and stella with santa

sic'em.

2011-12-01T21:01:00.003-06:00

my baylor bears are doing ah.maz.ing this season.

i have cheered for my bears through the good and bad,

but it sure is nice to be having a fabulous season.

my parents treated us to tickets to see the bears play the red raiders last weekend.

they played at the cowboy stadium and our bears played great. we had a great time and pierce loved shouting "sic'em bears!"

little missy stayed with aunt a while we went to the game.

my team.

2011-12-01T20:45:00.002-06:00

i am a little biased, but i think the 4th grade team at bluebonnet is the best!

these girls sure do make going to work fun.

we do however miss you, kendra!

here we are at red ribbon week:

jenn, connie, kristen, and me!

O Christmas Trees

2011-11-30T09:52:00.000-06:00

the mccord family has decorated for this 'most wonderful time of the year.' justin and pierce went and picked us out a real christmas tree this year. pierce is still talking about the tree being put on the top of mommy's car. :) i've never had a real tree before, but i am loving the way it smells. here's to hoping we can make it last til Christmas day. :)

the kiddos each have a little tree in their room.

stella's is all things pink and pierce's is sports related.

thankful.

2011-11-29T06:04:00.001-06:00

so very thankful for these 3.

they are the loves of my life.

they make my heart smile.

happy thanksgiving from the mccords.

sweet charlotte turns one.

2011-11-28T21:43:00.002-06:00

we celebrated charlotte's first birthday a couple weeks ago.

thankful for this sweet sweet sweet little one.

my little football player.

2011-11-15T20:38:00.000-06:00

cousins: allen style.

2011-11-15T09:12:00.000-06:00

hillary, stella, pierce, and will

the big 3-0.

2011-11-14T21:05:00.002-06:00

well, i have officially entered a new decade.

i hit the big 3-0 on saturday.

and it hasn't been bad at all. :)

my sweet hubby planned a perfect surprise day for me:

becky and julie picked me up and we headed out for manis/pedis.

and then we went to nordstorm's to get our make-up done.

and then off to pick out a new outfit!

and then a sweet dinner with some of my most favorite people.

at a fun little pizza joint in downtown plano.

thank you justin for planning a fun and perfect day.

i love you so much!!

10 months and 2 days.

2011-11-12T09:08:00.003-06:00

sweet baby girl is 10 months old.

c.r.a.z.y. how fast time is going.

justin brought her a kimono back from nyc this summer and it finally fits.

isn't she precious in it??

her eyes are still a beautiful blue and her smile is just precious.

she is a great eater. and never misses a meal.

sweet girl is pulling up on everything and is cruising along furniture.

she is always on the go - just like her brother. :)

thankful for my easy going baby girl.

i love her to pieces.

blog catch-up

2011-11-12T08:45:00.003-06:00

hello blogworld! sorry its has been awhile since i have updated the ol' blog.

life has just been BUSY around here. as i am sure it has been in your world too!

here is a what's been going on lately at the mccord house...

pierce is learning so much at his 'school.'

this was his homework a couple weeks ago.

and he loved doing it!

p got to celebrate his sweet friend, brynlee, a couple weeks ago.

pierce and i celebrated our birthdays with my family last weekend.

halloween 2011

2011-11-01T20:21:00.002-06:00

we ventured out to the prestonwood fall festival last night.

it was big, crowded, a bit chaotic, but fun.

the kids ran around and got some candy.

and i thought my little fireman and dalmatian were precious.

pierce's 3rd birthday day.

2011-11-01T20:08:00.004-06:00

pierce's 3rd birthday was full of excitement...

from waking up to find a new scooter, to having a special breakfast, to playing with b and paw paw, to going to a fall festival with noah, to ending the day with a special "p" pizza from durkins - it was an extra special day for our big big big boy!!

happy birthday, sweet boy. we love you!

my peanut is 3.

2011-10-30T19:02:00.003-06:00

Three years ago from right now I was sitting in a labor and delivery room getting prepped for a c-section to welcome Pierce into the world. I knew at that moment that I loved this little guy, but I had no idea how this love would take over every part of my life and how it would grow and grow each day.

Pierce...you are so many things. You are wild, sweet, silly, loud, all boy, courageous, tender hearted most of the time, your sister's favorite person, not shy, curious, loving, fun to be around, a leader, and most of all, you are MY sunshine. I love you to the moon and back sweet little one. Oh how I wish I could pause time so I could savor these moments a bit longer. I am thankful God has given me the opportunity to be your mommy.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Peanut.

(a post to follow all about the birthday day)

pierce's pajama pirate party.

2011-10-29T19:09:00.009-06:00

Shiver Me Timbers....

our Peanut is (almost) 3.

Today we celebrated Pierce's 3rd birthday with some of his sweet friend. We celebrate pirate style. In our jammies.

After decorating treasure bags, we went hunting for treasure. And even found a pirate ship. A breakfast fit for pirates was served after our treasure hunt.

What a fun fun party for our little pirate.

what we've been up to.

2011-10-24T18:40:00.002-06:00

sometimes (a lot lately) i wish time would just slow down.

or that there were a few more hours in the day.

i feel like we are going a million miles to the minute - all with good stuff - but just lots of stuff.

we have had a our fair share of stressful days lately ... days when the tears just flow ... but at the end of each day, i can't help but be thankful for this busy season of life that God has us in right now. i guess i am really just thankful for His presence, His love, His peace, His joy, and His comfort in the midst of all this craziness.

so, what have we been up to lately??

i finally decided to join pinterest - holy moly. love it!

and we have even tried 3 recipes that i have "pinned."

it is still pretty warm here - notice the swimsuit on pierce.

p and s are playing good together - even if one is inside and one is outside. :)

i got to celebrate baby kekic this weekend!!

little miss stella is everywhere!!

my 3 loves.

p has decided that popsicles are best enjoyed in the shower.

and we are in the process of planning birthday party #3 for pierce.

how is my little boy about to turn 3?!?!?

a loud mouth?

2011-10-13T12:51:00.000-06:00

a candy apple.

2011-10-12T12:49:00.000-06:00

the state fair.

2011-10-11T12:24:00.001-06:00

the state fair of texas: a fall favorite of ours.

we went last saturday - texas/ou weekend - and had a blast.

we saw lots of wild fans, ate some fried food (the smore was my favorite), rode some rides, saw and petted some animals, saw espn's gameday set-up, and just had a great time.

here's a peek into our fair visit. (lots of pics below...)

3/4 of a year

2011-10-10T12:09:00.002-06:00

well little miss ... you are 9 months old today.

i can't believe it. as much as i love each milestone, sometimes i just want time to slow down.

i love this age.

you are into everything.

speed crawling and pulling up on everything.

and i found you climbing up a chair and onto a table this weekend...you are fearless, just like your brother.

you love to "talk."

no official words, but lots of babbling and laughing.

and you love to eat! you are eating lots of 'real' food.

you still have your daddy's blue eyes.

they are beautiful!

and i think it is safe to say they are here to stay.

you aren't the biggest fan of the bow.

i try it sometimes, but you usually pull it off.

you, little squirt, are my sunshine.

i love being your mommy.

PCA Homecoming

2011-10-10T07:29:00.000-06:00

Friday night we headed out the PCA Homecoming game. A sweet friend of ours, Camryn Clark, was up for Homecoming Queen. We had a great time enjoying the football atmosphere and cheering for Miss Camryn.

The 2011 PCA Homecoming Queen, Camryn Clark

(P didn't want to take a picture with her, but he's been talking about her since Friday night.)

a extra special weekday treat.

2011-10-09T13:15:00.003-06:00

jeff and becky had something to do last week, so we got to watch brady and charlotte one night. it was so fun for everyone to have a playmate. i am so thankful for these sweet little ones and their sweet friendships with my kiddos.

here are the girls in their jammies ready for bed. precious little ones.

and these 2 boys crack me up. they play so well together - most of the time. sure there is lots of noise, toys banging around, and the occasional tackle, but they are just boys having a good time. and i love watching them.

whatever it takes.

2011-10-09T12:51:00.005-06:00

I sometimes find myself doing things that I always said I won't do.

It's the nature of being a mom.

A few weeks ago, Stella was dedicated at church. And after church we went to lunch.

I don't know about your almost 3 year old, but with my sweet children it is often better to just head home after church instead of trying to fight the crowds and the late nap that follows.

Well...Stella's Sunday proved to be no different. By the end of lunch, P was done. It was time for his nap. He wasn't being terrible, but definitely ready to leave.

So Justin let P "take some pictures" and everyone helped by making funny faces for P to take a picture of. He thought it was so much fun! And it bought us a little more time at the table.

Happy FUNNY FACE Day to you!!

best buddies.

2011-10-04T13:05:00.000-06:00

soccer.

2011-10-03T13:00:00.001-06:00

pierce loves soccer.

soccer on tv. soccer in the front yard. soccer in the back yard. soccer in the living room.

soccer anywhere, anytime is perfect by pierce.

even soccer with play dough.

our baylor beauty.

2011-10-02T12:52:00.001-06:00

Stella's Special Day.

2011-09-25T20:01:00.003-06:00

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him {her} to the LORD. (1 Samuel 1:27-28)

Today was a special day because we got to take part in a parent/child dedication at our church for Stella. While it was certainly a chance to dress her up and show her off, we know that is was so much more an opportunity for Justin and I to publicly make a statement to that we are committed to raising our Squirt in a Christian home.

Stella Marie means the world to us and we want to live lives that reflect Christ as models for her.

We will certainly fall short from time to time, but we hope and pray for accountability for Godly parenting for our little darling (and Pierce).

We were so excited to share this special day with our families.

After church we headed out to eat and celebrate together.

kate's party

2011-09-25T19:48:00.003-06:00

pierce enjoyed celebrating his sweet friend, kate, this weekend at her birthday party. the party was perfect for energetic 3 year olds - they ran, they jumped, they slid, they ate, and did it all again and again and again. happy birthday, kate!

melt. my. heart.

2011-09-22T20:36:00.001-06:00

i just love this little girl.

she is my sunshine.

ahoy matey.

2011-09-22T20:25:00.000-06:00

ahhhh...the imagination of my two boys.

love them.

precious mess

2011-09-15T17:38:00.002-06:00

Thank you for your service.

2011-09-11T18:21:00.005-06:00

It's weird to think that Pierce and Stella will never know a pre 9/11 life. There will always be security checks before getting on planes, there will never be twin towers for them to visit, in essence their lives will forever be different than what my pre 9/11 life was like.

Pierce loves fireman and thinks the world of them. And Justin and I thought it would only be appropriate on this 10 anniversary of 9/11 to thank the firemen at the station that we pass on so many days. We baked them some muffins (we were out of cookie mix), wrapped them up, and headed to thank them. The first time we went they were out helping someone, so P and Justin went back to see them after dinner.

Pierce wore his newly acquired Halloween costume - a fireman of course - to see some of his most favorite people. The firemen were so nice to him and even let him 'drive' the fire truck.

Thank you firemen (and many others) for serving our community so unselfishly.

8 months

2011-09-10T20:35:00.003-06:00

the squirt is 8 months old today.

precious.

she is on. the. move.

hence the 'black eye.' she was crawling up a tile step and got herself.

ouch.

she is a good eater. she is already eating all sorts of real fruits.

and she seems to like them all.

we love you baby girl.

and are so thankful that you are ours.

friday night in downtown

2011-09-10T20:20:00.005-06:00

last night we headed to downtown fort worth for a night out. we met my parents down there and enjoyed walking around for a bit. it has finally cooled off enough to not be dripping sweat if you are outside. after walking around we enjoyed some yummy dinner and a fabulous new dessert place.

for a while now my parents have been talking about this dessert place called sweet sammies and i have been really wanting to try it out. so, after dinner we headed down there. this place was unbelievable and an amazing idea. you pick your flavor of homemade cookie and then your flavor of bluebell ice cream and then they make you an ice cream sandwich. amazing!

since it is in fort worth, their vanilla ice cream was purple and their sugar cookie had purple sprinkles. and p wanted everything they had that was purple.

the hope of heaven

2011-09-09T13:23:00.003-06:00

it's been a hard week. a very hard week here at the mccord house.

one of justin's dear friends, bobby rhine, passed away suddenly of a heart attack on monday.

the call justin received monday night from bobby's wife has rocked our world.

you see, bobby was and still is the face and voice of fc dallas.

he was justin's running buddy and lunch date most days.

and he is the reason that soccer is more than just a means of a paycheck to us - he made the sport real to our family.

i am not going to lie - my heart is still aching 5 days later.

it aches for bevan, his wife, and their 2 little boys.

it aches for my husband who has to continue going to work each day and pass by bobby's desk.

my heart - my fleshly heart - aches.

but the thing that keeps me going - keeps this fleshly heart of mine ok - is the fact that bobby is heaven with jesus. bobby knew jesus as his savior and was therefore greeted by jesus on monday afternoon. bobby is getting to worship at the feet of jesus and run and play soccer without any heart issues. he is free.

death is not easy. ever.

but jesus's gift of eternal life makes it easier.

there is a real hope in heaven.

and jesus is there waiting for us.

so, please join me in praying for bevan, jake, miller, and the rest of bobby's family as they begin their new normal.

but please also join me in hoping for the day when we get to see jesus face to face.

and get to play soccer with bobby again.

¹ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:1-6)

never still.

2011-09-08T20:25:00.002-06:00

these 2 little ones are never still. it's either crawling all over the place and getting anything/everything on the floor or running around like a mad man. i am however thankful for their sweet spirits and their high energy level. sometimes i just wish i could have some of that energy.

a little baylor spirit

2011-09-08T20:08:00.002-06:00

after spending a week at the beach next to a serious LSU fan, Lyle Style, and his LSU flag, i convinced justin that we needed our very own baylor flag. my sweet husband ordered the flag and had it shipped to our house as a football kickoff surprise. we hung our flag up on friday night and then proceeded to watch our baylor bears beat the tcu horned frogs!!

a special dessert

2011-09-07T07:43:00.000-06:00

working outside.

2011-09-06T19:39:00.002-06:00

just the 4 of us.

2011-09-05T19:18:00.006-06:00

just the 4 of us + a surprise get-away planned by daddy + the gaylord texan = the best 24 hours in a long time.

justin planned a little get away for our little family for this weekend. and it was the most perfect surprise. we headed to grapevine for a night away with some playtime at the new resort water park. pierce and stella loved the water and loved the trolley ride to get there. we enjoyed a relaxing (sitting on couches - perfect for pierce) dinner and some quality family time in the hotel room. thank you justin for planning a little something for us. it was much needed and very much appreciated! i love you.

these next few pics show pierce's personality perfectly. we were trying to get a pic of him and stella and he was doing all sorts of silly things....

we had to make a quick trip to the first aid because pierce stepped on a bee and the stinger got stuck in his foot.

little miss stella got a quick bath while the rest of us just put on dry clothes before we headed out to explore the hotel and get some dinner.

what a fun fun fun night. and we walked out of the hotel this morning to much cooler temps. welcome fall!! we are so ready to see/feel you!

saturday night soccer game

2011-09-05T19:05:00.003-06:00

saturday night my parents and i (with the kids) headed out to the fc dallas friendly match against tigres. we had a great time and didn't even break a sweat. and pierce loved it more than normal because there were no fireworks. and we got to see a match end with penalty kicks. we are looking forward to getting out to a few more games since the weather is starting to cool off a bit.

stella with grandad bob

pierce with ma

so sweet.

showing off her new skill - clapping!

all tuckered out.

60 years of marriage

2011-09-01T07:37:00.000-06:00

My precious grandparents, Papa Bert and Nene, celebrated 60 years of marriage this past weekend. What a honor it was to get to celebrate their legacy of love. They have lovingly raised 4 godly children and unconditionally loved 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. They are excellent examples of how Christ has called a husband to love his wife and of the Proverbs 31 wife. I am more than thankful for their influence on my life and honored to be one of their grandchildren. Happy 60th Anniversary, NeNe and Papa Bert.

a big muddy mess

2011-08-31T07:30:00.000-06:00

it is still hot. very hot. and in my opinion - too hot to be outside. unless you are pierce.

i usually give pierce a few minutes each afternoon and a little more time after dinner to run around and 'enjoy' the outside. since he had swim lessons today, i just left him in his swimming suit and sent him outside as soon as we got home. i turned on the water hose and let him loose.

and this is what i learned:

pierce + a water hose + a very dry backyard = a HUGE muddy mess

(but a fun mess, no less)

"saving some for later"

2011-08-30T19:26:00.002-06:00

stella and a couple pieces of bananas that she must be saving for later.

p.s. - she is an official crawler now. and is always on the go.

"baseball with me?"

2011-08-25T20:18:00.000-06:00

year 8. day 1.

2011-08-22T19:17:00.003-06:00

not only did we survive, we all ended the days with smiles on our faces. and i still can't believe my 8th year of teaching has begun....

here's to a fabulous year of laughing and learning together.

summer in a song

2011-08-21T19:36:00.021-06:00

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.

Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game

It's easy. There's nothing you can make that can't be made.

No one you can save that can't be saved.

Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time - It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,

All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.

All you need is love, all you need is love,

All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

There's nothing you can know that isn't known.

Nothing you can see that isn't shown.

Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,

All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

All you need is love (all together now)

All you need is love (everybody)

All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

"All You Need is Love"

-the Beatles

won't be long...

2011-08-20T08:05:00.000-06:00

...til the squirt is on the move.

all by herself

2011-08-19T20:22:00.002-06:00

pierce decided he wanted to take a shower tonight, so little miss stella got to take a bath all by herself. she got all the toys she wanted and she didn't have to endure the random cups of water that are poured over her head, in love of course, by her brother. isn't she just so cute?!?!

little family celebration.

2011-08-19T19:53:00.002-06:00

a celebration was indeed in order tonight.

we did it - we managed to survive week #1 of our new 'normal.'

a new school year and a new daycare has come with its fair share of hard moments, but all the tears were accompanied today with a big accomplishment - no tears today at school from pierce! and he was so proud to tell justin and i about it this afternoon.

so, what did we do? let pierce pick the dinner and dessert place tonight.

pierce wanted a hot dog for dinner. and there was so way my tired head could even cook that, so we headed to the purple cow. it is such a fun and yummy 50's diner.

and dessert was ... ice cream with sprinkles!

will's birthday party.

2011-08-19T19:33:00.003-06:00

water balloons + water guns + water squirters + lots of water + 2 teams full of boys = totally fun birthday party!

will's 7th (is he really that old?!?!) birthday party was last friday.

and heather and kevin pulled off the coolest birthday party. (and it was pretty easy.)

they hosted a green lantern water fight.

the boys got into 2 different teams and had a 'water war' - complete with bandanas and protective eye wear. despite being 4 years younger than all the other boys, pierce had a fabulous time!

getting ready for the 'water war.'

listening to uncle kevin give the rules.

the birthday boy in action

stella and i enjoyed just watchin'

happy birthday, will!

thankful we could help celebrate your special day!

day one.

2011-08-15T19:21:00.002-06:00

we survived day #1 of a new school year and a new daycare for the kiddos. it wasn't without tears, but we were all smiles again at the end of the day. i am however thankful for a new place for pierce and stella to stay - sweet peas - and for a new school year for myself.

i love them.

2011-08-14T19:47:00.001-06:00

this little girl and this little boy make my heart very happy.